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The Tucson Gem & Mineral Show® Opening Ceremonies and Scenes

We are once again happy to provide detailed show reports of this year's Tucson Gem & Mineral Show®. This show is the main attraction of the multi-week Tucson mineral events. It brings together mineral enthusiasts from around the world to see the exhibits as well as the best and newest material from a multitude of dealers. Our coverage includes the opening show scenes, exhibit display cases, individual minerals on display, and dealer minerals. We will divide these into several posts starting with the opening scenes. 

This year's show took place from Thursday, February 9, though Sunday, February 12. On Thursday morning, the show began with a ribbon cutting ceremony with the mayor of Tucson and a representative of the governor's office.


Introductory Remarks by Dr. Peter Megaw, Special & Guest Exhibits Chair of TGMS
Introductory Remarks by Dr. Peter Megaw, Special & Guest Exhibits Chair of TGMS

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. Left to Right:
Mark Marikos, President of TGMS
Jonathan Rothschild, Mayor of City of Tucson
Ms. Becky Freeman, Deputy Director of the Governor of Arizona
Patricia McClain, Executive Manager of TGMS

Jonathan Rothschild and Ms. Becky Freeman Holding the Minerals Treasures of the Midwest Show Posters
Jonathan Rothschild and Ms. Becky Freeman With Minerals Treasures of the Midwest Show Posters

Show Staff and VIP's at the Completion of the Opening Ceremony
Show Staff and VIP's at the Completion of the Opening Ceremony

Maria Powell, host of Bienvenidos a su Casa, interviewing guest exhibitor Gene Meieran
Maria Powell, host of Bienvenidos a su Casa, interviewing guest exhibitor Gene Meieran

Woolly Mammoth Mother and Baby Replica in the Upstairs Show Hallway
Woolly Mammoth Mother and Baby Replica in the Upstairs Show Hallway

The Tucson 22nd Street Show

The 22nd Street show is set up in a giant tent on the east side of Interstate 10. This show grows every year, and now features hundreds of dealers. It is in the vicinity of a cluster of other shows which are on the other side of the highway, and offers free parking. This show has all types of booths, including jewelry, fossil, mineral, and bead dealers. I always find some good hidden deals at this show for my own collection. Below are some photos from the 22nd Street Show.
   
Giant Dinosaur Skull (I think a T-Rex)
Giant Dinosaur Skull (I think a T-Rex)

Dinosaur Fossil Exhibit Of One Dinosaur Eating Another One
Dinosaur Fossil Exhibit Of One Dinosaur Eating Another One

New Find of Emeralds from Guji Zone, Ethiopia
New Find of Emeralds from Guji Zone, Ethiopia
J.I. Eureka GTE

22nd St. Show Scene
22nd St. Show Scene

Aquamarines from Dwayne Hall's Finds on Mt. White, Colorado
Aquamarines from Dwayne Hall's Finds on Mt. White, Colorado

Single Gemmy Aquamarines Crystal from Mt. White, Colorado
Single Gemmy Aquamarines Crystal from Mt. White, Colorado

Dwayne Hall of the Prospectors in Front of his Booth at the Show
Dwayne Hall of the Prospectors in Front of his Booth at the Show

More 22nd Street Show Scenes
More 22nd Street Show Scenes

2017 Tucson Show - InnSuites Scenes

We are proud to present our coverage of this year's Tucson shows. Every year, at the end of January and beginning of February, the city of Tucson, Arizona, becomes a hub of mineral and gemstone activity, with hundreds of tents and hotel rooms becoming makeshift sources of material. The Tucson show is not a single show, but a collection of many events, both large and small.


One of the largest events of interest to mineral collectors is the InnSuites show. This show, hosted in the Hotel Tucson City Center, is located in a sprawling outdoor hotel complex with hundreds of rooms that become dealer booths. The hotel was originally known as the InnSuites, hence the name of the show, though several years ago the hotel name was changed to the Hotel Tucson City Center. The original InnSuites name has stuck, though this year for the first time I have heard people refer to this show as the "HTCC Show."


