February is a month that is anticipated by many of the world s gem dealers, jewellery designers, rock-hounds and gem aficionados, who trek to Tucson every year to sell and to search for the unusual and the spectacular. For 30 days, the small Arizona city turns into a vast bazaar of gems, fossils, geodes, minerals, rock sculptures, dinosaur eggs and just about everything under the desert sun you can imagine. By Cynthia Unninayar
US DIARY Attended by buyers and exhibitors from around the globe you can hear many languages spoken in the corridors by both visitors and exhibitors the Tucson Gem Shows comprise more than 45 fairs of all sizes sprawled across the city. Most are open to the public but two of the largest shows the AGTA GemFair, at the Tucson Convention Center, and GJX, located in an enormous temporary tent across the street are restricted to members of the gem and jewellery trade. The wide selection at AGTA and GJX included something for every taste and budget, from small melee to rare unheated stones to unusual, museum-quality gems and minerals. Tucson is also growing as a destination for jewellery designers and artisans who showcase their wares at AGTA and GJX as well as a number of other shows in the desert city. Against the backdrop of 1,669 jewellery businesses that discontinued operations in the United States (a 50% jump from 2015), it was understandable why sentiment was mixed among the exhibitors. Some reported good shows although most others said the shows were slow. While nearly everyone lamented the lower buyer attendance, the majority noted that those who came were serious and ready to buy, with many replacing and replenishing stock. Ring in pink gold set with Lotus Garnet and diamonds by Parlé. solitaire INTERNATIONAL march 2017 61
Natural Padparadscha Ceylon sapphire (12.01-ct) from Shaun Gems. Tahitian pearl, moonstone and tsavorite earrings in 18-karat black gold by DSL Pearl. The big three There may have been fewer buyers, but there was certainly no lack of product. In terms of trends, nothing dramatically stood out this year. The big three sapphire, ruby and emerald were the main sellers. Blue sapphires were very popular as were rubies that are benefiting from the increased supply from Mozambique and their use in engagement rings. Burmese rubies have yet to make a large appearance in the US, despite the lifting of the ban late last year. Emeralds have become more popular these last couple of years and one very exciting discovery is the new deposit coming from Ethiopia, explained Philip Zahm, CEO of California-based Philip Zahm Designs. At this point, I don t know exactly what we can expect to see coming out of Ethiopia, but the gem I have, a 2.64-carat oval, has a fantastic colour, very bright and open, and is certified totally natural from GIA. Multi-gemstone and gold earrings accented with diamonds by Bella Campbell. Unheated 70.08-ct yellow sapphire from Sparkles and Colors. Strong contenders Aside from the big three, a number of dealers noted strong interest in Paraiba tourmaline. Paraiba received a lot of attention, indicated Samuel Sulimanov, CEO of New York-based Samuel Sylvio, a Spectrum Award winner. The demand is rising although availability is decreasing, which means prices are going up. Another brand reporting strong interest in Paraiba was New Yorkbased Caroline C, also a Spectrum Award winner. The neon blue of Paraiba is enchanting to so many people, and a number of buyers are looking for larger pieces, commented Caroline Chartouni, owner of the brand, who noted that some of her clients are using Paraiba in bridal pieces. Numerous other stones also garnered positive interest. We had a lot of calls for spinel this year, explains Philip Zahm, although production of fine spinel has really dwindled. The Mahenge material is essentially mined out and the Burmese material is very 62 solitaire INTERNATIONAL march 2017
US DIARY Carved 44-ct Brazilian aquamarine by Michael Dyber. Rare Moroccan Amethyst crystal exhibiting dendritic hematite inclusions, from Geostone. An 18-karat palladium white gold Confetti Heart ring with multi-coloured sapphires, rubies, amethysts and diamonds by Naomi Sarna Designs. Paraiba (3-ctw), Paraiba melee and diamond earrings set in 18-karat white gold by Samuel Sylvio Designs. These spinel and diamond earrings in 18-karat white gold gave designer Caroline C her fifth Spectrum Awards win. solitaire INTERNATIONAL march 2017 63
