Field Trip to Tucson-Kino Gem & Mineral Show
On Tuesday, February 2, 2016 eight Sun Lakes Rock & Gem club members and friends braved the cold weather to go to the Tucson-Kino Gem & Mineral show. Per the Visit Tucson website for a period of two weeks Tucson becomes the number one playground for the world of international gem and mineral trading, buying, bargains and bragging rights. The show happens all across the town at more than 40 sites, from giant halls to hotels and sprawling camps of roadside exhibit tents. Almost all the shows are open to the public.
The Tucson Gem & Mineral Society boasts that it is the largest, oldest and most prestigious gem and mineral show in the world. The show has enjoyed international stature since 1970’s, and was the first gem and mineral show to bring hobby enthusiasts, the public, and the curator/professionals together for discovery and discussion. At Tucson Electric Park, you can spend an entire day perusing the displays of raw materials and equipment in the various tents set up for this event..
The Kino Gem & Mineral show is one of the largest shows participating in the Tucson Gem & Mineral show. They had over 200 vendors from around the world. The show offered a huge variety of gems, minerals, fossils, beads, finished jewelry, and one of kind specimens at competitive prices. We saw one vendor buy a whole large table of beautiful amethyst geodes. A few vendors also sold lapidary tools and equipment.
The photographs taken represent a small sample of the gems, minerals and finished jewelry sold at the show. The creativeness of the jewelry craft persons is incredible. It is amazing to see the finished jewelry that could be made from a rough uncut stone. The vendors were very knowledgeable, friendly and willing to tell you where and how they extracted the minerals sold or how the finished jewelry was made. If you never have been to the Tucson Gem & Mineral show I encourage you to do so.
Lou Maldonado
Field Trip Coordinator
On Tuesday, February 2, 2016 eight Sun Lakes Rock & Gem club members and friends braved the cold weather to go to the Tucson-Kino Gem & Mineral show. Per the Visit Tucson website for a period of two weeks Tucson becomes the number one playground for the world of international gem and mineral trading, buying, bargains and bragging rights. The show happens all across the town at more than 40 sites, from giant halls to hotels and sprawling camps of roadside exhibit tents. Almost all the shows are open to the public.
The Tucson Gem & Mineral Society boasts that it is the largest, oldest and most prestigious gem and mineral show in the world. The show has enjoyed international stature since 1970’s, and was the first gem and mineral show to bring hobby enthusiasts, the public, and the curator/professionals together for discovery and discussion. At Tucson Electric Park, you can spend an entire day perusing the displays of raw materials and equipment in the various tents set up for this event..
The Kino Gem & Mineral show is one of the largest shows participating in the Tucson Gem & Mineral show. They had over 200 vendors from around the world. The show offered a huge variety of gems, minerals, fossils, beads, finished jewelry, and one of kind specimens at competitive prices. We saw one vendor buy a whole large table of beautiful amethyst geodes. A few vendors also sold lapidary tools and equipment.
The photographs taken represent a small sample of the gems, minerals and finished jewelry sold at the show. The creativeness of the jewelry craft persons is incredible. It is amazing to see the finished jewelry that could be made from a rough uncut stone. The vendors were very knowledgeable, friendly and willing to tell you where and how they extracted the minerals sold or how the finished jewelry was made. If you never have been to the Tucson Gem & Mineral show I encourage you to do so.
Lou Maldonado
Field Trip Coordinator
Slide Show Below: