New Plan for TGS Blog

In previous years I let this blog go black following the close of the gemhows. This year I am going to try something new!

I am going to be posting brief articles on the vendors that I saw at the show - some of these folks are the reason I go back every year.

Vendors come to the Tucson Gem Show from all over the world and when you find a dealer you like it is hard to keep up a relationship aside from meeting them annually in Tucson. A large number of the foreign dealers don't have a website or only one that allows contact. So this is your one opportunity a year to actually see and touch the gems and findings you want.

So in an effort to give some International attention to these vendors, I will be posting info and when possible photos of goods from a some of the outstanding vendors of the Tucson Gem Show!

Some will be mineral dealers (although my friends Justin & Brandy at The Vug have this topic covered), gem dealers, rough dealers, bead dealers, findings, home decor - so some will apply to you, some won't - but I am hoping to interest you in things you have never been exposed to before.

The format will be as follows - the photo and write up then at the bottom complete contact information for any vendors mentioned in the article. I could hyperlink throughout the piece but really want you to read the post and then check their website, info, etc.

This info will also be posted to the new Tucson Gem Show Facebook Page!

Tucson Gem Show

FaceBook Page

http://snipurl.com/eh8kc [www_facebook_com]

The Vug

http://the-vug.com/

This site is a wealth of information. With videos from the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show as well as from the other mineral shows throughout Tucson. It also features links to all the major mineral dealers and to Justin's own FakeMinerals.com.

If you are in Southern California, Justin is available for speaking engagements and offers wonderful DVD's of Rockhounding opportunities in the area.

Westward Look Show- In the room with "Heliodor"

I chose this video from all the great offerings from Justin (FustinX on YouTube) because it shows how the Tucson vendors are able to use their hotel room as a showroom - note the bed in the background.

At the Westward Look Mineral Show, Heliodor (Brad and Star Van Scriber) showes Justin from The-Vug.com all about a rare Russian Silver and a very juicy Morccan Vanadinite.

A rare look at a silver wire specimen from a Russian mine - that was rescued from the smelter.

...and a really nice Moroccan Vanadinite. According to mindat.org:
Vanadinite is a secondary lead chlorovanadate. It is almost always found in the oxidation zone of lead deposits in arid climates resulting from the alteration of vanadiferous sulphides and silicates of the gangue and wall rocks.

First discovered by Señor A.M. del Rio (1764-1849), Professor, School of Mines of Mexico, Zimapan, before the element vanadium was discovered in 1830.

Tucson Finds - Taiwoo Pearls

These were some of the most interesting pearls in Tucson...I think they would be great with broom castings!

In either the thin brown with green gold overtone or the thicker multi-colored ones!

...and these are the ones that I call "messed up coins" they are the rejects when two shapes grow together...

OK - before you all think I am nuts with my reject pearls....some lovely teardrop pearls - the luster on these is wonderful.

...and these are the dainty top-drilled rectangles

AGTA Shares GemFair Results...

February 12, 2009 – Dallas, TX: The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) provided the results of the 2009 AGTA GemFair™ Tucson, held February 4-9. Attendance was down compared to last year and buying was conservative by those companies in attendance. Although buying activity was slower, many companies were still in Tucson to restock their inventory with gemstones, pearls and finished jewelry.

“In this economy, we were extremely pleased to have 81% of our buyers attend this year’s GemFair,” stated Douglas K. Hucker, AGTA CEO. “We had a lot of positive feedback from our exhibitors about the quality and quantity of the traffic on the show floor. Many buyers see a great opportunity in colored gemstones and pearls in 2009 and were on hand to diversify their merchandise mix.”

The GemFair saw a 19% drop in attending buyers; 7,640 this year versus 9,402 in 2008. Purchases were being made on the show floor, but at reduced levels compared to previous years. Several retailers reported having higher stock levels in their inventory and were primarily looking for special order and key stock pieces.

An interesting trend reported on the floor was an influx of new buyers with many exhibitors sharing that they had opened more new accounts this year relative to previous years. Exhibitors in the Spectrum of Design Pavilion at GemFair were also pleased with the level of business that was done this year. AGTA also enlisted 50 new members at the GemFair.

“Membership in AGTA is more valuable now than ever, especially for retailers and smaller businesses,” shared Hucker. “By using the economies of scale of our membership, we can now offer many programs and sales tools with little or no cost to our member companies. Every savings that we offer our members helps reduce overall expenses and attending companies took advantage by joining the association at the show.”

