Shopping Triumphs at the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show

Wow! Hi guys! I am positively swooning over the 2023 Tucson Gem & Mineral Show and its fab vendors from all around the globe, vendors who bring their absolute best wares in gems ‘n’ geodes to the Western front, year after glorious year! Above left, I’m trying on an *exquisite* butter amber cuff; and above right, I am pictured with the designer who created it, a very talented individual from the show and one of my most enduring artist friends…..a woman who goes by only a singular moniker…..the incomparable: Beata, from Amber by Beata.And yes, as her San Francisco boutique name suggests, the Polish-born Beata specializes in amber pieces, largely large, sometimes small, but always breathtaking! However, Beata also works with other magnificencent materials and stunning stones in her discipline, as seen in this arresting blister mabé pearl statement ring above, which found its new home just as soon as I spotted it! I’ve always loved pearls and this ring really caught my wallet!Then I was delighted to have met John, pictured above left, from Aloha Pearls. He has showrooms in both Maui and Kailua Kona. John explained how blister mabé pearls are formed in the shell, and showed me what they look like in their raw state, above right. The pearls shown here are Tahitian blister mabé pearls, hence the rich pewter and silver shades found within each one of these little shimmering gems from the sea.Faux? Or no? We may never know! More from Aloha Pearls, above. Check out this most impressive strand of swollen, 16 millimeter, Tahitian grey pearls for a cool $29K! Unbelievable!I also had the great pleasure of meeting the beautiful Arasely Rios, proprietor of Seraphym Boutique & Gallery of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Rios creates beautifully-beaded rosaries, cool crosses, and even home furnishings in her collection of sacred art. I love the giant, hand-painted green and cobalt ceramic rosaries that you can spot in the foreground of the photo above. Hanging on the wall in a slender spot in your home, it would look so very lovely!When I stumbled upon Ebu jewelry, I was quite taken with the environmentally-responsible direction of this modern tribal jeweler team. Together, this husband and wife have travelled the globe for 30 years, working with native artisans and their traditional materials. “The most satisfying thing is when a piece we design takes on a life of its own and surprises us with how beautiful it is. When you wear our jewelry, you can be sure you have aided many families in a responsible, environmentally low-impact way. Also, you are proclaiming your appreciation of the many cultures of our world.” I adore this philosophy and invested in two, giant, primitive water buffalo horn bangles, above, which look almost otherworldly, as if they were made out of an alien material! I just love the look of them, stacked thusly.