Tucson Gem & Mineral Show
This is a short, a good video providing an overview of gems and minerals on display.
Jewelry, the Energy
If you are into the energy of the minerals, quartz and crystals, topaz, pink salt lamps, onyx, from the size of your finger to 10, 20, 50+ pounds to literally a half ton of rock you can’t get your arms around and crystals that are stunning, especially when displayed and lit up in your great room, your bedroom or your outdoor meditation garden. If you are into making jewelry, there is one tent after another and tables and tables with beautiful small gems perfect for rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings and more. The more you buy, the better the price. And, of course, you can purchase gems of diamonds, rubies, opals and on and on.
Turquoise and silver bola tie, designer and artist Rob Krewson, 1980
Of course, my little collection of malachite, quartz and fossils pale in comparison, but I love them.
SOLD-Fossils of a fern and critters that did their thing hundreds of millions of years ago!
Bring your walking shoes because it’s a pretty good spread of tents, in fact there may be a couple locations in the area. And bring your wallet to purchase some one of a kind beautiful gems and minerals for some good deals.
SOLD-Geode and petrified wood bookend sets, above and to the right.
For those outside Tucson and Southern Arizona, maybe you haven’t heard of the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show. If not, if you haven’t been to one of the Tucson Gem & Mineral Shows it is worth the road trip from Phoenix and the price of admission, it is stunning. I mean there are some huge insane pieces. Checkout some of the videos below. The 2020 show runs officially from Thursday, 2/13 to Sunday 2/16. However, exhibits will be setting up that week of, and many will be around a few days after. But, if you only have one day, the days vary. Thursday and Friday will provide the largest selection, with larger crowds Friday, especially if the weather is good. Saturday is a good day, with good crowds, though pieces will be picked through. However, Sunday will offer the best prices as dealers want to lighten their load to the next show and would prefer selling what they can at a reduced price.
above, Malachite specimen, 20 lbs., from the Lavender Pit Mine in Bisbee, Arizona, $2,500.
These videos are a little longer, but really show some of the beautiful large specimens, large like as large as you.
Road tripping
And, if you are in Tucson for the long weekend, maybe you’ll get a chance to see some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world. If you arrive Sunday, 2/9/20, you’ll get to see an always beautiful full moon coming over the Rincon Mountains to the east. The full moon is best viewed from the University of Arizona’s central mall, of which the UofA campus is one to check out while there, including museums and a possible evening show at UofA’s Centennial Hall. Visit the other sites of Tucson with a drive up into the western Tucson Mountains through Gates Pass, into Saguaro National Monument West and over to the Desert Wildlife Museum. Old Tucson is just down the road where many western movies were made. Take a hike in Sabino Canyon or head up the road to Mt. Lemmon in the Catalina Mountains. Visit the Tucson Botanical Gardens and Tohono Chul Botanical Gardens. There are all sorts of art galleries including the world renown DeGrazia Gallery and Museum in the Catalina Foothills.
Though the Arizona Inn is one of our favorites, and in proximity to U of A, Tucson has several 4- & 5-star resorts to mingle around, if you’re not staying at, along with some beautiful golf courses to play. For those coming in, enjoying a break from frigid winter temps, maybe you’ll catch some 70 something degree weather and just hang out poolside with a drink.
And, there are so many excellent restaurants in Tucson, some of the best Mexican and Central American restaurants in the world, along with every other kind of restaurant you’d enjoy. There’s a fun bar scene, local micro-breweries and lots of music from just west of UofA’s main campus along University Boulevard with Gentle Bens leading the way, to 4th Avenue bars and shops and on back into downtown Tucson.
And if you are in Tucson for the week, you may want to throw in a day road trip, or spend the night in Tombstone or Bisbee, for a little something different and check out the cultural history and scenic beauty. The loop in southern Arizona is one to drive, and perfect for those with a touring motorcycle. Or, grab an RV with family and/or friends. Otherwise, jump in your car, head down I-19 past San Xavier Mission, short for Mission San Xavier del Bac, built in the late 1700’s, to Tubac, to Tumacacori, and down to Hwy 82 on up through Sonoita Creek State Natural Area, the Town of Patagonia, on up through Sonoita and southern Arizona’s wine country. From here you can head south along the fun meandering Hwy 83 back to Tucson, or head east to Whetstone. There, you can head south to Huachuca City and Sierra Vista and on over to Bisbee. Or from Whetstone, head east to Tombstone and then down to Bisbee. Walking Tombstone is pretty cool with the all the history and walking Old Town Bisbee and visiting shops is fun. Maybe stay the night in Tombstone or Bisbee and experience the bars and dining. For you rock hounds, which is what this is all pretty much about, visit the beautiful live Kartchner Caverns State Park.
From Tombstone on Hwy 80, head south then east along 82, then south down 90 to Kartchner Caverns. From there you can jump back onto 1-10 back to Tucson or check out Colossal Cave Mountain Park near Vail.
It’s not a live cave, though Colossal Cave is very impressive. Or change it up if you’re an aviation buff and check out the Pima Air Museum, https://pimaair.org/. If you are an aviation enthusiast, it’s a good museum.
So, from a short week or a long week, or just a Saturday, the Gem & Mineral Show in Tucson is one to experience, if not this year, then maybe 2021, as well as all the activities, culture and scenery in and around Tucson and Southern Arizona.