Untreated 33-ct Sri Lankan Padparadscha sapphire (left) and an untreated 50-ct Sri Lankan colour-change sapphire, which shifts from blue in daylight to purple under incandescent light, both from RareSource. Exceptional carved Moroccan Amethyst gems by Glenn Lehrer. Untreated Ethiopian emerald from Philip Zahm Designs. hard to come by. The most requested is fine red spinel since it looks much like fine ruby. He goes on to add that demand for tsavorite is also increasing. At the show, we had many requests for small goods and fine single stones. Availability of beautiful 3-carat to 8-carat stones is a bit better right now although the prices have increased dramatically. Another tsavorite specialist, Arizona-based Bridges Tsavorite, also saw strong sales. It was a very good show for tsavorite, said Jim Walker and Bruce Bridges. Buyers were very serious this year, and we also did well with garnet and tourmaline. The brand was also honoured at AGTA at the Smithsonian booth, which paid a touching tribute to the late Campbell Bridges and the 50th anniversary of the company he created. In terms of prices, nearly all dealers surveyed indicated that the very high end and the low end are doing better, with prices fairly stable and even rising on the upper end of the quality spectrum. Prices in the mid-range, however, are still undergoing a correction. Sailesh Lakhi, CEO of New York-based Sparkles and Colors, explained, Demand for high quality stones is up gems above $200,000 sold well but the middle is not doing well, that is, 64 solitaire INTERNATIONAL march 2017 in the 5-carat to 15-carat range. Lakhi featured an exceptional 70.08-carat unheated yellow sapphire and an unheated 18-carat Burmese blue sapphire, but also mentioned that rose cuts and moonstones saw a fairly good demand. Sudhil Jain, of New York-based FEI, which sells mostly the big three, commented that quality gems in 10 carats and up were doing well, with prices stable. Below that, he also indicated that prices are in a correction. Edward Boehm, president of Tennessee-based RareSource, explained that his booth experienced good traffic, although buyers are cautious but serious, and mostly looking for large and unusual stones, while spinel was popular. Among his large rare stones were a 50-carat colour change sapphire and a 31.79-carat Padparadscha. Similar sentiments were expressed by Eddie Livi, of New York-based DSL Pearl, which sells a variety of gems and pearls. While prices are stable, people are still cautious for the time being, he noted. Shaun Ajodan, president of New York-based Shaun Gems, added, The show has been active with buyers expressing a positive outlook, but they are looking for more unusual gems, including Padparadscha sapphires. He noted that quality stones
US DIARY Rare astorite and pearl pendant and necklace by Helen SerrasHerman of Gem Art Center. in the 4-carat range received attention, although prices have been moving down. Kaiser Abi-Habib, president of California-based Kaiser Gems, stated that, in general, the show was slow. Among his best-sellers, however, was morganite, especially in larger size stones, although pink tourmalines were in lesser demand. Latest finds As always, Tucson offers a variety of new finds and unusual gems, and a few caught my attention. One of these new gems was presented by Idaho-based, Parlé Gems. Frank Farnsworth, president, was delighted with the reaction to this new Lotus Garnet. Discovered in late 2015 in northern Tanzania, the gem is a member of three garnet families, pyrope, spessartine and almandine. It is found in alluvial mines, usually in conjunction with rhodolite garnet and spinel. Parlé controls the total production of this unique gem, which exhibits a colour variation in every pocket, ranging from pinkish orange to an orangey pink colour. Viewed best in sunlight, it also has a slight red fluorescence, which can give the appearance of colour change. Parlé sells the loose gem as well as in 14-karat gold Rough Lightning Ridge opal from True Blue Opals. solitaire INTERNATIONAL march 2017 65
