SHOP LC IN TUCSON
Shop LC is back at it again! This year saw the team return to the gem and mineral shows held in Tucson, Arizona. Each year, vendors from across the globe turn the city into a giant gemstone market as they showcase their wares.
But what did we find? I caught with Madison and Lauren from the Shop LC team to get the scoop on this year’s gem finds. Madison Corpening is a watch buyer for Shop LC. Lauren Camphire is a video content specialist.
ON THE GROUND IN TUCSON
“It was a fantastic year for buying,” says Lauren. “The buyers were in a frenzy, hitting all the shows and making a lot of discoveries.”
One thing that I heard over and over was how our buying team cleaned out inventories. The buyers arrived hungry, ready to find new stones and the best deals on customer favorites.
“We saw a lot of familiar faces. But also, a lot of new ones too! More than I’d seen in my previous years coming to Tucson.”
Vendors really showed up in force compared to the previous year, which was a bit lean due to global travel restrictions. But luckily, they brought all sorts of exciting gems and fossils!
SHOP LC TUCSON FINDS
What did the buying team discover? Each year, Shop LC scours the dozens of shows and events looking for brand new stones and old favorites. This year was no different. In fact, there are plenty of gemstones to get excited for in 2022!
WHITE BUFFALO TURQUOISE
“White Buffalo Turquoise is a gemstone that is mined in Tonopah, Nevada by the Otteson family,” Madison tells me.
The Otteson’s have supplied Shop LC turquoise in the past.
MINT GARNET
“This supply took the vendor seven years to build – and Shop LC secured every last stone.”
Another fun discovery was mint garnet. In the past, it’s sold out quickly.
AMBER
“Insects are a rare find in amber, but we bought every last one!”
Amber is a stone that we buy every year, whether it has bugs in it, or has been carved with ornate designs. These amber stones are carved in an intaglio style, where the stone is carved on the reverse, so that the image shows just below the surface.
SANTA FE STYLE
“Our Santa Fe Style vendor was at this show and we some amazing new pieces with Sleeping Beauty Turquoise. A new find are Navajo beads, which are sterling silver beads. They’re trending in the Santa Fe style market right now.”
FIRE OPAL
“Our fire opal comes from a vendor who mines it in Mexico. He also brings his own homemade tequila for toasting!”
Tucson finds will be showing up all year long. See what’s coming up by following Shop LC on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
I’m not quite sure that you got every last one. Perhaps from one vendor, but there are hundreds of vendors representing mines from throughout the world at Tucson. I could probably into my local gemstone store that has everything you possibly imagine, and find a rough fire opal or a mint garnet. Their staff has a world-renowned gemologist and they’ve traveled the world, as no doubt you have, making sure their products are legitimate and mined with integrity. So, please, it’s wonderful to say you’ve secured a healthy stock, but those of us who are truly into gemstone collecting are far more interested in simply beautiful, shiny things. We would like much more information regarding your gemstones: country of origin; and, region of mining (vendor if known). These are both very important to know, and give a clue as to whether a gemstone has been mined with integrity.
Thank you for listening.
Hi Sally, thanks for the comment! We’ll share it with the team.