There are literally dozens of mineral and gem shows throughout Tucson during late January and early February. The main cluster of shows takes place at the motels and parking lots along the Interstate 10 Freeway service road west and southwest of downtown. Thousands of dealers set up shop here in the motel rooms and tents throughout this area, creating a true spectacle to behold.
I started my walk at Interstate 10 Freeway and 22nd Street, walking north and visiting the Quality Inn, Howard Johnson, and Travelodge. These motels have their rooms filled with dealers and tents in every surface area. I then continued north along the service road, walking along a quieter area until getting to the Riverpark Inn, where the Pueblo show takes place. This is a very busy show, with many gem, jewelry, and rock dealers, as well as quality mineral dealers with fine minerals for sale. I was considering continuing north to the Rapa River show directly north of the Riverpark Inn but ran out of time.
Posing in Front of the Rows of Dealer Tents at the Quality Inn
Dealers at the Howard Johnson Motel, Inside and Outside the Motels
With Giant Amethyst Geodes at the Pueblo Show at the Riverpark Inn
Large Quartz Points and Spheres
Quartziam
Posing in front of a Giant Quartz Crystal at the Entrance of the Riverpark Inn
Largest Quartz Sphere in the World, Verified by Gunniess Book or World Records
Continuing with our reports of the 2019 Tucson shows, our next post is the 22nd Street show. This gem and mineral show takes place on the eastern side of the I-10 Freeway near downtown Tucson. It features a gigantic tent (the largest tent I have ever seen) containing most of the dealers, and also has an additional smaller satellite tent called the "Showcase."
The main tent has all types of mineral, gemstones, and jewelry dealers, and the Showcase tent caters to high end dealers. Like the previous year, which introduced the Showcase tent, the signature dealer was the Arkenstone, boasting impressive displays of exceptionally fine and highly photogenic minerals.
Posing in front of Giant Petrified Wood Logs, between the Main and Showcase Tents
Busy Show Scene in the Large 22nd Street Show Giant Tent
Table of Dumortierite-Included Quartz from the Vaca Morta Quarry, Bahia, Brazil
Arte Crystals
Deep Blue Dumortierite-Included Quartz from the Vaca Morta Quarry, Bahia, Brazil
Arte Crystals
Table of Green Drusy Quartz on Chalcedony from the Bilecik Mine, Central Anatolia, Turkey
Pacific Minerals
Individual Green Drusy Quartz on Chalcedony from the Bilecik Mine, Central Anatolia, Turkey
Pacific Minerals
We are excited to begin our posts on the The 2019 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show®. This show is the most prestigious and well-know of its kind, and dealers and enthusiasts from all over the world come to the sunny Sonoran Desert in the midst of the winter to celebrate this event and the many other mineral and gemstone venues through the city.
Hershel Friedman from Minerals.net was on site this year at the show, and once again is proud to document the interesting finds at the show, from new finds to outstanding and interesting minerals. Our show reports usually start with the satellite shows in Tucson, but this year we are changing the routine and will start with the The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show® and then lead into the other shows.
This page will contain links to all the posts that we create as we organize and publish them. Stayed tuned and check back frequently for updates!
The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show® View from Above on Opening Day
Another View of the Show Looking into the Main Hall
The Mineral of the 2019 Show Theme Wulfenite Poster
The Mineral of the 2019 Show Theme Wulfenite Poster
Collector's Edge is a well-known mineral dealer that has some exclusive, high-end minerals for sale, and also conducts mining operations for specimens. They traditionally have one of the most prominent and showy booths in Tucson, with an elaborate set up of their finest minerals. This year was no exception, and we have made a seperate post to feature some of minerals in their memorable booth.
Very Large Peridot Crystal from Sapat Gali, Naran, Pakistan
Gem Beryl Display Case from The Collector's Edge
Rhodochrosite Crystals from the 04-17 Pocket, Sweet Home Mine, Alma, Colorado
"The Law of Attraction" Rhodochrosite an Amazing Rhodochrosite Specimen from the Sweet Home Mine, Alma, Colorado
Newly Mined Sapphire from the Rock Creek Territory, near Philipsburg, Montana
Zoomed into Sapphire from the Rock Creek Territory, near Philipsburg, Montana,
with a centerpiece 64 ct. Rough Crystal
The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show® always has an amazing selection of minerals from the many important dealers that are set up at this show. Many have new mineral finds that they first release here in Tucson, and some bring new stock of classic, old-time material for purchase.
This next post features some of the new and minerals available by dealers. These include new finds, newly released material from old finds, and other mineral specimens that I found particularly interesting or attractive.
Stellerite from Diamonkara, Bendoudo, Mali
Bruce Wood Minerals (Bruce Wood)
Recently Mined, large Sulfur Crystals from Atahuallpa, Cerro Cabaray, Oruro, Bolivia
Bruce Wood Minerals (Bruce Wood)
Fluorite Cube on Quartz, Blanchard Mine, Socorro Co., New Mexico
Enchanted Minerals LLC (Philip Simmons)
Deep Brown Citrine from Morocco
Mineral'ys (Pascal Quenaon)
Drusy Dioptase Crystals from the Mpita Mine, Kimbedi, Mindouli District, Rep. of Congo
Mineral Classics (Brian R. Kosnar)
Growth of Light Pink Quartz on Green Quartz in multiple growth layers, Seriphos, Greece
Unique Minerals (Evan Jones & Marc Miterman)
Gypsum on Kobyashevite, on Calcite, from the Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico
De Natura (Les & Paula Presmyk)
Hexagonal Sparkly Hematite from the Shingus Mine, Shigar Valley, Skardu, Pakistan
Stonetrust (Stephanie & Robert Snyder)
