Tucson Gem Purchases IV

 This is my final gemstone-sharing post. There are plenty more stones, but I didn't photograph them before cutting the strands. You will see them in finished products over the next few months.

For now, here are some cushion cut peridot briolettes. I am partial to this shape and will usually buy whatever gemstone I can get with it. Below that strand is the Major Splurge of this gem buying trip. These are gorgeous pink tourmaline that will make some very special earrings and necklaces.

Here are lovely green turquoise heart shaped brios that look suspiciously like some gaspeite I have. I'm pretty sure it is turquoise, as you just don't see gaspeite much, especially in briolette form. The middle strand is something I had not seen before. I was told it is blue opal from South Africa. Again, I am skeptical, but it is quite pretty, so I bought it anyway.  The bottom strand are some teeny tiny pyrite briolettes. Yum.

This last photo, top to bottom: moss aquamarine pear briolettes, amethysts (a staple gemstone, if you ask me!) and carnelian cube beads.

That's it for now, fellow gem lovers!

Tucson Gem Purchases III

And yes, there are more gems photos to share with you.

Here are some really pretty faceted garnets, intriguing moss amethyst (these brios are much smaller than any moss amethysts I've had in the past and I like this size much better) and gorgeous pear shaped emerald briolettes.

This next photo is of 3 strands of green rutilated quartz. It may have another name when it's green, but if so, I do not know it. This type of stone is so hard to "make pairs" with. That's why I bought all 3 strands that the vendor had. The chance of making pairs is much greater when you have more specimens to work with. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I have 3 more photos to share, but will save them for my next post. Thanks for tuning in!

Tucson Gem Show Purchases II

One of the most fun things we did while on our Arizona odyssey was to visit the relatively new Musical Instrument Museum in Scottsdale. When I say that it was the most wonderful museum I have visited in a very long time, I am not exaggerating. We spent over 5 hours there and could have spent 2 days! If you find yourselves anywhere near the place, it is a must see.

Now, back to gemstones!  These fabulous marquis shaped labradorite briolettes have amazing flash and are a really nice size at 27 -29 mm long. The strand (only one) had one broken stone, which netted me a very nice discount.

On a much brighter note, this collection features 2 strands of chalcedony embracing a strand of nicely faceted citrines. The vendor that had these stones had the most extensive selection of chalcedony I've ever seen. They dye it in the rough and then cut into stones. Sounds impressive, but for all I know, that's the way all chalcedony is handled. However it's done, I usually care most about the pretty factor.

More to come in the next few days ... thanks for sticking with me!

Tucson Gem Show Purchases I

Our fabulous tour of Arizona ended with 5 days in Tucson for the Gem Shows. In all honesty, that was a bit too much time given the budget I have. I spent a little more than I should have, but that's ok. It was great fun as usual.

Now it's time to share some of the gemmy goodness I found there.

Top to bottom: faceted black spinel, bronzite (or bronze agate -- couldn't really understand what the guy said) and the exact moonstone briolettes I was looking for!

Next up: smooth carnelian, marquis shaped little amethysts, beautifully faceted citrines

And: sweet little lapis cubes ( I really like this shape) and lapis blocks, drilled across the top, to be used as pendants

I have more photos that I plan to spread out over several blog posts, so stay tuned!

Tucson Gem Purchases

I had a wonderful time shopping for gems at the Tucson shows this year.  I found myself being more selective, which resulted in higher quality gemstones. I also managed to spend a lot less money than usual.  This is a very good thing!

Apparently, I was on a lapis kick during this trip.  Here are: teardrops, cushion cut briolettes, rondelles, pear briolettes.  Actually, if I had to summarize my purchases in one word, it would be BLUE.  Sure, I bought other colors as well, but blue was predominant.

Above are blue chalcedony, aqua chalcedony, Swiss blue topaz and kyanite.  See what I mean about the blue-ness of my trip?

Gorgeous turquoise teardrops (the vendor, Mike -- yes, we are on a first name basis after 10 years! -- told me that David Yurman bought these same turquoise stones.  I'm in very good company indeed!), green chalcedony, chrome diopside, smooth kyanite.

Amethyst (can't resist a gorgeous cut like these long faceted teardrop briolettes), green onyx rondelles, super smooth black spinel, garnets.

Sapphire rondelles, honey quartz, labradorite flat nuggets, olive green quartz.

Now I need to get busy creating more jewelry.  These stones will provide the inspiration and Rio Grande will provide the wire and findings!

Work Table Transformation

What a difference a few days can make.  My last post prompted some great input from my artsy friends Patty and Brandi.  I'll be ready to photograph and list a whole bunch of those interchangeable pendants when I return from my annual trek to Tucson.