jewellery with diamond accents. Lotus Garnet is an exceptional substitute to Padparadscha sapphire, morganite and imperial topaz, explained Farnsworth, adding, this has been my best Tucson ever. Another relatively new find was seen at Morocco-based Geostone. This unique stone, dubbed Moroccan Amethyst, is found in only one location in the world, in the Anti Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Discovered by nomads in the 1980s, it reached international prominence only a few years ago, and in 2012, Colombian trapiche emeralds from Mayer and Watt. Remarkable 175.37-ct deep concave cushion-cut morganite entitled Mozambique Sunset by John Dyer that won Second Place in the Spectrum Awards category of Innovative Faceting. the Geostone Group in Casablanca obtained exclusive rights to the mine. What makes this gem so exceptional is that it is found as single crystals (not in a geode) without a matrix, singly or doubly terminated. It also contains dendritic hematite inclusions that differentiate this type from other amethysts. Untreated and unheated, the stone is cut using customised techniques in order to bring out the red needles and colourchanging effect. Multi-award winning gem artist, Glenn Lehrer, president of California-based Glenn Lehrer Designs, works with Geostone to create spectacular faceted creations to be used in all sorts of jewellery. It should be noted that Geostone mines the gem in a socially responsible manner, and has been awarded the prize of First Ethical and Ecological Mine in Morocco in 2016. Ethical mining and social responsibility have become important elements in gemstone purchases, and one brand that has consistently promoted these values is Columbia Gem House. Company president Eric Braunwart indicated that because of its efforts in sustainability and social responsibility, the company has a large following. More than 85% of buyers purchase stones from us because of the way we do business. And, people talk about the Millennials and their values. Every new account we open these 66 solitaire INTERNATIONAL march 2017 Moldavite set in Gibeon nickel-iron meteorite with sterling silver wire wrapping by David Phillips of Starchild Creations.
US DIARY Smithsonian tribute to the late Campbell Bridges and the 50th anniversary of the company he founded in Kenya. days is by someone under the age of 30. While I was visiting the booth, a buyer from England commented that she has been coming to the show for years, doing business with Columbia Gem House because of its ethically-sourced gems. Unusual trapiche gems were on display at Kentucky-based Mayer & Watt. They drew a lot of interest, commented Geoffrey Watt, son of the owners. Featured were emeralds, sapphires and rubies, along with some rare tourmaline trapiches. The gem gets its name from the hexagonal structure that is reminiscent of the six-spoke Spanish wheel used to crush sugar cane. In the opal category, Australian company, True Blue Opals, featured a remarkable assessment of museum-quality specimens, some of which were sold to a museum, smiled co-owner Sally Patel. Among her higher-end Lightning Ridge stones were several that sold in the six-figure range, she added. Patel also featured a selection of Yowah rough and polished. Colourful jewellery Tucson is fast becoming a destination for jewellery designers and artisans, who exhibited around the city in various venues. Many of the pieces fall into the realm of traditional jewellery while others are distinctly non-traditional. Among the artist-creators was Helen Serras-Herman, of Gem Art Center. A long-time exhibitor at AGTA, she displayed a variety of beautiful handcrafted creations including a rare carved astorite pendant on a necklace of astorite beads and pearls. Mined exclusively in the San Juan Mountains of south-western Colorado, astorite is a rare rock composed mainly of pink rhodonite along with various amounts of quartz, gold, silver, rhodochrosite and other minerals. And, there was no shortage of colourful gemstone jewellery at the AGTA booths of New York-based Bella Campbell and Naomi Sarna, whose award-winning pieces received more than a few glances. Small artist-creators such as David Philips, exhibiting at one of the smaller shows, encloses unusual gems such as trapiche emeralds and meteorites with amazing wire wrapping in his designs for Starchild Creations. We also cannot forget the incredible gem carvers, such as Minnesota-based John Dyer and New Hampshire-based Michael Dyber who create remarkable pieces, and are a major attraction for visitors to Tucson. n solitaire INTERNATIONAL march 2017 67