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Tucson
Gem & Mineral Show 2006 in Review
The
Tucson Gem and
Mineral Show is an annual event that draws exhibitors
and buyers from all over the world. The idea that this is
just a "one-tent event" is a misnomer. In truth,
the Gem show is over thirty different shows held at the same
time all over Tucson. There are name brand venues like the
Holidome, Gem Mall, GJX and Rodeway, and there are smaller,
newer shows like the new one I saw this year being held on
an RV sales lot near the Gem and Lapidary Wholesalers shows.
What's
really great about the Tucson event is that regardless of
what you need from across the gem and mineral spectrum, odds
are you can find it here. Big manufacturers from India and
China come to the show to buy rough gemstones for their production
in the upcoming year. Vendors from China, Brazil, South Africa,
Morocco, Madagascar, Russia and Mexico ship in literally tons
of rough stones for resale by the 55 gallon drum. One large
Indian manufacturer I know buys three 20' containers filled
with rough to ship back to Jaipur for cutting and setting.
There
is also a wide range of finished jewelry available of varying
qualities and price points. Silver is everywhere as Indian
companies flock to this Mecca of metalsmithing hoping to move
hundreds of kilos and open new markets. What often happens
is that they discover the bitter truth: the competition among
vendors is fierce. Prices are low for high-volume buyers,
often just pennies above the cost to produce the goods. Each
year I see new Indian vendors come to the show full of high
hopes only to go home with little or no profits to show after
expensive travel, hotel and booth costs.
One of
my suppliers from India pointed out an interesting fact to
me last year. He said "look around, who is running all
the booths now?" The answer was clearly Indians and Chinese
manufacturers come to move their goods in the West. This has
created something of a psychology of discriminatory buying.
I have heard from many other buyers that if they see a Western
face, as opposed to an Indian or Chinese, they figure the
price can't be good and they move on without stopping. I must
admit, my first reaction when I see an American vendor is
that they are probably not worth the time because they add
the cost of the middle man.
The main
shows are well attended, with the Holidome being an especially
popular venue. This show is set up in two massive tents outside
the Holiday Inn, and runs for just ten days as opposed two
weeks for some of the other shows. The aisles are packed within
an hour of opening. The crowd, while supposedly wholesale-only,
consists as much of retail buyers as it does of business owners.
This can add to the frustration level in the crowded conditions
as business buyers have to work around the person looking
to buy one or two pieces as early Christmas gifts.
What I
love about the show is the sheer variety. A good example of
this is the show at Rodeway Inn. The main tent had vendors
selling silver , jewelry, beads, findings in silver, gold
vermeil and karat gold. There were booths selling Chinese
pearls in strands, Italian Murano glass, Moroccan fossils,
Indian silver, American handmade jewelry, African trade beads,
Thai hill tribe beads and artifacts, Chinese carvings, Russian
amber, and Persian carpets. Outside the main tent, there are
stands selling mineral specimens, handicrafts, food and even
clothing. I saw an Afghani vendor selling Afghan carpets with
American tanks and fighter jets superimposed over a map of
the country. My favorite is the "dollar tent." Mostly
from Indonesia, this makes the dollar store in your town look
positively boring.
This year
I went as a buyer for my two stores, focusing mainly on beads
and silver findings. If you look hard enough, there are deals
to be found, but you must bargain hard. For buyers in bulk
there is room to negotiate, but for those interested in Christmas
gifts, good luck! It's a great experience for Americans to
learn to bargain. Most of us don't like to haggle, which is
what we dread most about buying a car. After buying in Asia
for many years, I feel I have some insight into the mechanics
of driving a bargain, but I will be the first to tell you
that I do not have access the same pricing that Indians or
Chinese buyers get in their home countries.
Every
show it seems there is some new item or trend that is hot.
This year rhodocrosite
was everywhere. Kyanite, which has been showing up more and
more over the last two years, could be found in many different
colors, shapes and cuts. It also seemed like every other booth
had spools and spools of silver and gold filled chain. Not
sure why this was, but if you weren't careful you could easily
pay way too much for it! Of course there were a kajillion
booths selling silver jewelry with a vast array of themes
and qualities.
One of
the more interesting booths I found was a small one run by
a guy I know from Bangkok. He has access to precious stones,
and since he is from India originally he also has access to
Indian jewelry manufacturing. I bought a small quantity of
his ruby
earrings set in silver. You can see them here,
and despite how it sounds, they are very reasonably priced.
Overall
the show was an exhilarating look into the international world
of gems and jewelry. There is a smaller show in September
that gets mixed reviews, but if you have never been, mark
your calendar now to visit Tucson during the first two weeks
of February, 2007. It is an experience you won't soon forget!
(This
article written by Mike McGinnis and published originally
on indiasilver.com.
We allow republication provided the piece is copied in its
entirety with links and attribution.)
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