Images: Mookaite image (above ) is from http://topgems.homestead.com/gemstone_information_mookaite.html and the Spectrolite (Below) is from http://home.pacifier.com/~shm/Gems/Resources/Img_5220-Spectrolite.jpg. The pyrite replaced ammonite is my own photo.

Wowee zowee. The very famous Tucson Gem and Mineral Show started Friday and I’m tired! For those of you who go to design or gift trade shows, imagine the San Francisco Gift show at the Moscone Center x10 and spread all over downtown Tucson. Gems, jewelry, beads, rocks, fossils and minerals from every country plus meteorites!

I followed 3 rock geeks (2 enthusiasts from California and one geology student from Alaska) around for 3-1/2 days of ooohing and aaahing at everything from $1 per lb pale pink rough rose quartz to fossil dinosaur eggs to carved jade from China to forklift-sized mineral specimens to gem-quality Russian Alexandrites. (One of my rock geek friends bought the Alexandrites!) Wow! It was truly amazing and pretty difficult not to buy at least a few items. Color was everywhere and the natural colored gems (there was plenty of adulterated and dyed stuff though) were nothing short of astounding in the variety.
Some of my favorite colors were the apple green Chrysoprase, multi-colored Mookaite from Australia and Spectrolite from Finland. The opals were fabulous too and seem to be everywhere in every form, grade, and color.



So today I recover a bit from all the walking and think about updating my websites! My Webmaster is out of town again, so I’m still behind on your NEWSLETTER but it will be up soon.
Cheers and if you are in Arizona between now and Feb. 12^th, check out the gem show! You will be delighted.

~Reb