 -- I always say that I go to Tucson to buy gems, but this year, it seems equally important to go there for a break from our extremely cold (sub-zero) month of January --

Working on the above mentioned project spurred me into action.  Kind of love when that happens.  I've been working on a series of duet and trio necklaces.  The process of selecting pairs of gemstones and trios of gemstones is really the most fun part of this.  Here's a look at the completed dangles.  Now all they need chains, clasps and prices!

It's always good for me to use a bunch of gems right before I go to Tucson.  That way, I can convince myself that I actually need more.  Right.

I'll close with a great picture of Jet during our walk down to the inlet the other day.  He's the most handsome guy!  He doesn't seem to care that it is -15!!

Gemstones from Tucson - Part III

While I still have many strands of gemstones, I'll finish this series of posts with only 2 additional photos.  Wouldn't want to bore you to tears.

From top to bottom: moss aquamarine, hot pink chalcedony (a bit too hot for me), black spinel and minty green chalcedony.

From top to bottom: deliciously smooth turquoise briolettes, green onyx teardrops and moss amethyst.  I bought 2 strands of the moss amethyst.  That patterning in that particular stone is so inconsistent, I thought I might have a better chance of making more pairs if I bought 2 strands.

Gemstones from Tucson - Part II

Continuing with yesterday's theme, here are some more of the lovely gemstones I found in Tucson.

Beautifully rich citrine teardrop briolettes, faceted marquis rose quartz briolettes and a graduated strand of labradorite teardrop brios.

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find a calibrated (as opposed to graduated) strand of gemstones???  All of the vendors told me that many designers prefer the calibrated stones, but very few gem cutters make them.  This seems to be a case of the supplier not fulfilling the demands of the marketplace.  One vendor mentioned that it is more efficient (in terms of rough stone usage) to make graduated gemstones.  This sort of makes sense to me, but I don't like it.  Not one bit.

Smooth moonstone brios, cute little kyanite brios and oh-so-useful peridot brios.

There will be one more post tomorrow with more stones.  Then, I really need to put them away and get back to work!

Gemstones from Tucson - Part I

As promised here are some of my purchases from the recent Tucson gem shows.  We spent 5 days there, which was about 1 1/2 days too many for my budget.  I ended up buying the same exact cut of one stone twice, simply because we were there too long.  C'est la vie.

Chrysophrase (or is it chrysoprase?), rubies and lovely little glossy lapis briolettes.

Green Quartz (that's the one I bought twice -- love that marquis cut!), amethyst and rose quartz.

More to follow ... in another day or so.  Thanks for sticking with me!

Tucson Gem Show Purchases . Part IV

I know for a fact that Brandi is not bored by these photos, so I'll continue, if only for her visual enjoyment.

There was a serious lack of quality carnelian, peridot and iolite in my stash.  I fixed it with these strands you see here.  Both the peridot and iolite are larger than those I usually see.

Now for some honey colored chalcedony and smooth labradorite briolettes.  Can't seem to get enough labradorite.  Anyone else have that problem?  I'm sure I'm not alone.

Now for the biggest splurge of all (right after that London Blue Topaz).  These sapphires are gorgeous and range in color from a traditional blue to greens to golden to pink to almost crystal clear.  I have no idea what I'll do with them ... yet ... and no, you can't have any.  They're all mine.  Mine.

There are plenty more gems, but that's it for the photos of them.  I hope you enjoyed the show!

Tucson Gem Show Purchases . Part III

The saga continues with more gemmy photos.  Are you drooling yet?  I know that I am indeed drooling and I can't wait to actually start working with some of these gorgeous gems.

Here are some tiny peridot brios, long marquis shaped smoky quartz (I have a serious weakness for this shape), chubby marquis shaped whisky quartz and rose quartz.

Now for some cardamom cut (at least that's what he called it!) fluorite, big fat deep blue sapphire brios and more cardamom cut green amethysts.

Last one for today: rose quartz and amethyst chubby, but shorter marquis cut brios.

I think I have one more day of photos.  I hope I haven't bored you!

Tucson Gem Show Purchases . Part II

I managed to take some more photos today and I'm still not done with all the sorting and cataloging of my new gemstones.

Dark pink chalcedony and bright green onyx, both in a generously sized briolette.

Convex cut whiskey quartz briolette and some petite rutilated quartz brios.  These smaller stones will make great earrings.  The definition in the rutiles is amazingly clear.

 Beautiful moonstone with plenty of flash and some really large labradorite briolettes.

While I visited some of my regular suppliers in Tucson, I was very pleased to find three new vendors.  Not that they were new to Tucson, just new to me.  The variety of stones available in Tucson always amazes me, as does finding a new vendor anxious to do business with a one-woman operation such as mine.  A friendly dealer who is willing to spend time answering my questions makes for such a pleasant experience.  Sometimes that personal touch really goes a long way in developing a good working relationship.  They know I'm not a huge customer (like a bead store in a big city), but they know I'll be back next year.

