Four days. Seven shows. 21.5 miles on foot. One very game ten-year-old.
That's the Tucson Gem Show in summary — though it never really summarizes. Every year is its own thing. I've been making the trip semi-regularly since 2014 and I've never had the same experience twice. This year felt especially meaningful: I'd missed the previous two years because of a scheduling conflict with Shoppe Object in NYC, and coming back felt like returning to something I didn't realize I'd been missing.
This time, I brought Astrid.
Why Tucson
For those who don't know: the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show is actually dozens of shows happening simultaneously across the city every February. Dealers from around the world converge to sell everything from raw minerals and fossils to precision-cut gemstones and finished jewelry. For a maker like me — someone who sources her own stones and cares deeply about where they come from — it's one of the most important trips I take all year. It's also genuinely one of the most joyful.
I came specifically hunting for sapphires. As usual, Tucson had other plans.
The Hotel
We stayed at the Loews Ventana Canyon in the Catalina Foothills — tucked into the base of Mount Lemmon, far from the bustle of the shows but completely worth it. The hotel blends into the natural landscape in a way that feels intentional rather than decorative. Astrid and I discovered a waterfall on the grounds our first evening, and after long days of walking the shows, the hot tub and cold plunge became a nightly ritual that probably saved our legs.
The Gems
I came for sapphires. I left with much more — and a slightly bruised budget.
Mozambique Grey Spinel
This was my biggest purchase and, honestly, one of those moments where you know immediately. These stones are unlike anything I've worked with before. The color shifts depending on the light — metallic grey in one moment, deep blue the next. The cut is precise, the clarity exceptional. I bought the whole parcel. Available now for custom commissions — reach out if something like this speaks to you.
Montana & Nigerian Sapphires
Montana sapphires have a character that sapphires from other origins just don't replicate. I got melee-sized stones as well as a selection of parti sapphires — the kind that can't make up their mind, shifting between green, yellow, and blue in one stone. Available for custom work.
Mali Garnet & Ruby Hearts
I couldn't resist these. Heart-shaped, warm-toned, and completely unexpected. A little whimsy never hurts.
Zircon
Underrated, underused, and completely beautiful. Natural zircon has incredibly high dispersion — more brilliance than most people expect. I picked up a range of neutral and warm shades. Available for custom commissions.
And then there were the ones I had to leave behind. All colors of spinel. Garnets. The most minty green tourmalines I've ever seen. Those will be waiting for me next year.
The City
Tucson has a way of making you slow down. We carved out time for it.
Gates Pass at sunset — our first evening in Tucson, a lookout on the western edge of the city with dramatic mountain silhouettes and saguaro cacti as far as you can see. Astrid was quiet for a while, which if you know Astrid, means something landed.
Ventana Canyon — we hiked this from the hotel into the Pusch Ridge Wilderness. A deep canyon, a winding creek, saguaro forest closing in on both sides. We spotted bighorn sheep on the ridge. Javelinas crossed the trail. It's the kind of hike that reminds you why I live in the desert.
For food: Café Desta in the 5 Points neighborhood for vegan Ethiopian that genuinely surprised me. Amelia's Mexican Kitchen for quesabirria and green enchiladas I'm still thinking about. And MSA Annex — a shipping container park full of small businesses near the shows — for afternoon coffee and local shopping when the gem booths started to blur together.
A Note on Astrid
She walked every mile. She asked good questions about the stones. She negotiated on my behalf at one booth (I let her). She complained only twice, which given the mileage I consider a remarkable achievement. By day three she had opinions about spinels.
She's going to be trouble.
Work With These Stones
The Mozambique grey spinels, parti sapphires, zircons, and antique diamond are all available for custom commissions right now. If any of these caught your eye — or if you've been thinking about a custom piece and have been waiting for the right stone — this is a good moment.
Leave a comment