Inside My Gem Show Purchases: Pearls, Opals & One-of-a-Kind Finds

Gem show season always feels a little magical. Each year in Arizona, over 50 gem and mineral shows take over the desert 🌵, bringing together buyers, sellers, and collectors from around the world for a few exhilarating weeks of discovery. It’s a once-a-year event and one I’ve been attending for over 20 years as both a buyer and exhibitor.

This post is a look back at some of the stones I brought home from last year’s trip. From luminous strands of pearls and richly colored gemstone beads to carved Australian boulder opals, Ethiopian opal beads, carved scarab cabochons, African glass beads, labradorite, banded agate, green garnets, Oregon sunstone, striated amethyst, cameos, blue coral beads, tourmalines, mandarin garnets, aquamarines, sapphires and emeralds. Each piece was chosen for its character, beauty, and potential to become something truly special.

With a background in gemology and decades of sourcing experience, I’m always drawn to materials that feel soulful and a little unexpected. These stones are now part of my personal collection, waiting to be transformed into one-of-a-kind jewelry.

If something here catches your eye, I’d love to hear from you. Reach out and let me know which stone speaks to you, and we can create a custom piece designed just for you, thoughtfully made, entirely unique, and meant to be worn for years to come.

Contact me to start a custom project with one of these stones!