Tune in tomorrow for even more beautiful gem photos.  Then maybe I'll share some photos from the Desert Botannical Garden in Phoenix.

Tucson Gem Show Purchases . Part I

Carol & I landed at the Anchorage airport last night around midnight.  We had a fabulous gem buying trip to Tucson followed by an equally terrific visit to Scottsdale.  All together, we were gone 10 days.  It was a great way to spend Carol's milestone (50th !) birthday.

Now it's time to share some gem photos with you!  The primary gem in the photo is a strand of gorgeous London Blue Topaz briolettes.  Above you can see part of a strand of large labradorite briolettes.  

From top to bottom, here are quartz (whiskey or cognac) brios, deep turquoise apatite brios and long, large prehnite brios. (See this post from last year to hear about my theory of the variety of quartzes)

Stay tuned -- tomorrow, I'll share some more gem photos.

Tucson Shopping List

Next Tuesday night (right after the 1st episode of the last season of LOST!) I will go to the airport and fly to Tucson for the annual bead/gem/mineral shows.  This year, Rick will stay home and my friend Carol will come with me.  After 4 days in Tucson, shopping for beads, we will spend 5 days in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area.

Last year, Rick and I discovered Celebrate Art, in north Scottsdale.  Carol & I plan to spend a day at that wonderful exhibit.  We will also visit the Queen Creek Olive Mill for a tour and possibly lunch one day.  I used to live in Scottsdale, so I know there are plenty of great eateries there.  We will visit as many as is humanly possible!

Back to the subject at hand, a shopping list for the bead shows.  So far, I've noted that I absolutely need the following items:

peridot: briolettes and large rondelles
prehnite
iolite
garnets: large briolettes
smoky quartz: anything that catches my eye
tourmaline: large briolettes
cabochons for filigree wrapping

Noticeably absent from the list are pearls.  I have so many pearls, that I don't think I could use them all in my lifetime.

What else do you think I need?
 

Tucson Gem Purchases

Now that I've finished logging all of my purchases from the Tucson Gem Shows, it's time to share with you what I came home with.

This first photo starts (at the top) with some lemon quartz that are the same cut (yes Deb, the same cut!) as the labradorite beads I purchased from my friend Deb. I searched for this cut in any gemstone, but these were the only ones I found. I discovered that it is called a marquis cut. Continuing south, you can see smooth ruby briolettes, moss aquamarine, citrine and something called hydro-quartz in a deep green. Since returning home, and doing some research, I've found out that anything called hydro-quartz is most likely not quartz at all. More likely, it is lab created cubic zirconia. The color did look a little too good to be true. It's still a beautiful "stone" and the price was right. No regrets.

This next photo starts with smooth flat iolite briolettes followed by labradorite, citrine, rutilated quartz (love this) and peach moonstone.

Very special citrine briolettes (they are quite washed out in this photo) are at the top of this last photo. Next is some lovely kyanite, smooth amethyst, prehnite and long tapered and faceted black spinel.

Of course, there are more gems, but I'm running out of patience with this photography stuff. I want to play!

One of the "new" stones to be found all over the gem shows was green cat's eye. It was a pretty shade of green, but it was outrageously expensive. And I'm not quite sure what "new" means in the world of gemstones. Maybe a new mine was discovered.

After attending these shows for about 10 years, I've come away with some insights all my own regarding gemstones and marketing. The emergence of what I call the Alcoholic Quartzes (champagne, whiskey, beer, cognac) several years ago got me thinking. Here's the scenario as I envision it:

Miners are hard at work digging up amethyst (quartz) with plans of heat treating it to make citrine. This is the case with most citrine on the market today, as naturally occuring citrine is quite rare.
They find some low grade amethyst and send it off to the scientists in the lab. It emerges from the heat treatment process in all sorts of wacky golden yellows, not anything like the citrine they were expecting.
A brilliant gemologist declares "it's pretty enough, let's just give it a new name". Voila, the alcoholic quartzes are born.

The world according to Vicki.

I'm Home

Going away on a fun trip is great for the soul. But coming home is even better.

We were gone for 10 days. The first 4 days were spent in Tucson, buying beads and other jewelry making supplies. The gem shows had a different feel this year, probably because of the economy. Many vendors did not show up, but worse, there were vendors who did not bring any new merchandise. I think that was a poor business decision on their part, because many of us are still buying and want to create pieces with new beads and gems. As a result, I purchased from some sellers who I have never purchased from before. Many of them were smaller businesses, who were happy to have a new customer. This experience will definitely affect my purchase decisions in the future. The lesson I've learned from this for my business, is to KEEP IT FRESH!

Now the not-so-fun part begins. I need to log all of my purchases and update my cost spreadsheets. At least I get to fondle those beautiful beads all over again.

