Saturday, February 7, 2009

Tucson Gem and Mineral Show part 1











Starting at the very end of January and running for more than two weeks, the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show attracts thousands of buyers, sellers, artists, nature lovers, art collectors, alternative types, Paisley and Salomé. Dozens of separate shows take over the entire city of Tucson and transform it into a funky international scene.

Cheesy hotels turn into bustling showrooms. Glimpse into any open door; beds are piled high with rubies, meteorites, hand made beads, Hill Tribe Silver and carved jade. Parking lots hold wooly mammoth tusks, fully articulated dinosaur skeletons, ethnographic art and man-sized fossils. Huge white tents on show-grounds are filled with purveyors of specialty tools, fine gemstones, carved bone, leather work, and more.