I’ll admit, it felt really strange to be traveling again and getting on an airplane — but I knew this trip to Tucson was much needed in many ways. I was eager to get to my destination after not traveling for 2 years and I needed gems in my life! This trip was my first self-sponsored one, which was exciting in many ways. For the first time, I had no set schedule or responsibilities other than doing things for Gem Gossip. I came ready to buy and was looking forward to what caught my eye.
Before the trip even began, things were off to a rocky start — I had planned for my photographer Lauren to meet me out there and help capture every moment via videos and photos. Her original flight got canceled and then I think she rebooked like 4 or 5 new flights, with each one getting canceled at some point. She ended up having to completely cancel her trip and I was totally bummed! The only photos and videos I got were from my iPhone (shown here) so I hope I’m not disappointing you all!
The first stop of my 2022 itinerary was the JOGS Show. I always find some great buys here and it is really quite large of a show. JOGS has such a variety of things, from crystal specimens, to finished jewelry both costume and fine, carved stones, lots of beads, rough gems, finished gems, large display pieces and so much more. I always buy rough Ethiopian opals here and there’s a great pyrite dealer that has spectacular pieces at great prices. I spent several hours here and really enjoyed my time. They have another show in Tucson in the fall as well…along with a show in Palm Springs in November.
I purchased some inlaid ammonites, carved amethyst skulls, lots of opals (both rough & finished jewelry), some Verde Valley agates, Mexican cantera opals (I buy one for my personal collection every year), danburite, herkimer diamonds, and some Yogo sapphires. The sapphires are for an antique ring that I bought last year that currently has synthetic sapphires, which I’ll be replacing. I’m excited to see how it turns out and I’ll make sure I’ll reveal the before and after on my Instagram.
I was really excited to find some malachite bowls and I bought all that I could carry. They sold out within 3 minutes of offering them for sale. I also bought a few antique and vintage pieces from the few dealers that were there. Finding antique and vintage jewelry dealers in Tucson is tough and there seems to be less and less each year. Hopefully there’s more in the future. I probably just have withdrawals from not attending Miami and Vegas for a few years.
It was great to be back in Tucson — I’m glad I made this trip and looking forward to next year!
