January 24 Through February 4—TUCSON, ARIZONA: Annual show
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 Post subject: Any Reports from Tucson?
PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 3:28 pm 
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Hi all,

I'm just back from Tucson. Only got to spend a couple of days, but it was a good trip anyway. I was wondering if anyone else had made the trip, and if so what impressions they had.

We hadn't really planned to go, but decided to go on a whim. Would have liked to get together with any forumites that may have been there, but as usual I had no organization. Maybe next year...

There's been some record cold out here in the desert last week, and that seemed to keep the traffic down. We started early every day, and always got a parking spot right near the entrances because no one was out in the cold. Vendors commented that traffic was low.

I saw a lot of sterling jewelry this time...a lot of stuff that used to be set in gold. This probably relates directly to gold prices being high. I saw some amazing Australian opal...really world-class stuff. There was also loads of Ethiopian opal all over, though of varying quality. I got a couple of pieces that I may be able to facet.

Lots of tool vendors to see, although I didn't have time to find everyone I wanted to see. I did manage to find the good people of Inland Lapidary and grab a new sintered lap I've been needing/wanting.

I really didn't find as much high quality faceting rough as I would have liked to look at. Probably because time was short and I just didn't find it. I did stop in and visit with the folks at Tom Schneider's booth, and they had some nice stuff. Grabbed a fist-sized chunk of citrine from a Zambian fellow at a good price...he looked sort of despondent and I got the impression he wasn't having a good show. He tried to sell me 10 kilos of amethyst at a good price, but I couldn't figure out what I'd do with it.
I was able to look at an amazing parcel of afghan indicolite, but it was beyond my budget...probably in the $30K range. They were asking $150/gram, and it was probably worth close to that. Crystals bigger than my fingers and pretty clean - the 'vendors' gave me the creeps though. They were very hostile for no reason and acted like they resented me even looking at their goods. They even got angry because they saw my cell phone, and told me that I couldn't take pictures...in spite of the fact I hadn't asked or tried to do so. Very odd, I thought, and I decided that I wasn't going to give them any of my money, even if they did have some other nice tourmaline.

Aside from a new lap, my big splurge was a really nice, 6ct piece of rough emerald. Hadn't planned on such a purchase, but I got into it right. It may take a while to decide what it will be when it grows up....

So, we had a good time in 2 1/2 really long days. I could have done some serious damage if I'd had another $60-70k :wink: Oh well...there's always next year, right.

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 Post subject: Re: Any Reports from Tucson?
PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 4:30 pm 
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I was there about 2 1/2 days just like you and the high for the period was 42 ...on thursday the winds were blowing 30MPH. It was 18 in the morning and never got to 40.I was planing on camping out but thought better of driving up to the mountains like last year.
Traffic was about a third of what it was the same time last year.The vendors all looked glum.All except this little chinese girl that could not stop speaking what she thought was english.She was pretty and charming and would let go of my hand as she dragged me all over their exhibit.I felt bad she tried so hard but she had nothing I was interested in...except the giggle and smile.
If anyone finds a small red bubble wrap plastic bag with two pieces of green amythist,a small green flourite crystal and five clear topaz pieces I know who dropped them....me.DUHHHH Thank god it was nothing too expensive.Either that or I got pick pocketed.Knowing me it was the first one.
If you are going late in the show there may be alot of empty booths and closed hotel rooms.Hurry before their gone.


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 Post subject: Re: Any Reports from Tucson?
PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 5:19 pm 
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I think I know which Chinese girl you mean... :D

As of yesterday afternoon there were already some empty booths and rooms. Some of the venues will be closing today, I think, so some even better deals will be there for the taking.

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 Post subject: Re: Any Reports from Tucson?
PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 1:27 pm 
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Since I can't be there this year I'd love to hear some reports as well on how was the mood, how was the attendance, was it a frenzied buying show or were the sellers mostly looking sad, how does this year compare with last year and the year before --- you know, just the general overall whole nine yards. :)

Cheers all
Hans Durstling
in snowmageddon Moncton Canada

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 Post subject: Re: Any Reports from Tucson?
PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 1:58 pm 
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Not a ton of buyers, but the people there were spending. Most of the people I talked with, who had had medium - lousy shows last year - were doing much better this year. One fossil seller bought my 3.14ct Mint Grossular for his wife with a stack of bills. He'd made is booth fee in the first two days and was feeling pretty flush.

The airport closures did delay some people, but Friday and Saturday were busy, if not 2007 busy!

I had a fabulous week. Found everything I needed, if not some of my "wish list" items, and we got an amazingly good reception for the Green Gem Foundation. I'm busy today sorting my goodies, and later will head to the machine to start cutting like a mad thing.

