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APRIL 2015
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APRIL 2015
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JEWELRY
SHOWCASE
MAGAZINE.COM
Every year the faithful and the curious stampede to
the dusty southwest town of Tucson, AZ in search
of what’s new, what’s really old and what’s just
plain odd. Tucson has played host to the world’s
wildest gem and mineral bazaar for decades. Trying
to explain it to those who’ve never gone, one falls
woefully short of doing justice to this unique jam-
boree.The legendary souk began back in the 1954
with a small group of rock hounds who set up a
freebie mineral display at a local elementary school.
Though making it available to anyone who would
come, they had little hopes of outsiders taking
interest in their shoe boxes full of rocks. But take
off it did.
What Are You Looking For?
Today, the city of Tucson’s personality is defined by
these shows that have exploded from such humble
beginnings.This is the place where haute-couture
designers find their once in a lifetime Kashmir sap-
phire the size of a quail egg. High volume manu-
facturers negotiate with Brazilian, African and East
Asian dealers hawking deep quantities of colorful
stones cut overseas. Need a fossilized dinosaur egg?
Check. How about an amethyst-bearing geode
taller than you? No problem. And this time some
ambitious dealers even lugged in huge petrified
wood with polished top surfaces so big, they were-
styled as cocktail tables and sculpture stands.
For the colored stone trade in particular, a couple
of things contribute to the overall vibe at Tucson
each year. First, the economic climate dominates
the pervasive mood of the focus shows.The hubs
are the AGTA Gem Fair held at the Tucson Con-
vention Center, and the GJX (Gem and Jewelry
Exchange) bustling across the road in billowy
white tents that seem to go on forever. Secondly,
By Diana Jarrett
WHAT TUCSON
TELLS US.
Pearl dealers brought a wide
array of parti-colored dyed
strands.
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