jujujems in Tucson: Our First Visit to the Tucson Gem Shows
- jujujems
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Lights. Camera. Action?
We’ll say this plainly: nothing prepares you for Tucson.
We had heard the “Tales of Tucson” from shop owners who attend every year. We had even rockhounded our way across the country before arriving — climbing mountains, studying host rock, filling buckets, and feeling pretty confident about our stamina. We studied the show books and planned our days.
We were ready to go: Backpack. Notebook. Pen. Biz cards. List. Wallet. Mints. By the time we got to the first show, we were confident we were prepared.
We were not.
Two weeks. More than forty shows. Thousands of vendors spread across warehouses, hotel rooms, tents, storage units, and sprawling buildings with wings labeled North, South, East, and West. We confidently chose a direction, walked with purpose, and then found ourselves staring at the exact same amethyst display we had admired fifteen minutes earlier.
Apparently, Tucson comes with built-in déjà vu.
Tucson Is Not for the Lazy. We Earned That Margarita.
It was work, strangely beautiful work that tortured you at the same time … The first few days were sensory overload. Inside the buildings and tents were bright lights, loud chatter, and packed aisles with sparkling minerals from every corner of the globe. Outside shows had their own rhythm. Desert sun and dust, tents buzzing with conversation, and that realization that “you’ll find it down there” meant another solid stretch of sweaty (and thirsty) walking.
There were distractions everywhere, throwing us off our game! Showstoppers like gigantic spheres. Huge carvings. Extremely rare specimens that you didn’t want to breathe on.
Pieces that leave you paralyzed in awe. There were even carved stone furniture and bathtubs!
At one point, we were wedged between a towering geode and a table of tourmaline, trying to decide whether we really needed the rocks or just a snack.
And the math ... Prices listed in kilograms. Buyers doing rapid math like it was an Olympic event. Meanwhile, we were quietly converting kilograms to pounds in our heads and hoping no one noticed.
We learned quickly that if we didn’t slow down and stick to a plan, we’d come home with a truck full of very shiny decisions we’d later have to justify to ourselves. Not saying it hasn’t happened before, but … not this time.
We Came with Intention and Dogged Determination
One thing was for certain. We didn’t drive across the country just to wander around wide-eyed. Oh, heck no. We came with a list!
Many of you have told us what you would love to see more of at jujujems, and we carried those requests into every show. Pyrite? It found us. Tanzanite? Tracked it down via a scavenger hunt. Copper that is artfully crafted? You betcha! Jewelry line expansion? Yes — and the one-of-a-kind kind, not identical pieces processed in what seems like a jewel-o-matic machine.
That list saved us more than once, as one of us kept wandering off it ... Yes, every time something dazzled us a little too much, we asked whether it truly fit what jujujemsters have been asking for, or whether we were just under the spell of the magical Tucson lighting. If the answer wasn’t a clear yes, we set it back down.
Let’s Make Sure We’re Not the Problem, Okay?
One of our goals in Tucson was to check ourselves honestly on our shop pricing. We studied pieces similar to what we already carry. We compared quality, finish, sourcing, and cost structures and asked hard questions: Are we competitive? Fair? Aligned?
Much to our relief — yes. So very much, yes.
We’re delighted to know that jujujems is thoughtfully and competitively priced. That realization felt like finding a front-row parking spot on a busy day next to a cold drink booth. We still looked for ways to strengthen sourcing and relationships, but it was reassuring to know that the care we’ve been putting into this business is indeed working.
We want to easily bring nature to everyone, because in the world we live in, we’re surrounded by too much technological drain that’s fogging up our minds. Everyone can’t go outside barefoot in the grass right now to ground down (looking at you northern folks), but everyone can have a piece of the outside inside.
Trends Are Fun. Longevity Is Better.
Ah, the trends. Yep, certain stones clearly were having their moment, that “everyone wants me” energy. And yes, some made us pause and ponder, as it’s easy to get caught up in the “I’m in the know” mindset. But if it didn’t make sense in the long run for our jujujemsters, we passed. Trends are super fun, but we want to make sure that anything trendy also has built-in longevity.
If you want to know a few trends we saw, mushrooms and critters are still having their day in the sun, but we already have enough in the shop. Amethyst is a forever trend, and we have so many lovely pieces, including lavender amethyst, which also made a stir. And can’t forget the classy quartzes: smoky, clear, milky, and … you guessed it: We got that too!
The People Who Love and Live Rocks
Turns out, the real highlight of Tucson wasn’t the size of the shows. It was the people.
We met miners from the United States, Australia, and Mexico who work directly with their own material. Listening to someone describe land they’ve worked for years changes how you look at things. We spoke with the owner of a halite operation and learned how it is mined, handled, and preserved.
We developed relationships with suppliers from Pakistan, Namibia, India, China, and Peru, each with their own stories about the land and the challenges of extracting material from it. We met a jeweler from Texas creating one-of-a-kind silver and gemstone pieces with intention, and then an artisan from Mexico who produces handmade copper jewelry that stood out for its creativity and value.
But what stood out most was the pride. Well-worn hands and nails, generations in the trade, or young entrepreneurs embarking on their journey with enthusiasm and grit. It reminded us that this isn’t just about inventory and sales. It’s about people who genuinely love what they do, which feels very familiar to us.
We ran into a couple of our peers in the industry who inspire us, which was a treat, and also reconnected with some of our trusted vendors. A few of them source directly from miners we met face-to-face in Tucson, which makes the rock world feel a whole lot smaller in the best possible way. It’s one thing to see a stone on a table and another to know whose hands pulled it from the ground.
For us, the relationship matters just as much as the rock. If a conversation is solid, the info lines up, the handshake feels right, we’ll come back. If it doesn’t, we won’t. There are too many good people in this business to spend time where things seem off.
Everywhere we went, camaraderie was in the air. Everyone had a story to tell and was eager to hear ours. We swapped tips and news and left with more names and numbers than expected. We found our community.
What We Got? Quite A Lot.
We’re bringing home items we’re genuinely excited about. You’ll see jewelry that feels special, copper and pyrite that catch the light brilliantly, and halite so fresh you can still sense the trapped organic matter that gives it that pretty pink. You’ll also see something that you’d swear was hand-painted but actually formed roughly 250 million years ago.
We’re also in early talks about custom gemstone sifting bags from a miner in Oregon that will carry the jujujems’ name.
And yes, we picked up a few rare pieces on a whim (not on the list!) after leaving the booth, then looking at each other and saying, “If we don’t go back and buy that, we’re going to regret it.” That fun part never changes.
The Beat Goes On
We’re not finished yet! In the Sonoran Desert sits dusty Quartzsite, Arizona — a town we’ve visited many times, where we’ve built meaningful relationships over the years. Their gem show runs through the end of the month, and at this point, what’s a few more hundred miles?
Ta-Ta Tucson
Yes, this was our first Tucsonpalooza, and we were thoroughly bewitched. We logged the miles, learned the layout (sort of), and left a little dustier than we arrived, but didn’t leave overwhelmed. We left smarter and clearer about what belongs at jujujems — and what can stay right there under those bright Tucson lights.
A city of shows will do that to you. Especially when they’re filled with happiness magnets and people who love them as much as we do.
We’ll keep doing the miles, the math, and the maze-walking — as long as what makes its way into your hands is something you’re proud to own.
Stay Sparkly! ✨
The jujujems Team
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