This show is a must for anyone visiting Tucson. The quality and quantity of minerals available for sale is astounding. Almost all the fine and well-known mineral dealers have a sales room here, where they move in and set up shop for about two weeks. Our first post of this year's Tucson show is outdoor scenes from the Innsuites, aka the HTCC Show.


Hotel Tucson City Center with New Traffic Pattern
Hotel Tucson City Center with New Traffic Pattern.
The old parking area is now a blocked by a wall for pending construction.

Dinosaurs roaming the area at the InnSuites
Dinosaurs Roaming the Area at the InnSuites

New Tents this Year in the Courtyard Area
New Tents this Year in the Courtyard Area

More Dinosaurs Roaming the Area
More Dinosaurs Roaming the Area

Giant Shark Teeth Just and Jaw Cast Just Hanging Out at the Show
Giant Shark Teeth and Jaw Cast Just Hanging Out at the Show

Gila Monster Replica
Gila Monster Replica

The Front of the InnSuites as Dusk Approaches
The Front of the InnSuites as Dusk Approaches

Early Evening Show Scene
Early Evening Show Scene

Sunset Over the InnSuites
Sunset Over the InnSuites

2017 Tucson Show - InnSuites Minerals Part 1

The InnSuites show has an incredible variety of minerals. Many important dealers are present, having taken up residence for several weeks in one of the many hotels room that this show has to offer. As in previous years, we found some new and interesting material, and are glad to share the photos from our findings. This is the first of two postings on the individual minerals at the InnSuites show.


An Amazing, Large Fluorite from Hardin Co., IL
White-Cap Amazonite, Norah Jo Pocket, Smoky Hawk Mine, Florissant, CO (Mined 2016)
Pinnacle 5 Minerals

New White-Cap Amazonite from the Norah Jo Pocket at the Smoky Hawk Mine, Florissant, CO
An Amazing, Large Fluorite on Calcite with Nice Backlighting from Hardin Co., IL
Green Mountain Minerals

Amazingly Sharp Copper Crystals from the Keweenaw Peninsula, MI
Amazingly Sharp Copper Crystals from the Keweenaw Peninsula, MI
Green Mountain Minerals

Giant Selenite Crystals from Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico
Giant Selenite Crystals from Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico
Green Mountain Minerals

Fluorite from the Polish Prodigy Pocket, Okorusu Mine, Otjozondjupa, Namibia
Fluorite from the Polish Prodigy Pocket, Okorusu Mine, Otjozondjupa, Namibia
Spirifer Minerals

Elbaite Tourmaline with Microcline from Ouarzazate Province, Anti Atlas, Morocco
Elbaite Tourmaline with Microcline from Ouarzazate Province, Anti Atlas, Morocco
Spirifer Minerals

Barite on Calcite from Smith Ranch, Elk Creek, Dalzell, SD
Barite on Calcite from Smith Ranch, Elk Creek, Dalzell, SD
John Cornish Minerals

Strange Fluorite that looks like Prehnite from the Xian Fang Pu Mine, Chenzhou, Hunan, China
Strange Fluorite that looks like Prehnite from the Xian Fang Pu Mine, Chenzhou, Hunan, China
John Cornish Minerals

Attractive Polished Jaspers from Bruneau, ID, and Guadalahara, Mexico
Attractive Polished Jaspers from Bruneau, ID, and Guadalahara, Mexico
John Cornish Minerals

Entire Case of Azurite Suns from the Malbunka Copper Mine, Australia
Entire Case of Azurite "Suns" from the Malbunka Copper Mine, Australia
John Cornish Minerals

Prehnite from Pine Creek, Inyo Co., California. Now in the Hershel Friedman Collection.
Prehnite from Pine Creek, Inyo Co., California. Now in the Hershel Friedman Collection.
Lehman Minerals

Amethyst from the Inyo Mountains, Inyo Co., California.
Amethyst from the Inyo Mountains, Inyo Co., California.
Lehman Minerals

