The four days I spent at the Tucson Gem Show in 2020 was awesome. I value the time I can spend at the shows looking at items, shopping for supplies, and dreaming about future designs. While I create a pretty rigid shopping list for myself, I always find some unexpected items that I never thought to look for or a few items that delight me. Even better, these favorite purchases often turn into some of my favorite designs. This year was no different.
Here are a few different supplies that I’m really excited about finding at the shows and incorporating them into my upcoming jewelry collections.
Druzy stones
I have a fun design I’ve had several requests for, but no luck sourcing the stones to make. Fortunately, I found some larger druzy stones that will allow me to restock the necklace. In addition to finding some old favorites, I also found some new style of druzy stone that I’m excited about creating with. These are a bit rougher with some prominent shine and will make great accent necklaces. I can’t wait to begin designing with these too.
Astrophyllite cabs
When I was walking the Keno Gem Show I found a cabochon vendor that had beautiful stones, and the first one that caught my eye was the astrophyllite cabochons. Astrophyllite features star-shaped metal inclusions. While these cabs don’t have those shapes, they do have beautiful copper hued shimmers throughout. I’m looking forward to creating beautiful jewelry using these stones.
Nina designs charms
Nina Designs has lovely charms and findings. While I’ve seen her items before I haven’t purchased any. This year I decided to invest in a few different things and I’m looking forward to seeing how they are received in Colorado. I foresee a few of the charms doing particularly well at my upcoming craft shows.
Fashion chain
Chain isn’t just for finishing a design, it can also be an accent in its own right. While at the Tucson Shows I ended up investing in some great chain options. Similar to my druzy designs I have an old design I can restock, and create in a few different colorways.
Tree Agate
One of the most exciting gemstones I found at the Tucson Gem Show in 2020 was tree agate. I not only found it in beautiful beads, but also in different cabochon shapes. I have big plans to use this gemstone in a future collection and am looking forward to debuting that at a later date.
Tucson Gem Show 2020 buys I’m excited about
I’m so looking forward to adding all my items to my studio space and designing with them. While these are my favorite buys, I’m excited about what I can create with all the beautiful materials I found at the shows. What do you want to see me create first? Which item is your favorite? Share your thoughts below in the comments.