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 Post subject: Re: Any Reports from Tucson?
PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:23 pm 
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Posted this elsewhere yesterday, but will report here as well:
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Another wonderful Tucson.

We're getting packed up to head home, and the bags are heavier going out than they were coming in :-)

I got some rose cut diamonds for a client, a big whack of cut stones to recut, and huge gorgeous citrine and amethyst since we were running low. Picked up a few tourmalines including an Afghani blue but it wasn't a tourmaline year. No garnets, since I topped up in Tanzania :-) I did get two big chunks of top teal apatite, and my big treat was a 55 gram (yes, gram) untreated Afghani morganite. Wow. I also picked up a sintered 1200 Inland lap, which was a long overdue purchase.

Tom and I missed the faceters dinner on Sunday, but the Roger did a masterful job of hosting the GO dinner Thursday and I even got to sit next to Dr Hanneman!

Sadly, it was frigging freezing here. The US Faceters Guild had a great series of talks, but it ranged from 19-32 degrees in the morning. I made it to Bruce Jones talk and loved it, but it got colder after than and my little asthmatic lungs couldn't handle the cold dry air. I'm very sorry to have missed Nancy Attaway's and Stephan Kotlowski's talks, which were great according to the folks I spoke with who braved the tent. I hope this becomes an annual event.

The HobNob was great. It's so wonderful to see everyone, see what they've been cutting, and play show and tell with our goods. We all owe a big debt to the OPLC for hosting this each year.

Jeffrey and I started the launch of the Green Gem Foundation. We got a wonderful reception to it, and are off to a great start. We had some donations of rough - including some gorgeous Amethyst from Tom Kidwell - that sold at the HobNob to benefit the Foundation. We still have top grade green feldspar, as well as phenakite. All proceeds go to fund the Foundation so if you want to score some tasty rough while doing good, let us know :-)

Off to finish packing and wander back to Canada!

Cheers,

Lisa

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 Post subject: Re: Any Reports from Tucson?
PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:56 pm 
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Many thanks Lisa!

Last time in Tucson for me was I believe 2007, maybe 2008, running the Learning Center at the Electric Park Show, also in one of those Tucson cold snaps.

As a sort of high profile media event I had organized the Mayor of Tucson to come in and facet a stone in public at the Learning Center. (It still tickles me to think that by phone and fax and email from way off in Moncton Canada, about where the flat earth drops off to the tortoise that supports it, I organized an event for the Mayor of Tucson, across the continent, three thousand five hundred miles distant).

And oh boy was it bitterly cold that day. Minutes before the event I sped off to the Ace Hardware to buy a heat lamp which we clamped to the Foredom mast, and in whose kindly radiance the Mayor then cut, in great good humor, on a Fac-ette, under the tutelage of Johnny Tew, and Wayne Emery, and I think Roger Dery also, altho I'd have to locate my photographs to be certain. ROM too was there.

I miss all that. The people, the friends, the sheer adrenalin. Oh well; hopefully next year.

Cheers again
Hans - D

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 Post subject: Re: Any Reports from Tucson?
PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:20 pm 
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I just got back to my office, it's 7pm here in Philadelphia. I have been up since 4am Tucson time so I am a little punchy. Hopefully my report will make sense...

The GO dinner Thursday night was interesting. Unfortunately there was no way to meet and greet everyone. When I arrived everyone was already seated and the space was quite small. No room to move around and mingle. I am really glad to have been there. You all seem like a really nice group of people who are as interested in gemology as I am, and some of you a lot more!

My objective in Tucson is to search and destroy. I look at as many rocks as possible, get prices and try to remember who had what. Then I pray to find the one dealer who is selling below the market. I always look at ruby, sapphire & emerald but I focus on fine Peridot, Spinel, Spessartite, opal & Tourmaline. After 4 hours I already understood that prices have almost doubled from 3 years ago and are up at least 20% from last year. Some fine spinel is approaching fine sapphire. Spessartite in 5ct+ sizes were starting at $400/ct and regularly seen over $700/ct. 10ct+ sizes were over $800/ct. I would say that the only rock with higher prices was Spinel. Fine red and blue spinel is through the roof. I saw $5000/ct all over the place for gem 5ct+ stones. I bought the book on Spinels that was posted on this forum last week. It costs $95 and is well worth it. Tourmaline was stable and up around 5-10% from last year. There seems to be fewer and fewer Mozambique Paraiba color rocks. I don't know if that stuff is done at the mine but if it is, prices should roar soon. The find of the show was definitely the Ethiopian opal. I found excellent specimens in 10ct+ size for only $65/ct. Similar stuff from Australia would command over $400/ct. The gamble is whether or not its stable long term. If it is then I expect the price to sky rocket within 3 years.

