Gem Geeks

Admittedly, it's a little geeky (A person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but feels socially inept), wandering around Tucson, Arizona, pawing gingerly through boxes of terminated quartz crystals, looking for that remarkable specimen . . . or was it Tiger Iron?

Indeed, when Gemologists converge on Tucson, the socially inept are unreservedly transformed!

Lori Tucson 2013

In February 2013, gemstone and mineral aficionados converged once again in Tucson, Arizona, to play in the desert. Cold mornings, warm afternoons, the glow of sunrise on the mountains, magnificent golden, green, and orange hues, the fresh smell of the dry desert air, and, of course, the majestic Carnegiea gigantea (Saguaro) Cactus.

In years past, during economic prosperity, finding a room in Tucson during this show would not have been possible. Fortunately, we found a comfortable room. Granted, it was seven miles from downtown. Yes, we waited until the very last minute to reserve our room.

“It's been a long time since we’ve had to scrape ice from our car windows,” said Lori. Since 1987, Tucson has had an annual trip for work. My renewed joy was an opportunity to spend quality time with good friends after a three-year sabbatical.

We made a three-day weekend out of it. The relaxing drive from Southern California took about seven hours. For the gem dealers, it's all about business; for the gem geeks, it's about socializing. In the world of gems, there is no single show on earth where so many people from around the world converge to share stories, show samples, lick agates, dance the night away, and simply throw caution to the wind.

It is amazing what gem connoisseurs will spend money on, present company included. This year's big purchase was a slab of Tiger Iron (geeky stuff) from the Pilbara region in Western Australia. After seeing many beautiful species of gems, including my favorite, a stunning 23-carat Cats-Eye Chrysoberyl ($83,000.00), for some strange reason, this material would not let me pass it by. That piece now inhabits the fireplace mantel in our home.

Maybe that’s what the Tucson Gem Show is really about. Gemologists who secretly love to pull baubles from their pockets and engage in conversation about the clandestine world of gems and minerals . . . just ask anyone,

“What special piece did you find?”

Comments

Anonymous said…

Ha! I finally had to have some Ethiopian opal. :)

Blaire, aka Gemgeek!

March 18, 2013 at 9:10 PM

Patrick Ball said…

Good for you Blaire, it's all about the unusual gems anyway!

March 20, 2013 at 5:37 AM

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