Tucson Gem and Mineral Show Frequently Asked Questions

1.Isn’t the Gem Show just one large show?
No! The Tucson Gem & Mineral Show began humbly but enthusiastically in the mid-50s, and has grown to around 3000+ vendors. These vendors spread over the city at over 40 different locations (“venues”).

2.Can only special buyers go to the show?
No! More than half of the show venues are open to the public, so take advantage of the opportunity to shop at what are either discounted or wholesale prices. To find out more about each show venue, including the ones that encourage the public to visit, click here. (It will take you to another page on this site with information about what’s available at which public show venues.)

3.How can I get in a buyer-only show?
You can often “get in” one just by walking around and going into a hotel room. In fact, many of the shows that used to be called “buyer-only” have eased that restriction. Remember, these vendor-exhibitors often prefer cash, and this makes any hesitation to sell to you, a member of the public without a fancy badge, easier. The Shows that are more serious about security are any shows that have locations other than hotels, or whose “tents” are separate from the hotels. For example, the Quality Inn on West Grant Road is a buyer-only show. If you’re gutsy, you could probably walk around the outside courtyard and hotel rooms and pick up a few items. You can try to get in, the covered tent or side building, but you’ll be politely turned away.

The second way to get in is to ask around: do any of your friends know a friend who has a jewelry business? If so, they can get you in with either a guest badge or a buyer’s badge. Understand that most of the vendors at the public shows either pay the tax for you, or charge you specifically for it. You don’t pay sales tax at buyer-only shows because the materials you buy are presumably going to be resold and that final end-purchaser pays the sales tax. This is why show organizers discourage the public from buyer-only shows.

4.Do the venues only offer beads?
No! The vendors offer a variety of beads, yes — by the millions — but you can purchase oriental rugs; gold & diamond jewelry; other finished jewelry; amethyst geodes; fossil bookends; African masks & metal work; Indonesian masks; mineral specimens; dinosaur bones; wood & stone sculpture; office accessories (using natural stones, of course); stone spheres, pyramids & obelisks; natural crystals; decorative items; basketsscarves & handbags, Tibetan brass singing bowls; French linens; Moroccan inlay; Huichol (very tiny seed beads expertly and painstakingly glued onto a form such as a lizards, panther head, or vase); rugs, and other non-jewelry items too numerous to mention.

5.What’s the best overall public gem & mineral show?
For 2008, Arizona Bead Dog suggests that you stop at the Simpson Street Show, even though in years past it has had some empty vendor tables. The Frontage Road and TEP Park Shows run close seconds because of that, but Simpson Street is a well-contained show located downtown, just east of the I-10 construction, and offers samplings of finished fine jewelry, high quality bead strands, amethyst geodes and a small selection of other minerals, stone decorations, silk and wool scarves, jewelry findings, and other jewelry and items in a relatively small space that’s easily covered in about an hour. Also, parking is readily available, and this show, at least in 2007, had the best outdoor public restrooms. If this isn’t your favorite, vote for the show you liked best in Arizona Bead Dog’s voting section.

6.How can I find out the best shows for the products I’m looking for?
You’re almost there: Click here for public show venues . (It will take you to another page on this site with information about each show venue.) For 2009, Arizona Bead Dog is planning a page where you can also post your question.

7.Everything’s so cheap. Is it quality stuff they’re selling?
Generally, yes. Quality and price usually go hand-in-hand, and this is where you need to inform yourself. Bead strands are cheaper than you might expect. One reason is because finished jewelry ends up with a 4- to 8-times-the-cost mark up. So if one strand of garnets is $5, expect a finished necklace with sterling silver findings to be at least $25, perhaps more depending on what else has gone into the particular design. You'll find, over the years, that comparing different vendors at different shows builds confidence as far as determining whether any given strand is worth the price tag. Also, expect to pay slightly more when you buy only 1, instead of 20, strands. Only you can determine whether a particular strand is worth the price to you. Don't worry: the strand you paid an extra $3 for at one place may be cheaper elsewhere, but usually you'll see a difference for that price differential, such as size, color, and cut.

8.What do I do with a strand of beads once I’ve bought it?
You’ll probably want to have it strung. Bead stringers can get pricey, although the more you can purchase yourself at the show will ultimately reduce your costs. For example, most beads need a way to clasp and unclasp the strand (unless you want a continuous strand of say 28-36"). So you can buy a nice sterling silver toggle and save yourself money at the bead stringer’s. Also, how long is your strand? Only 15 or 16 inches? That’s barely enough for most necks, and what if you want a pair of matching earrings? So you may need to buy two strands, or other beads to make the first strand go farther. Ear wires are relatively cheap, but if you see a unique pair, you should buy them. Sterling silver chain is another way to extend the length of your bead necklace; again, it’s relatively inexpensive at the Show.

9.What’s the best strategy for going to these shows?
Obviously, there’s a lot of walking, but comfortable walking shoes is only one part of an effective 4-prong strategy: cash, comfort, know which show, buy-it-now.

