Sunny 75 & Breezy

Since I never finished my search at the Electric Park Show, we returned there to see if there was anything I never knew I needed. A search around The Rock Show (RV Show) produced a couple cabs as well as a piece of Carnelian from Madigascar like I have never seen before. It was an orange color with sort of a alligator-skinned pattern. I could see some good jewelry in that rock.

There is a big hard-sided tent at the Electric Park Show that is always worth checking out, if only to see the jewelry tools at Kent’s Tools. We zipped through the rest of the displays and I took a photo of some imported jewelry similar to what you might see at all the shows.

Drifting around the TEP always produces some unusual viewings. We saw a giant garnet infused rock, some dragon carvings, got a closer view of big rocks, including one artsy one next to an ore cart I likes. There were quite a few fiberglass dinosaurs in the area ($10,000 & up). One sneaky raptor was caught checking out Bonnie! Other things we saw included a large crinoid infused rock slab and some nice rock carvings.

I decided to clear out of the TEP and head over to Arizona Mineral & Fossil Show, but on the way saw another Fossil Show at the with the same name at a Quality Inn. This must have been the overflow vendor area for the show we were headed to at the Hotel Tucson City Center. There were vendors waiting for customers, but more vendors then customers.

This Quality Inn show seemed to have an abundance of Russian Vendors selling their wares. One Russian had some jade, best described as looking like sunstone. It was just amazing stuff that I probably cannot photograph and do justice to. Bonnie fell in love with a shiny purple Charoite cab that we gobbled up also.

We continued to the AM&F Show at the Hotel Tucson. We love this show as there are lots of great higher-end dealers and much to see. The best buy I made was some Muonionalusta Meteorite slabs at good prices. I love this material as you know if you have followed my blog.

We saw a humungous slab of almost violet amethyst as the obglitory giant amethyst cathedrals as well as a petrified wood table that you had to see to believe.

We knocked off early today to go to a SuperBowl party, but count on us to jump back in tomorrow.

Sunny 67

This morning I went exploring without Bonnie. I blasted into town down the freeway (The speed limit is 75mph here) and made Tucson in short order. Our daughter lives about 19 miles from city center. Anywhere you go here is measured by the time it takes to get there and not usually by the miles. I parked in my favorite lot ($5) and walked north on the west side of I-10 on the frontage road.

There are several shows at the hotels along the freeway, and the gem show attendees call this section “the strip”. I like to walk to the far end show and work my way back to the car. This way my canvas satchel is empty when I start, and possibly filled with rocks when I get back to the parking lot.

These shows have vendors in every room as well as in the courtyards, and in tents set up on the premises. I find these shows have many surprises hidden in the nooks and crannies. I spent about four hours looking and talking to vendors and fellow rock lovers. I wore my “I Dig Rocks” shirt with a little miner wearing a miner’s helmet with his head just peaking out of a hole in the ground. People liked it.

The Globe-X Show at the Days Inn was my first stop. The variety was good, I took a few pictures, and walked to the Rapa River Show. I saw my friend Jeff Anderson selling agates of all sorts. He said the show had been slow, but was hoping for a good day today. I asked him if he had seen any Blue Lace Agate, and he advised he had not.

Apparently Blue Lace is at a premium, especially the old dark blue we used to get. I have a major project that requires Blue Lace cabachons. I just missed being able to buy some at the G&LW show, but someone had come in a bought out the one vendor that had any. I think this was around 600 cabs. OK, NOW I have a goal today; find that Blue Lace.

I discovered a meteorite dealer that had some wonderful Muonionalusta pieces at a fair price. Muonionalusta is, in my opinion, the best patterned of all meteorites, and I love it for jewelry. Still no Blue Lace to be found.

The next show is the Pueblo Gem & Mineral Show at the Riverpark Inn. There are always huge crystals on display, and for sale, in front of the Inn. They are always worth a look and a picture. I saw a few small Blue Lace slabs, but nothing of quality.

I left the area and drove to shows at the Kino Sports Complex (we always called this Electric Park). This show is now called the Rock Show. The RV (Rock) show is interesting as the dealers just park their motor homes and sell their goods on tables outside their individual motor homes. This show is always interesting to me as I can find lots of rough rocks, slabs, and cabs. Guess what? I found some Blue Lace rough (WHOOPEE). One vendor had seven small pieces and I bought all he had. The price was right, and now I can get my project done.

Bonnie met up with me at Electric Park and we drank some real cowboy root beer (sasparilla). The Electric Park Show has many non-rock related things going on as well as an eclectic variety of rough rock, jewels, cabs, jewelry, and a host of other unusual items you would not expect at a rock show. This show along with the RV(Rock) Show covers about 20 acres with over 250 vendors. I just covered the surface of this show, but was able to find a new ring saw at Diamond Pacific I need. I shopped and they will ship.

I left both hungry and tired, but a good Tucson Burrito hit the spot.

Until tomorrow-where we will be, who knows.

Sunny 64

We zipped through several different shows today. Let’s sum them up: We went to the G&LW (Gem & Lapidary Wholesalers) show held in a giant hard-sided tent (actually two tents). I call this one “the bead show” because of all the stacks of beads piled everywhere. Generally there is little that attracts me to this show except Bonnie likes beads.

Good buys were made on beads, but again they do not allow photography at this show.
I took a couple photos of the outside so you can get an idea of the massiveness of these tents.

A shuttle took us over to the Holidome at the Holiday Inn nearby. There were some great carvings at the entrance to the main tent. This show features a lot of buy-sell type goods manufactured in India or China, so again of only minor interest to me. This is another wholesale show and no photography allowed.

