Products

Posts & Pages

View all results

Gem Show Shopping

Post author
Written by Joanne Simmons
Filed under
AGTA, benitoite, dudley blauwet, Dumortierit, Ecuadorian imports, gemstone, GJX show, paraiba, pyrope garnet, red beryl, richard wise, Secrets of the Gemstone Trade, Tucson gem show, tucson gem show 2017

Tucson Treasures

Post author
Written by Joanne Simmons
I got back from Tucson Tuesday night and the very first thing I did was sleep. First on the plane (1 hr the first leg, 2 hrs the second leg) and then 10 more hours at home. My assistant Debbie, who was with me till Saturday, took Sunday-Tuesday off to recoup. Yesterday, I got my little treasures from Brink, thanks to Prima Gems who did the transport for me together with their (considerably larger)... Continue reading
Post author
Written by Joanne Simmons
Filed under
buying from gem trade shows, buying gems, dudley blauwet, GJX pavillion, GJX show, paraiba, paraibas, Tucson gem show, tucson gem show 2017

Tucson Prep

Post author
Written by Joanne Simmons
For those of you who travel "vicariously" with me to Tucson to hunt for gems, here's a little more of a breakdown of what I have now, what I am looking for, and what kinds of purchases I am arranging.

Let's start with what has been my main draw, and my personal favorite - Paraiba tourmaline. I've done a count on my melees and I have adjusted all the quantities in the shop to reflect what I have... Continue reading
Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
Filed under
AGTA, buying from gem trade shows, gem & mineral show, GJX pavillion, GJX show, how to show a trade show, Trade show, trade show shopping, Tucson gem show, tucson gem show 2017, wholesale buyer

Tucson: How to Shop Wisely at a Gem Show

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
The countdown is on: on Monday January 30th I leave for Tucson for the largest gem show, or rather, gem shows, of the world, ready to stock up on more goodies. I will visit the AGTA and GJX shows for the most part, but I also go to a couple of the smaller shows, notably the one at the Hotel Tucson City Center, where my friend Jochen from Jentsch Mineralien exhibits. That's more of a mineral show... Continue reading
Post author
Written by Joanne Simmons
Filed under
Berite, Calcite, dichroice, Flourite, Jochen Hintze, Kornerupine, Marialite, Marty Zinn, Neil Garrioch, New Era Gems, The Edison Gem, The Unexpected Gem, Willemite

Edison Gem Show and Glowing Rocks

Post author
Written by Joanne Simmons
On the first weekend in April, my friend Jochen Hintze came to NJ to vend at the Gem and Mineral Show in Edison, NJ. The show is organized by Marty Zinn, who also hosts the show in Springfield MA (and one in Tucson of course). The Edison show is a bit smaller but it is growing every year, so it is fun to go nonetheless. Steve from New Era Gems always vends, and you can normally find another couple... Continue reading
Post author
Written by Joanne Simmons
Filed under
AGTA, American Gem Traders Association, jentsch mineralien, Karchener Cave, red spinel, spinel, Tucson gem show

Tucson Treasures

Post author
Written by Joanne Simmons
Wow. That's the only word I have for my recent Tucson trip. Tremendous fun, intriguing, and totally overwhelming. Several of you had said to me beforehand that you live through me vicariously, I just didn't know it was THIS many of you. The number of convos and facebook comments I got was incredible. I apologize if I didn't manage to fill all the requests and ship out on time, next year I will... Continue reading
Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
Filed under
AGTA, baguette, burmese, elongated pear shape, emerald cut, garnet, gem show, gjx, Hauynite, paraiba, ruby, sapphire, spinel, star, tourmaline, tucson

Tucson: The List

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
I don't think I've been this excited about a trip in a very long time - not even my Christmas trip home to Germany and France.  Going to Tucson is just different.  And expensive, lol.

I am slowly assembling a list of gems I want to look for. Here is my progress. Additional suggestions are welcome - if you have a specific order, let me know, suggestions are just that, I won't hold you to buying... Continue reading
Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
Filed under
AGTA, cabochon, dudley blauwet, gem show, gjx, Hauynite, jentsch mineralien, las vegas, paraiba, sale, sapphire, spinel, springfield gem and mineral show, tourmaline

Gem Shows: Past, Present and Future

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
Traveling to gem shows to shop was a new thing for me this year. I did go to the Springfield Gem and Mineral Show last fall but I exhibited with my jewelry and gems. Or rather, I pretended to exhibit because I shared the booth with Jochen Hintze from Jentsch Mineralien, and since nobody was interested in my jewelry (wrong audience), I shopped while Jochen watched my inventory. Other than that, I...
Continue reading
Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
Filed under
AGTA, AGTA Gemfair, American Gem Traders Association, arizona gem show, blog, gem fair, gemstone show, JCK, JCK show, las vegas trade show, Trade show

My Upcoming Las Vegas Show

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
Given how successful – and fun – the Tucson show was for me, I have decided to tackle the next largest U.S. gem show, the upcoming JCK and AGTA show in Las Vegas.  I’ll be there 5/27-6/2 while my dad is holding down the fort here in NJ (he’s visiting for a couple of months, and in between baking apple cakes and cheesecakes, he is enjoying learning about the jewelry and gemstone business).
The JCK...
Continue reading
Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
Filed under
AGTA Gemfair, arizona gem show, Arizona Mineral and Fossil Show, Brazilian Paraibas Tourmaline, Gem and Jewelry Exchange, GJX pavillion, Hauynite, paraibas, spinel, tourmaline, Tucson gem show

Diary From My First Tucson Show

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
As I reported a couple of blogs ago, this year I took a big step forward for me in my gemstone endeavors because I went to Tucson for the first time. Hosting over 55 shows with more than 20,000 vendors, the relatively small Arizona town turns into a theater of tents, cramped with visitors from all over the world, buying and selling gems, fossils, minerals. You have to plan your trip carefully,...
Continue reading
Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
Filed under
AGTA Gemfair, convention, exhibitor, gem addict, gem dealers, gem tradeshow, Gems, JA show, paraibas, prima gems, tradeshow, Tucson gem show, what to buy at trade shows, wholesale buying

My First Trip to Tucson

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
I am so excited.  On February 2nd, I am leaving for my first Tucson show ever.  I will be there for the entire week, working part time and shopping part time, making new connections and getting a better sense of availability and pricing of gems.
For those of you who don’t know that much about Tucson, it is thelargest gem show of the world. It takes place once a year, from mid-late January to...
Continue reading
Recent posts
Tucson Report: The Highs and Lows... Feb 13, 2025
A New Denver, a New Dollar: Shows for a Lower Budget Aug 22, 2024
How We Shop in Tucson on a Budget Jan 11, 2024
Tucson Treasures 2023: Catch Them if you Can… Feb 16, 2023
Stay Tuned for Tucson: Gems and Pricing in Spring 2023... Jan 05, 2023