After we left Tucson, we headed north and spent a few days in Phoenix and the surrounding area. We found a fabulous art show in north Scottsdale: Celebrate Art. We spent most of the day there, chatting with the artists and watching them work. What an intriguing concept it was -- a 10 week interactive art show. We met many talented artists in all sorts of mediums, from all over the country. It was a great day.

We did some antiquing and I found some lovely pieces to add to my collection of vintage beaded jewelry. More on that at a later date ....

Must get to work now!

It's All Patty's Fault

I really never considered purchasing boulder opal before. That is, until my friend Patty told me how beautiful it is. So, I took a close look and she's right! It has wonderfully rich coloration and lots of lovely matrix and inclusions. I've taken some photos in my hotel room, which explains the poor quality.

And just for fun, here's a photo of the HUGE amethyst brios mentioned in my previous post. Stop drooling Brenda!

News From Tucson

Let me start off by saying that it was 78 today. I loved it ... Rick, not so much.

Well, I'm a big fat liar. My first purchase today at the GLW show was pearls. OK, it wasn't multitudinous smounts, but it was still pearls. I suddenly remembered that I need plain old 4mm round white pearls. Then, these gorgeous bronze colored seed pearls decided to join them in my basket. Oh well.

At my next stop , Oriental Gemco, I found some lovely HUGE amethyst brios and some green topaz rondelles. I've purchased from this really nice family in the past and they always remember me. That makes me feel special, so I buy more stuff. See what great customer service can do for you? I bought more stuff there, including golden colored hydro-quartz brios and a bunch of faceted rondelles of differnt stones. Can never have enough of those, can we?

We went to about 5 shows today and it's worth noting that there were several empty booths at each event. The crowds were light and the vendors seemed a little bored. The hotel we're staying at has rooms available too. I've stayed at this same place for 4 years, and it's always booked solid during Gem Show Week. Tomorrow, the huge Holidome show opens and it will be interesting to see how the crowds are there.

I'll keep you posted.

Tucson Shopping List

As I prepare for my annual trek to the Tucson Bead/Gem/Rock/Mineral Shows, I'm reminded of those times I went without a shopping list. I spent far too much money. I remember one time when I purchased the same item twice in one day. True, they were gorgeous lemon quartz briolettes, but I really didn't need so many of them.

I'm determined to be more thoughtful about my purchases and use my shopping list as a guide. It's so easy to get caught up in the frenzy while surrounded by an obscene selection of gemstones and pearls. The sheer beauty of a table mounded high with the luster of pearls can be overwhelming.

Here's my list:

1. Tiny white keshi pearls: I just love to use these in my cluster earrings and pendants. The brightness of the white pops and begs the eye to look closer.

2. Tanzanite rondelles: I looked for these last year, but couldn't find them at a price I was willing to pay. They may remain on my list and out of my suitcase if the same thing happens this year. The blue-purple coloring of this stone is unmatchable.

3. Citrine rondelles, large and small: I have purchased many of these in the past, but I seem to run out towards the end of every year. I'm not a huge fan of yellow, but it is the complement of violet. Is that a good enough reason to use so much of it?

4. Iolite: The medium blue (denim?) of iolite is perfect for everyday jewelry and I use tons of it. I'll be looking for rondelles and interesting briolettes.

5. Prehnite: I hope to see more of this pale green and sort of milky stone. The green is soft and easy to wear and my customers have really taken a liking to it. I'll be on the lookout for interesting briolettes.

6. Apatite rondelles: I buy some of these every year, and at the end of the year, I'm always left with a pile of them that won't fit on 26 ga wire. I will not, I repeat, not use 28 ga wire. It's not sturdy enough for me. Even 26 ga feels a little iffy to me sometimes. Ideally, I will find some that fit on 24 ga. A girl can dream, can't she?

7. Sterling silver chain: The best prices and selection can be found in Tucson, sometimes at the smaller shows.

8. Whatever else looks good -- you knew that was coming, didn't you?


Here's what I will not buy:

Multitudinous amounts of pearls - if you could see my current inventory, you would understand this.

Bali Silver - if you could see my current inventory, you would understand this.

Vintage Glass Beads - if you could see my current inventory, you would understand this.

These self-imposed guidelines are just that, guidelines. I maintain the authority to add anything to that list at any time. So there.

Tucson Part III - Silver

Most of the photos I took of my silver beads didn't do justice to them. These photos however, I really like. Large link and multi-colored chain was ubiquitous in Tucson this year. I can only assume that chain will be a continuing fashion trend. I just love the look of the brushed silver beads. In the picture on the right, you can see teardrop shaped beads with this finish. I purchased several others that have already been stowed away!

I was remiss in my previous posts -- I forgot to mention my near-meeting with another etsyBEAD friend, Sue. Forgive me Sue and next year we will make a plan to meet.

I really have no idea what new designs will be inspired by these chains, so stay tuned and check out my etsy shop often!