_____________________

The AGTA is an Association of natural colored gemstone and cultured pearl industry professionals, dedicated to promoting the natural colored gemstone trade. The Association pursues this mission through the combined use of educational programs, industry events and publicity to both the trade and consumer. We are The Authority in Color.

Press Release from AGTA at http://www.multibriefs.com/briefs/agta/TucsonGemFair.htm

The 2009 Orchid Gathering...

While there was no formal "Orchid Dinner" this year in Tucson - the accommodating and generous Dave Arens (tool maker, jeweler and jack of all trades) organized a smaller group of folks at the TGIFridays!

Dave proved that there truly is nothing that he is not capable of doing - he can now add Party Planner to his list - he wore the Host Hat well!!!!

Despite the fact that there were three other "dinners" going on that same night...there was a respectable crowd of 50-75 guests!

Among the notables in the room Charles Lewton Brain was sharing a table with Loren Damewood - talk about artistic energy! Loren kept the onlookers entertained with his knots! It was especially nice to see Merle White and Helen Driggs (my favorite writer) of Jewelry Artist Magazine in attendance.

If you didn't get a chance to see the ring that Charles had on take a minute to check out his webpage below - this new caged rocks series is fun!

Brad & Debbie Simon were there briefly - they had a second dinner appointment that night also.

I shared a table with Dave Arens and a rotating list of dinner guests - the first round was Sam Patania (isn't he the nicest guy?) who was also heading to Cindy Edelstein's JRB dinner - then we welcomed local MetalSmith and Instructor Mark Ramsour (what a hoot - this guy is fun!)- no sooner had he stood to leave when in came Maureen Brusa Zappellini (kept saying she wasn't going to go to the show - she LIVES in Tucson!) Maureen is a talented artist and I am really enjoyed getting the opportunity to meet her - no sooner had Maureen and I started talking when in walked Holly Gage and her husband - they were busy being guests instead of vendors this year.

So as you can see I was so busy with my rotating table guests - I didn't get a minute to mingle! Maybe Dave will post a list of the attendees!

A Web Rundown of the Talent around my table:

Dave Arens - Koil Kutter
gemstonesetc@gainbroadband.com

Charles Lewton-Brain
http://www.brainpress.com/
http://www.metalartsguild.ca/profile/CharlesLewtonBrain

Loren Damewood
http://www.golden-knots.com/

Sam Patania
http://bahti.com/
http://silverhuntress.com/

Merle White & Helen Driggs
http://www.jewelryartistmagazine.com/

Brad & Debbie Simon
http://benchtelevision.com/
http://internet4jewelers.com/

Maureen Brusa Zappellini
http://cosmosmoon.etsy.com/
http://mbzap.etsy.com/

Mark Ramsour
OORT Cloud - Jewelry & Metal Objects

Holly Gage
http://www.hollygage.com/

For those of you that attended that I missed - PLEASE feel free to add your info to the comments - I would love to know who else was there!

What is Orchid?

I like to describe it as the only place where you can talk to thousands of jewelers, lapdarists, gemologists, artists, inventors, refiners, retailers, designers, photographers and miners from around the world - and not feel so intimidated that you can't ask a question!

From the Ganoksin site: Orchid is both a reservoir of content and network of active relationships for the benefit of the gem and jewelry industries. Through Orchid, participants may resolve their questions about virtually any subject relevant to the broad spectrum of involvement surrounding the gem and jewelry industries
http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/orchid.htm

TGS - The Future Looks Bright!

Today I stood in awe looking through the windows overlooking the floor at the TG&MS as a dozen bus loads of school children were given the floor!!!!

Friday morning the floor opens early - but only if you are a student! The Tucson School District bussed children from several Elementary & Middle Schools to the Convention Center to view the show.

This was a very exciting thing to see - you can see the swarms of children at each exhibit - they stopped and really looked at the educational display cases - this is good news for the industry - these kids could be our future if we do our part in encouraging them!

TGS - More Mineral Oddities from "The Main Show"!

The peeling banana was one of the highlights of the National Museum of Natural History's collection as well as a show highlight!

Mineral Oddities from Brazil was the theme of the case presented by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County....

...the etched garnet and aquamarine were glorious and that little chunk of gold was pretty impressive!

These were wonderful examples of "Mineral Mimicry"! Do you see "Mickey" and the crystal owl?

Flourescent minerals are always a crowd pleaser!

This was one of the features of Gems as Art...a solid chunk of Turquoise - carved to depict and battle between the Settlers and Indians.

For a size reference the Kachina in the background was 12-18 inches tall.

Gem Sculpture and Tiffany Style Lamps out of Agate Slices!