THE MOST IMPORTANT STRATEGY: Use cash. The most desirable buyers are those with cash. If you must fuss with a credit card or check, it’s more paperwork for the vendor, and perhaps his price won’t be as sweet as with cash. (If you’re afraid to carry cash, don’t be. Just take your usual precautions. Most, if not all, Shows have security.) (See FAQ 10 below for a discussion of how much cash you should carry.)
Wear comfortable, layered clothing & shoes. The weather is mercurial in February, often cool or rainy in the mornings and downright hot in the afternoons. Plus, many of the Shows generate heat because of all the lighting. This includes carrying a comfortable knapsack (a large purse isn’t as good for two reasons: it doesn’t distribute the weight as well as a knapsack, and there’s a lot of bending over tables to look at stuff, so the weight distribution problem that a purse poses will tire your back out faster than a knapsack) with a small water bottle and some snack food. Of course, very serious buyers drag small luggage pieces on rollers.
Know where you want to go, and plan where you’ll park, or where you’ll park to catch a shuttle. It also helps to have some idea what you’re looking for, but this isn’t necessary. It does prevent the uninitiated from becoming totally overwhelmed. Of course, you may not know what you want until you see it, so keep an open mind. Every year, there’s something new to catch your attention.
Not the most well-advertised strategy, but an essential one: BUY IT NOW. This goes for both seasoned and unseasoned buyers. Two problems with waiting: It’s not there when — and if — you return (don’t underestimate how much ground these shows cover, and your feet will be tired, and your back may ache a bit), and you often simply can’t remember where you saw something. Another problem with waiting: the item costs more the next day. Reason: it was a vendor show special that day only. If you’re worried you’re not getting the “best” deal, don’t be. You generally get what you pay for, and you generally won’t find an item that much cheaper even if you manage to find the exact same item. Reason: there’s too much competition. And, for the most part, you’re going to get the item much cheaper, or no more expensively, than you would had you paid retail. CAUTION: At some of the smaller public venues, or venues you know you're going to remain at for awhile (the African Village, for example), you can take the luxury of browsing all the tables first, then going back for a second run-through to find that perfectly-priced gift. This is an ideal, but not always practical strategy, for all shows.

10.How much cash should I take?
Deciding how much cash to take involves two issues: how much disposable income do you have and what do you want to buy? The two may not sync. It’s wise to have at least $100 in cash if you’re “just browsing.” But, don't worry; $25 will buy a lot of beads and fun jewelry. Carry a credit card for the unexpected find that costs more than you expected.

11.I feel funny going into someone’s hotel room, is that normal?
It’s normal to feel strange about it and it’s totally normal, standard operating procedure for the Gem Shows. The exhibitors must display their products somewhere, and a hotel room is a discrete amount of space to accomplish that goal. Just go in and don’t worry about anything. Feel free to walk out without buying anything. Most vendors will make you feel comfortable about this — they’ve done many gem shows and know that sometimes their products are not what you’re looking for. So for those sensitive types out there, don’t worry!

12.What do things cost?
The following are some ballpark estimates from years of buying at the various shows, public and buyer-only:

Bead strands (you name it, it’s there: jasper, agate, corals, lapis, rhodochrosite, labradorite, amber, chrysoprase, amethyst, garnet, peridot, sapphire, onyx, carnelian, African trade, jade, kyanite, topaz, sodalite, spinel, zircon, citrine, Peruvian opal, aquamarine, moldavite, etc.) cost anywhere from $1 (sometimes less) and up per strand, which is at least 12", often they’re 16", and usually average 14". Finer quality beads are often sold in smaller, bracelet-length strands of 8-9".
Amethyst “cathedrals” (large amethyst crystals contained in its matrix) cost at least a $100, and the finer ones are $300 and up. Some cathedrals are as tall as a person and cost thousands.
Silk bags and that type of item are around $5 or $10 depending on size, and smaller bags are sold by the dozen. Fancier bags are more.
Mineral specimens also run a few bucks to the thousands (and up).
Dinosaur fossils and other fossils are around $5 to $10 for a shark’s tooth, $50 for a Paleozoic leaf imprint, and the costs go up for other items, like dinosaur bones.
Tibetan brass bowls range also; they start around $30.
Novelties are inexpensive, and are too numerous to mention.
Finished jewelry ranges in price as you’d expect, but bargains abound.
Rugs are generally a bargain. Inform yourself ahead of time by looking at local stores and doing some Internet research on the type of rug you’re interested in. Then you’ll have some independent information about whether the price is “good.” You should bargain with rug merchants.
Small African masks are around $50; larger ones, a $100 and up.
Stoneware (literally) is generally well-priced, $10 and up for large goblets, $15-25 and up for plates, $20 and up for larger bowls, and anything larger is priced accordingly.
Stone bookends are generally well-priced; check for weight. They range in price from about $10 and up. (You’ll be glad you brought a knapsack.)

13.What’s the difference between a mineral, rock, and gem?
Very little! While these categories have scientific and dictionary definitions, the fact is very little separates these concepts. Minerals are crystalline structures that make up the rocks on our planet and generally everything inorganic. Rocks are typically aggregates of several minerals, and are igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary. Crystals are minerals; opal and silica glass are not crystals because they lack a crystalline structure. So gold, silver, and copper are also minerals with a crystalline structure; they are also metals. A gemstone is simply a mineral of a size and color that we find beautiful.