Tucson Countdown #6 - Welcome to the Hotel Arizona

Tucson Countdown #6 – Welcome to the Hotel Arizona.

Inside the Hotel Arizona (an easy walk from the convention center) is the Worldwide Gem and Jewelry Show, but few people actually call it that. For this and other shows, besides the AGTA GemFair and the GJX, most will simply give you the name of the hotel or motel. Now, the Hotel Arizona show is a MUST if only for the Upper Starlight Ballroom. Inside this small ballroom in the back-end of the hotel houses some of the best gem cutters in the world: the Germans from Idar Oberstein and surrounding villages. I typically spend half a day in here. I want to see them all. Some of the highlights will be:

Constantin Wild - booth: US B1, US B2

            Constantin and Simone have an incredible
                 selection of gems,
                 matched pairs, suites, you name it.
                 Large important pieces.

Tom Munsteiner - booth: US B3, US S25

            The whole family is talented!

            Tom is the gem artist. Jutta is the jewelry artist.

            (and of course, Tom’s father Bernd,
                  “the Picasso of gems,”

                   should be there too!)

Herbert Klein - booth: US B7

Emil Kreis - booth: US B11

Dieter Lorenz - booth: US B12

Stephan - booth: US B13, US B14

Hermann Petry - booth: US B16

Albert Juchem - booth: US B18

Hans Dieter Haag - booth: US B23

Henn - booth: US S15

Gerhard Pauly - booth: US S17

Hermann Grimm - booth: US S19

Hermann Lind II - booth: US S11, US S12

Hans-Ulrich Pauly - booth: US S16

Rolf Goerlitz - booth: US S18

Alfred Ruppenthal - booth: US S20, US S21

Wild & Petsch - booth: US S22, US B21, US B22

Dust Devil Mining - booth: US B19

            Great selection of Oregon Sunstone

               HEY, wait a minute! These guys
               are from Oregon!
               How did they get in here?

               Say Hi to Don and the rest of the gang.

Now back inside the Hotel itself, you’ll need a map to find your way around.

There are exhibitors in the lobby as well as hallways and side rooms. You’ll want to walk the mezzanine to see who’s there, and wind your way through small ballrooms, and hotel rooms upstairs, and small ballrooms downstairs.

I’ll be seeing these folks.

In a small room off the Lobby called the Ocotillo Room I will spend some time with:

Barbara Westwood - booth: OC 10

            Great design and use of large important gems.

Steve Walters - booth: OC 9

            One of the most talented gem artists here,

            and as in past years, he may be completely
            sold out by day 2.

In the Lobby area, I’ll stop to look for:

Nice Diamonds - booth: L 5

Ellawala Exports - booth: L 6, L 7

Gellner - booth: L 9

Geometa - booth: L 13

Christensen & Co. Fine Opals - booth: L 18

Timeless Gem Designs - booth: L 23, L 24

Cool Design - booth: L 25

Janice Evert Opals - booth: L 28

Thomas Von Arent - booth: L 32

A.V.S. Gem Stones - booth: L 35

And in Gemstone Row – the mezzanine hallway – I’ll be looking for:

Colombo Gemstones - booth: GR 6

Rainbow Gems - booth: GR 14A

Gem Ocean - booth: GR 21A

Below the Germans I’ll be stopping in the Starlight Ballroom to see:

Livingstone Jewelry - booth: SB 19

Pakistan Gems and Jewellery Development Company - booth: SB 14, SB 15