Each time I attend the Tucson Gem Shows I not only find amazing supplies to create jewelry, but I also see things that amaze and delight me. I also get to see some of the top trends in the jewelry and gem world. The Tucson Gem Show 2020 was certainly no exception. In no particular order, here are some of the unforgettable things that I saw at the Tucson Gem Show this year.
Mystic bead coating
One of the new trends I saw this year was adding a coating to beads to add a sheen and sparkle. Coating gemstones isn’t new but I haven’t seen anything quite like this finish across so many different stone types, including amazonite, labradorite and agate, just to name a few. The specific coating I saw most was dubbed mystic coating, and it added shimmer and sparkle that was mesmerizing. I ended up seeing these stones everywhere, so I think this may be a trend in the bead industry for the next few years.
Gemstone wands, pillars and long slices
Everywhere I went I saw gemstones cut into tall pillar shapes or wands. While I’ve seen spheres and pyramid shapes before, this was the first time I saw pillars and foot-long slices of selenite. I think this is a result of the number of people who are beginning to collect gemstones for their healing purposes in their home. While I wanted to grab some of the long slices of selenite, I decided against it because carying it onto the plane would have been tricky.
Artistic chain
Artistic chain isn’t new, but I did see a lot of artistic chain in different shapes at the shows this year. This included intricate shapes, and different metals, including a lot of rose gold options. I think these fun chains can add a lot to design and look forward to working with it in my designs.
Surfite
A few years ago the world was introduced to Fordite, layers of paint from the auto industry that could be up into beautiful and light cabs that had unique layers of color. This year, the newest trend is surfite, layers of paint from the surfboard industry that can be cut in much the same way. I saw rough surfite and finished cabs alike and the material is lovely and unique.
Interesting and unique things I saw at the Tucson Gem Shows
All these exciting signs made this trip to the Tucson Shows especially interesting. Did you attend the shows? What sites or trends did you see while attending the Tucson Shows this year?