From my conversations with many friendly dealers the AGTA did better than the GJX. Apparently the Asians dropped big money in the convention center. The tent was lack luster.

I went to the GIA Birthday party, which was fun. It was my first time ever at a GIA function. Overall I had a great time, in spite of the cold. Tucson is just as beautiful at 25 degrees as it is at 75!

-josh


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 Post subject: Re: Any Reports from Tucson?
PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 3:38 am 
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Hans and All,
Speaking of cold, apparently Tucson is experiencing record low temperatures this year . This image was posted by Jordi Fabre on the FMF Minerals Forum. Note the blue sky! I remember in past years Tucson was the place we escaped to for a February thaw. Brrrrrrr!!!!


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 Post subject: Re: Any Reports from Tucson?
PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 12:10 pm 
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Yup. My hotel had no heat on the recordbreaking night.

I'm still in Tucson. Will report on TGMS.

Did anyone see the suite of red spinels in the Idar pavilion? Droolworthy.


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 Post subject: Re: Any Reports from Tucson?
PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 11:21 pm 
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Hubby and I just returned home tonight. Our first day walking the show was Wednesday. I couldn't believe how cold it was! Why bother leaving Minnesota?? :shock:

We didn't make it to the dinner Thursday night ... we were stuck at J.O.G.S. waiting for the ride back :( . The driver was quite late.

My objective was to find spinel. I guess I didn't get to the right places because it was far and few between where I looked. A gentleman at Pueblo had some nice reds and pinks, but the prices were much higher than my budget! I ended up with only one pink spinel and it's only .80ct :( .

Bought a couple of nice little Oregon sunstones, and a few other gems when Hubby wasn't with me ... that's when I spent the most 8) :lol: .

It is good to be home, though. Think I'll stay prone for about three days to make up for all the walking at the shows and the drive back home! :P

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 Post subject: Re: Any Reports from Tucson?
PostPosted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 1:47 pm 
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Finally chained Tom to the photo bench :-)

Here's some of the goodies I scored.

HUGE Amethyst from Brazil These are over 200cts each.
Image

These Citrines are mere babies at around 100cts and up
Image

My new Morganite. 277 cts of untreated Afghani pinkness
Image

A collection of 3-7ct Umba sapphires.
Image

27ct Mada Apatite
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 Post subject: Re: Any Reports from Tucson?
PostPosted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 1:56 pm 
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Ehy, nice pebbles Lisa!! just love the morganite and the umba sapphires (well, and others too..) :D
good catch.
ciao
albé

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 Post subject: Re: Any Reports from Tucson?
PostPosted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:35 pm 
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Brrrrrrr is right.

Roger - sincerest apologies for not making your dinners, fought the flu while I was there, and decided to keep it to myself. Heard great things from those who did make it.

Lisa - saw that rough in the Brazilian GJX tent, and it IS as beautiful in person. Can't wait to see what you do with it.

Did a lot of business in the Idar tent so I had those giant red spinels Harriet mentioned looking over my shoulder - haunting. They still haunt me. Chatted with the owner a bit, very nice guy. They came from the giant crystal that was made famous in the photo of the motorcycle escape. I can't say that I saw any larger red spinel that came close to that color. There was some high quality large pastel spinel at the Russian booths, but rather pricey. One did have some top red in the under 1ct range which I immediately bought. The Sri Lanken's had some nice color-shift blue spinel which was reasonable.

Also saw some killer rhodochrosite crystals, Kasumiga pearls, carved sleeping beauty, fossilized bamboo, and vandium chrysoberyl that was a beautiful blue green.

Ethopian opal was everywhere. Every show had some in all it's forms. I'm pretty sure I saw some in the grocery store. Heard all the same stories of how big the deposit is to it's fragility. I've had some crack already. That being said, I still love it!

Also saw forum member Brad - www.thegemtrader.com who had a stunning 7ct tsavorite, also haunting.

John Fitzgerald scored some very cool meteorite beads from Pueblo.

Some of the dealers I know did more business in their first day then they did all last year. Some were hurting, either personality, or pricing issues. GJX was busy the first two days, then slacked off. AGTA was a ghost town when I was there, but that's a relationship show. GLDA was quiet and smaller. Electric park always fun as is the strip. Can't handle the Holidome.

High quality goods well priced. Everything else negotiable. Heard the same stories of the Chinese buying everything, especially at the source. Who knows.

360

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 Post subject: Re: Any Reports from Tucson?
PostPosted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 9:57 pm 
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360, are you referring to the two huge rhodochrosite specimens at the Collector's Edge? :shock:


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