Jennifer Heebner, Editor in Chief
As gemstone dealers and jewelers from around the globe prepare pallets of rocks and cut gemstones and crates of finished jewelry bound for the Tucson gem shows that start next week, many are eager to unveil their own treasure troves of new finds. And given the hunt that awaits in the desert—there are 40 individual gem shows that take place over several weeks—a little sourcing help might be appreciated. To that end, AGTA is casting a spotlight on specific gemstones and finished jewels that can be found at AGTA GemFairTM Tucson, taking place Jan. 31–Feb. 5 at the Tucson Convention Center, as well as some other shows happening in Arizona. Next week, we’ll highlight more. Be sure to follow @agta_gems and @jenniferheebner on Instagram to see new pieces from the fairs.
Safe travels to Arizona and happy shopping! Find something fabulous at the show? Tag us to let us know.
Confetti Chrysocolla
“Confetti Chrysocolla is a new find from Indonesia and is 100% natural! The material has wild copper splashes and Chrysocolla blues in Agate. Pairs are $98–$290 keystone.”
Curt Heher, Rare Earth Mining, AGTA booth #222
Purple Freshwater Pearls
“We’re bringing intense purple cultured freshwater Pearls, natural-color blue Akoya Pearls, Tahitian Keshi strands, and our popular maki-e or mosaic-painted South Sea Pearls. We’ll also have our usual array of unique and beautiful South Sea, freshwater, and Akoya Pearls. Our natural-color loose purple freshwater Pearls start at $300 per Pearl keystone price.”
Raphael Basalely, Eliko Pearl, AGTA booth #1306
Lagoon Tourmaline
“This 6.26 ct. blue-green cushion-cut ‘Lagoon’ Tourmaline is clean and has no treatment as well as an exceptionally pleasing color and fine cut. Its keystone price per carat is $800.”
Raja Shah, Color First, AGTA booth #103
No-Heat Brazilian Pink Tourmaline
“You look at some gems and they have their own personality. This 10.70 ct. no-heat pink Tourmaline from Brazil has a beautiful color, and the cut is perfect for it. It has a triple keystone price of $1,500 a carat and just sparkles when it’s in your hand.”
Scott Spurling, Scott Spurling Gems, AGTA booth #1206
Multicolor Jade Ring
“This ring is unusual in that four vivid fine natural Jadeite oval-shape 5 x 7 mm cabochons were all used together, instead of in four separate beautiful rings. The stones each exhibit fine qualities of color, even texture, and similar size that blend well together to comprise this fine one-of-a-kind Jade ring design. It is made in 18K satin-finish yellow gold and retails for $2,800.”
Kristina Mason, Mason-Kay Jade, AGTA booth #1200
Madagascar Sapphire
“We have always embraced imperfection and natural beauty, which is why we showcase stones that the traditional jewelry industry may reject or not view as fine enough to be used in jewelry. We chose these specific Sapphires because we believe they best exemplify those qualities: colorful, vibrant, eye-catching, and visually striking in a unique way that hopefully inspires designers to create beautiful jewelry. This 4.01 ct. oval-shape brilliant-cut Sapphire from Madagascar is heated and retails for $3,008.”
Ashkan Asgari, Misfit Diamonds, AGTA booth #1611
Turquoise Feathers
“This Turquoise Feathers necklace is made in 18K recycled yellow gold with a matte finish and features luxurious lozenges of Arizona Turquoise that are veined with beautiful sky blue, rich green, and earthy golden hues of the matrix. The piece is reversible to display two unique patterns of the gems. This necklace is one-of-a-kind and stunning and retails for $3,800.”
Eve Streicker, Original Eve, Melee, The show booth #3
Viva Magenta Rhodochrosite
“It seems that forecasters had this very stone in mind when Pantone picked its Color of 2023—Viva Magenta! I can’t imagine a lovelier color than this wonderful 7.94 ct. Rhodochrosite from the Sweet Home Mine. The gem is keystone-priced at $6,000 per carat.”
Rich Barker, Barker & Co., AGTA booth #500
Demantoid Garnet
“One of our most special demantoid Garnet gemstones is this 1.55 ct. cushion cut. What makes this an incredibly special Garnet is that we are one of the only companies in the world that mines and cuts this beautiful gemstone in Madagascar. Our gems are fully traceable, and we give back to the community through social and environmental impact projects, which also make our efforts sustainable! The keystone price for this gem is $6,990.”
Photo by Omi Gems Inc.
John Ferry, Prosperity Earth, AGTA booth #109
Cobalt Blue Spinel
“We will be featuring myriad colors of Spinel and Paraíba-type Tourmaline at the shows. This 3.01 ct. cushion-cut cobalt blue Spinel is $9,000 keystone per carat.”
Niveet Nagpal, Omi Privé, Centurion #M-401 and AGTA booth #401
Ceylon Sapphire
“This ravishing 3.99 ct. Ceylon-origin Sapphire is nestled between two shield-cut and numerous round Diamonds (1.02 ctw.) and is fabricated in 18K white gold. The Sapphire is heated and accompanied by a GIA report. The keystone price is $28,000.”
Raja Mehta, AG Gems, AGTA booth #602
Lavender Agate Carving
“This piece is special because of the magnificent metallic cultured freshwater Pearl, the exquisite lavender 61.59 ct. Laguna Agate carving by Glenn Lehrer, and the fabulous design by yours truly. The pendant is hand fabricated in 18K yellow gold on an 18K chain and has a 0.30 ct. heart-shape pink Tourmaline cabochon and VS-clarity, G-color Diamonds (1.50 ctw.). Its retail price is $39,660.”
Brenda Smith, Brenda Smith Jewelry, AGTA booth #3106
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