Feb 05/2019 Weather cooler high of 64 and cloudy. Big cold front coming so we are out today on the motorcycle. (next two days will be in the 50's and freeze warning at night - Yikes).
Every year the first two weeks in February the city of Tucson is an international city (people come from all over the world) for the Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show. To us it doesn't mean much. We did hear about the hotels where vendors setup. The hotel rooms(bedrooms) become open door. The vendors invite you into each and every room to look at their wares! Kind of bizarre sounding, maybe we will do that another day. Today we are walking the Kino Sports Complex venue. Huge and so interesting. Beautiful raw gems, stones and all kinds of equipment to mine, cut, polish and display your treasures.
Some are wholesale where you buy the crate or flat of gems. It appears most things are sold by weight as well. Jewellry makers will also find everything they need to make their necklaces or bracelets.
Tucson becomes a playground for the world of international gem and
mineral trading, and collecting.The showcase is more than just one show. It takes place at multiple
locations focused mainly in downtown -midtown Tucson. Treasure hunters
from near and far come to hunt for jewelry, track down jewelry-making
supplies, and browse collectibles and treasures, both rare and bargain
priced. It is the city's largest public event and said to be the largest in the world. Tucson's gem show actually includes more than 40 different shows at
dozens of locations around town, from exhibit halls to hotels and
sprawling camps of roadside exhibit tents.
Along the I10 corridor you will drive by white tent tops on both sides of the freeway. Almost all shows are free and have shuttle buses running between them. While this event brings serious collectors from around the world, it's
the "cool" factor that makes it one of the biggest and best events of
its kind. Thousands of people from all walks of life come to gawk at
gold, oooh over opals, and dig dinosaur fossils. Ok Billy lets be one of the "cool" people today; even though we have no clue what we are looking at.
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| inside one of the tents at the Kino center |
Every year the first two weeks in February the city of Tucson is an international city (people come from all over the world) for the Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show. To us it doesn't mean much. We did hear about the hotels where vendors setup. The hotel rooms(bedrooms) become open door. The vendors invite you into each and every room to look at their wares! Kind of bizarre sounding, maybe we will do that another day. Today we are walking the Kino Sports Complex venue. Huge and so interesting. Beautiful raw gems, stones and all kinds of equipment to mine, cut, polish and display your treasures.
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| it goes on and on |
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| gorgeous blue ! |
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| love the hearts |
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| this was striking - the colours |
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| raw precious stones |
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| stones already polished |
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| Tony Znaniecki's artwork on rocks |
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