We had time left, and my legs were still OK, so we decided to hit the 22nd Street Show. They upgraded this year to a new hard sided tent on a paved pad. This was much nicer than the tent on dusty dirt that they had last year. The one thing that stood out was the 80 foot Apatasaurus excelsus from Wyoming in the middle of the show. This dinosaur was obviously a replica as the price was only $175,000 (maybe less if you paid cash).

There were some great fossil dealers at the show among a wide variety of other things.

As a plus I could take some photos.

We observed a prehistoric crocodile that apparently had a sweet tooth, as he had a mouthful of candy.

Just down the road from the 22nd Street Show is the JG&M (Jewelry, Gem, & Mineral Exposition) show. This show sometimes has some interesting stuff. They did allow photos, and I’m glad they did, because there were some very interesting crystals displays.

Stopping at the Tucson Showplace we got to see our pal Archy Ammerman from Archy’s Rock Shop in Mason, Michigan. He specializes in Cabochons, but he did have some real nice Stichtite rough from Australia. This rock looks sort of like Ruby and Fuschite, but the spots in it are lavender. I’m eager to cut some for my jewelry.

All in all it was a busy day, with minimal cash outflow, but lots of memories.

We are off soon to our favorite Tucson steakhouse, the Silver Saddle… YUM!

68 breezy & sunny

Today we went to two of the largest wholesale shows in Tucson. The AGTA (American Gem Trade Association) show runs thru February 4th at the Tucson Convention Center. When this Gem Fair closes then the Convention Center is set up for the Big Show put on by the Tucson Gem & Mineral Society. I’ll visit the “Big Show” next weekend and blog about that.

AGTA is an organization of the professionals in the gem trade business and primarily features gems as you would find at high-end jewelry stores. I cannot even describe the mind numbing experience of viewing pile after pile of facetted gemstones, and hundreds of gemstone dealers from around the world. This show has the best reputation for quality, honesty, and integrity of any show in Tucson. We might have to pay more at this show, but you get the best stuff also. This show is on two floors of the Convention Center and allows no photography at all (This policy is strictly enforced by the many on sight members of the Tucson Police Department protecting the gazillion dollars worth of precious jewels.

Bonnie bought some very high end gemstone beads and I bought a few cabs for myself.

The GJX show is just across the street from the Tucson Convention Center held in an 110,000 square foot ultra-structure that is fully carpeted and climate controlled. There are several hundred vendors at the GJX show and it is again a wholesale show. The camera police are again out in force. This show has a little of everything from facetted gemstones to carvings to equipment for gemstone identification. We like the show’s separate little nook for the famous Idar Oberstein lapidary group from Germany. There is also side nooks for the Brazilians and Asian gem trade people.

We picked up a few items and got out of there after walking around for several hours. This tent is massive!

I promised yesterday I would tell you about the Bumblebee Jasper from Indonesia. My research indicates that it is totally legit and a real rock from a volcanic region on one of the Indonesian Islands. The unusual yellow coloration is caused by sulfer. I’m eager to make some jewelry out of it.

I have no idea where we will be tomorrow, but be assured you will go with us (adhoc) via our blog.

There seems to be some unusual things that happened on the text in this blog. I’ll figure it out by the next blog.

Sunny 74

The Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil show is expected to host 60,000 visitors as well as around 70,000 locals to the myriad of gem shows this year. The show officially opened on January 28th this year and will run until February 12th.

We decided to skip the first weekend rush and fly in on February 1st. I hope only 11 days solves my rock-buying issues!

We have heard estimates that this show will generate 76.5 million dollars and sales tax revenues of 6 million. I had to smile at the latter figure. We have never really had anyone at these shows collect any tax from us. Some honest vendors may include tax in their sales, but what we have found is that most foreign vendors like American greenbacks, and many cannot get authorization to accept credit cards so cash money is king in many places.

We generally will use our credit card with American-based vendors and others we will pay with a check or cash. I have said it before that $100 bills flow here like $1 bills flow at home.

We arrived in Tucson in time to take our first shot at unloading some money at the JOGS Gem and Jewelry Show is not far from the airport at the Tucson Expo Center (A large convention center). The show is all on one floor so it flows well and it is fairly easy to get around there, except for the occasional “bead lady”, pulling around 100# of beads in a suitcase as large as a small river barge. Many of our favorite dealers are there. This is a wholesale show that requires a sales tax license and established business credentials. You cannot, by show rules, take photos at this show. Will Don risk arrest for your benefit? Hey, maybe I can get Bonnie to take a few candid shots!

Yes! Don did throw caution to the wind and took a picture of this rock. I still have all my fingers and the camera.

One of the amazing things on display at the JOGS Show was the worlds largest Aquamarine displayed at the Swami Brother’s booth. The gem is rated AAA and the color shows a brilliant blue. Vitaliy Maysenberg, the promoter for JOGS Gem and Jewelry Show invited the brothers to display their stone for the first time ever, and they were kind enough to do so. Ashok Swami reveals his brother Arvind Swami found the gem inMozambiquein the year 2000. Ajay Swami, the third brother, who is usually the one who finds the gems at the mines was proud for his brother for finding this 24kg (53lbs) 120,000 carat stone. Measuring 15″ x7″x4″ it fit tightly into the safe which housed it for the last twelve years until being brought to the JOGS Gem Show.

Also I bought a substantial amount of expensive drusy of really strange colors and some new gemstones called “Bumble Bee” from Indonesia. I will expand on this one tomorrow when I take a picture.