Day 2 Tucson 2014

Day 2

We are on a mission today! In addition to our own needs, we have specific requests to fulfill so have set out to find Vivianite from Australia, Watermelon Tourmaline, and natural Amethyst points from the Anahi mine in Bolivia. Before we can focus on these, however, the Malachite room beckons!  We are coming home with eggs, large hearts and spirit animals in this fantastic material.

To fulfill the expressed gemstone wishes & desires, we leave early and drive to South Tucson to see what treasures can be found at today’s opening show. Being early to a show has paid off – Charoite hearts are the show special! While one of us shopped for metaphysical specialties and Nephrite, the other hand-selected the best available charoite hearts, and small spheres and eggs. We are delighted with our purchases! Walking around the rest of the show, we do not find material to meet our immediate needs so we’re moving on to another show.

At this tent show, most vendors are just setting up. The weather has created havoc with merchandise deliveries. As the polar vortex freezes roads and bridges, trucks are not moving as usual. Merchandise is sitting at freight stations, costing vendors demurrage fees and lost sales. We feel for these kind folks – sometimes even the weather is against you. On the other hand, vendors who have merchandise are selling out sooner than expected!

We find a nice selection of Uruguayan Amethyst Clusters (with flat bottoms), but the salt lamps are stuck on a truck somewhere between Denver and Tucson. With our order in the books, we move on and come across Lapis lazuli worry stones in an assortment of sizes. As several individuals have requested these over the last year, they are added to our bounty.

We are driving across town to see our favorite Australian dealer. Having previously purchased their Boulder Opals and Silent Grove Smoky Amethyst phantoms points, we know the quality of their material.  As promised, Vivianite cut & polished nodules are available. These are so unique that we purchase more than expected. But hey, when are we going to see these again … and we certainly wanted to offer variety and choice to our customers!