The brochure for the Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Showcase being held in Tucson lists 45 venues scattered over the city.
All but eight are open to the public.
We have attended some of the largest sites and found a range of dealers from individuals selling gems and minerals in their natural state (such as these crystals)
to merchants selling polished stones.
The stones in these next four photos are from Madagascar.
I spent several minutes admiring these stones, picking up several of these very heavy stones and evaluating the features of each.
And then we moved on.
At virtually all the display areas, there was little identifying information about the specific stones, gems, or minerals. We were clearly novices in the world of highly knowledgeable buyers.
So, our stops at display areas were limited to a few questions. Merchants gladly answered questions, but when buyers appeared-- there was business to be conducted.
Eventually, we adopted the title of "admirers" in response to questions about our status, e.g., "What business do you represent?" This new self-identification seemed quite appropriate as we studied these pieces of petrified wood.
When highly polished, these pieces did indeed appear to be gems.
This finished showpiece (coffee table, below) demonstrated what could be made from a much larger piece of petrified wood.
Our last stop on this day brought us to a display of copper bowls.
A very different form of shopping.
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