Caitlin
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2004
- Messages
- 8,502
The 2007 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show Saturday Jan 27, 2007
The locals would know the show is going on without all the ads and signs because the traffic is unbelievable this time of year. Hubby is working a show at the Music Hall, located at the Tucson Community Center and parking for work is a drag for him. Suddenly, for 2 weeks, parking in Tucson is like parking in a big city. The streets everywhere are full of traffic. Traffic is slow.
The TCC is also where one of the major gem shows, the AGTA, is located. The AGTA is the hub for the manufactured and wholesale jewelry crowd. That is where you can pick up the latest buzz and see members' exhibits. Stuller is a big exhibitor, for instance. They have their jewelry and findings and they showcase the pearls they sell on the upper level and their tools and machinery are in a huge area in the arena, located off the downstairs section of the TCC.
A number of well known pearl companies are members of the AGTA. In fact so many are, there is a pearl committee, so to speak, which passes out literature on pearls and how to join their organization. The American Pearl Company has a display on the lower level, featuring their own American home grown beaded pearls. They also have many other pearls too, including natural, but tiny, pteria sterna pearls from Mexico. Buyers can pick up enough literature from this show to need an extra suitcase going home. They carry the best quality gems and pearls and the prices are 1/2 to 1/3 of B&B retail. In short, the AGTA show is the epitome of the old fashioned, B&M establishment jewelry show. AGTA is not the only show downtown, the JYX and the Pavilion at the River Park and the entire downtown strip of frontage highway and all of its hotels, are filled with booths. Most of these except the JYX and the Pavilion are open to the public, no tax documents required.
I will go there later this week to check out the JYX booths, but today, Saturday, my daughter and I set out for the G&LW show. (Gem & Lapidary Wholesale) This show is located near the freeway and the Holidome, which is one of the hubs of the citywide network of shows. They have acres and acres of free parking and they have a little vehicle to transport one to and from their cars. They also have a free shuttle going to and from the downtown shows. I may try this on Monday?..
The G&LW show has the second rate gems and pearls. I saw some 11mm buttons, very clean skins and nice, but not dazzling luster. The size is great. These run for $15 for one cherry picked strand to $6per for a kilo?s worth. I saw some quite large oblong and drop shaped dyed black baroques for $4 per. They had some major nicks in the skins, but in my estimation all that does is expose multiple layers of nacre. I got 4 strands, one of which had especially large pearls. I will post some pictures soon. Right now I am balancing a number of plates and too distracted to take photos.
I only saw one white klonk at the this show- of course this show is for beaders mostly. It was at Evergreen and cost $200. Obviously, Roy did not want to sell it on the first day of the show. The pearls were kind of round ran from 11-14mm. Not a lot of mirror, but a very pale orient on patches of most of the pearls. I also found some faceted pearls with a lot of luster and water. The size and color are so similar to my woodies, that I think I can make some bracelets to match them.
I am hoping to go back there one more time and get more of the 11mm buttons. Who knows when they will be seen again?..
The locals would know the show is going on without all the ads and signs because the traffic is unbelievable this time of year. Hubby is working a show at the Music Hall, located at the Tucson Community Center and parking for work is a drag for him. Suddenly, for 2 weeks, parking in Tucson is like parking in a big city. The streets everywhere are full of traffic. Traffic is slow.
The TCC is also where one of the major gem shows, the AGTA, is located. The AGTA is the hub for the manufactured and wholesale jewelry crowd. That is where you can pick up the latest buzz and see members' exhibits. Stuller is a big exhibitor, for instance. They have their jewelry and findings and they showcase the pearls they sell on the upper level and their tools and machinery are in a huge area in the arena, located off the downstairs section of the TCC.
A number of well known pearl companies are members of the AGTA. In fact so many are, there is a pearl committee, so to speak, which passes out literature on pearls and how to join their organization. The American Pearl Company has a display on the lower level, featuring their own American home grown beaded pearls. They also have many other pearls too, including natural, but tiny, pteria sterna pearls from Mexico. Buyers can pick up enough literature from this show to need an extra suitcase going home. They carry the best quality gems and pearls and the prices are 1/2 to 1/3 of B&B retail. In short, the AGTA show is the epitome of the old fashioned, B&M establishment jewelry show. AGTA is not the only show downtown, the JYX and the Pavilion at the River Park and the entire downtown strip of frontage highway and all of its hotels, are filled with booths. Most of these except the JYX and the Pavilion are open to the public, no tax documents required.
I will go there later this week to check out the JYX booths, but today, Saturday, my daughter and I set out for the G&LW show. (Gem & Lapidary Wholesale) This show is located near the freeway and the Holidome, which is one of the hubs of the citywide network of shows. They have acres and acres of free parking and they have a little vehicle to transport one to and from their cars. They also have a free shuttle going to and from the downtown shows. I may try this on Monday?..
The G&LW show has the second rate gems and pearls. I saw some 11mm buttons, very clean skins and nice, but not dazzling luster. The size is great. These run for $15 for one cherry picked strand to $6per for a kilo?s worth. I saw some quite large oblong and drop shaped dyed black baroques for $4 per. They had some major nicks in the skins, but in my estimation all that does is expose multiple layers of nacre. I got 4 strands, one of which had especially large pearls. I will post some pictures soon. Right now I am balancing a number of plates and too distracted to take photos.
I only saw one white klonk at the this show- of course this show is for beaders mostly. It was at Evergreen and cost $200. Obviously, Roy did not want to sell it on the first day of the show. The pearls were kind of round ran from 11-14mm. Not a lot of mirror, but a very pale orient on patches of most of the pearls. I also found some faceted pearls with a lot of luster and water. The size and color are so similar to my woodies, that I think I can make some bracelets to match them.
I am hoping to go back there one more time and get more of the 11mm buttons. Who knows when they will be seen again?..