Gemmy Dravite Chrome Tourmaline from Nadenijukin, Tanzania
Gemmy Dravite "Chrome Tourmaline" from Nadenijukin, Tanzania
Lehman Minerals

Giant Halite Crystal, Almost a Square Foot, from the PCA Mine, Carlsbad Potash District, NM
Giant Halite Crystal, Almost a Square Foot, from the PCA Mine, Carlsbad Potash District, NM
Natural Selection Crystals

Large Blue Hemimorphite from the Wenshan Mine, Yunnan Province, China
Large Blue Hemimorphite from the Wenshan Mine, Yunnan Province, China
Natural Selection Crystals

Giant Fluorite Crystal on Microcline from Dreamtime Mine, Colorado
Giant Fluorite Crystal on Microcline from Dreamtime Mine, Colorado
Natural Selection Crystals

2017 Tucson Show - InnSuites Minerals Part 2

Here are the remainder pictures for the individual mineral photos that we took at the InnSuites show. While we have many more good photographs, we had to limited ourselves to the top thirty or so in terms of quality and importance.


Iridescent Sphalerite with Fluorite from the Elmwood Mine, TN
Iridescent Sphalerite with Fluorite from the Elmwood Mine, TN
Natural Selection Crystals

New Find of Stalactitic Quartz from Aurangabad, India
New Find of Stalactitic Quartz from Aurangabad, India(Mined 2016)
Global Mineral Stones (India)

Large Crystallized Azurite Plate from Nchanga Open Pit, Chingola, Zambia
Large Crystallized Azurite Plate from Nchanga Open Pit, Chingola, Zambia
Le Sueur Minerals & Gems

Large Goethite Pseudomorphs after Pyrite from Chivor, Colombia
Large Goethite Pseudomorphs after Pyrite from Chivor, Colombia
Henry Ospina Minerals

Fluorite on Siderite from West Boltsburn, Rookehope, Weardale, England
Fluorite on Siderite from West Boltsburn, Rookehope, Weardale, England
Graeber & Himes Minerals

New Find of Amethyst from Calabar, Nigeria
New Find of Amethyst from Calabar, Nigeria
Barnett Fine Minerals

Zoomed In to Some of the Amethyst from Calabar, Nigeria
Zoomed In to Some of the Amethyst from Calabar, Nigeria
Barnett Fine Minerals

Blue-Tipped Celestine from a new occurrence in the city of Austin, TX
Blue-Tipped Celestine from a new occurrence in the city of Austin, TX
Barnett Fine Minerals

New Find of Yellow Calcite from Williamson Co, TX
New Find of Yellow Calcite from Williamson Co, TX
Barnett Fine Minerals

New Finds of Crocoite, Gibbsite, & Dundasite from the Adelaide Mine, Tasmania, Australia
New Finds of Crocoite, Gibbsite, & Dundasite from the Adelaide Mine, Tasmania, Australia
The Adelaide Mine

Rare Cerussite from the Adelaide Mine, Tasmania, Australia
Rare Cerussite from the Adelaide Mine, Tasmania, Australia
The Adelaide Mine

An Enormous Barite Crystal from the Linwood Mine, Buffalo, Iowa
An Enormous Barite Crystal from the Linwood Mine, Buffalo, Iowa
Saga Minerals

Another Style of Barite Recently Found at the Linwood Mine, Buffalo, Iowa
Another Style of Barite Recently Found at the Linwood Mine, Buffalo, Iowa
Saga Minerals

Hematite Crystal Cluster from the N'chaning Mines, Kalahari Manganese Fields, South Africa
Hematite Crystal Cluster from the N'chaning Mines, Kalahari Manganese Fields, South Africa
Capetown Matrix Crystals

New Grainy form of Sugilite from the N'chaning Mines, Kalahari Manganese Fields, South Africa
New Grainy form of Sugilite from the N'chaning Mines, Kalahari Manganese Fields, South Africa
Capetown Matrix Crystals

Grape Agate from Mamuju, Suldwesi Island, Indonesia
"Grape Agate" from Mamuju, Suldwesi Island, Indonesia
Alfredo Petrov Minerals