Tucson Countdown #7 – The GJX List

Tucson Countdown #7 – The GJX List

 

Across the street from the Tucson Convention Center (home of the AGTA GemFair) is “the Tent,” home of the Gem and Jewelry Exchange, otherwise known as the GJX. Here you will find companies that could have/would have/should have been in the AGTA show but are here instead, along with other Americans, Brazilians, Chinese, Sri Lankans, Germans, Russians, Japanese, Australians, Peruvians, … well, you get the picture.

 

The tent is my second favorite show to work, and a great place to find even more unique gem materials; stones like “Fordite” (aka: “Dearborn agate,” which is actually Ford Motor Co. paint blocks, cabbed and slabbed – yes, a tad bizarre) to “Einstein Stone” (yep – we’re talking paving stones from the front of Kramgasse 49, Albert Einstein’s family home – truly bizarre) to other more “normal” gem materials, including the finest colored stones, pearls, diamonds, etc….

 

Here’s my hit parade list of companies I plan to visit once inside the GJX tent. Again, I will walk by every exhibitor in the tent to make certain I don’t miss anything new and exciting. If you see that I have missed one of your favorite companies exhibiting in the tent, please do not hesitate to tell me why I should add them to my stop-and-see list.

 

Here you go, in row order (GJX Rows go from left to right, as opposed to AGTA’s rows which go from front to back…. Well, you’ll figure it out.):

 

Pacific Pearls - booth # 107

            Fuji Voll has a great selection of pearls.

Gem Essence - booth # 109

Joseph Menzie - booth # 111

Nebert - booth # 131

            Idar quality. Nice selection of goods.

Baggins - booth # 142

 

Roger Frost - booth # 207

Herco - booth # 215, 314, 315

Black Star Trading Co. - booth # 219

STS Jewels - booth # 222, 322

Manak Jewels - booth # 230, 330

            Diamonds - Old style cuts, beautiful high karat
                 gold/diamond jewelry.

Noor Gems Japan - booth # 232, 332

 

 

Dowdy Boulder Opal - booth # 301

            Great selection of, yep - boulder opal.

Cody Opal (Australia) Pty. Ltd. - booth # 305

            The Cody brothers… great Australian brothers
                   and great selection of opals.

G.E.M. Namibia Ltd. - booth # 306

            Great selection of spessartite/mandarin garnets.

Bonita Pearl - booth # 307

Absolute Opals & Gems - booth # 319

            Opals from Lightning Ridge.

 

Peter Muller Carvings - booth # 400

Ballerina Pearl - booth # 402

NEOART PERU - booth # 406, 506

            Big “ruby” carvings / sculptures.

Yavorskyy Co., Ltd. - booth # 407, 507

            Great quality.

Lehrer Designs - booth # 410

            Superb gem artist. Carved sapphires.

Nice Gems - booth # 427, 527

 

August Mayer - booth # 520

 

R.H. & Co. - booth # 628, 728

            Great selection of turquoise and coral.

Manoel Bernardes - booth # 629, 729

            Great selection of Brazilian goods.

 

Rough & Ready Gems - booth # 700

            Lots of briolettes!

Pacific Coast Pearls - booth # 703

            Tish and Wes Rankin with natural Abalone pearls.

Peter Carroll Opals - booth # 704

            Lightning Ridge opals.

Kaufman Enterprises - booth # 715

            Excellent gem cutter, great selection.

 

Ben Sabbagh Bros. - booth # 801, 901

            Great selection of Brazilian goods.

Down to Earth Opals - booth # 803

            Peter & Vicki Drackett from Lightning Ridge.

Golconda LLC - booth # 804

            With the name Golconda, this should be interesting.

A.G. Color - booth # 806, 906

            Great quality tanzanite.

Allerton Cushman & Co. - booth # 810

            Tom Cushman has Madagascar gems and talks Fair Trade.

                And he wears a bow tie!

Chan-Fraser Design - booth # 816

Etienne Perret - booth # 826

 

Rolling Stone Co. / Nouveau 1910 - booth # 1004

            Beautiful enamel and gem jewelry design.

GAJ Gem Art - booth # 1011

            Gemstone globes.

Eickhorst Systems - booth # 1012

            Your gem-lighting expert.

Opalos & Artesianias Mexicanas - booth # 1022, 1122

            Great selection of Mexican fire opal.

Pink Stone International - booth # 1028, 1128

Prijems - booth # 1032, 1132

Gary Wilson - booth # 1035, 1135

            Great selection of unusual gem materials, including Fordite!

 

Tremac Pty. Ltd. - booth # 1101

Ande Jewelry & Mineral Co. - booth # 1108, 1109, 1110

            Mounds of sunstone, and topaz.

Pillar & Stone International - booth # 1127

            Top quality and Burma experts.

Moldavite Mining - booth # 1136

            Must have Moldavite.

 

Acleoni - booth # 1208, 1408

Worldwide Diamond - booth # 1214

            Bob always has something outside the box.

TAJ Company - booth # 1216, 1416

 

Nature’s Geometry - booth # 1414

            Should see some true Paraíba tourmalines.

Leslie & Co. - booth # 1430

            Enhanced topaz.

Coast to Coast Rare Stones - booth # 1436

            Say Hi to Mike, Pat, and everyone… Check out the very rare and unusual.

 

Donald K. Olson & Associates - booth # 151   6, 1517, 1518

            Fun selection of ornamental cabs.

Tarak High Karat Gold - booth # 1523

            I love the look and feel of 22/23 karat gold.

John Dyer - booth # 1530

            How can he be THAT young and THAT good?

                An excellent gem cutter.

 

Perlas del Mar de Cortez - booth # 2003

            Rare and beautiful cultured pearls from Baja California

 

Rogue Gems - booth # 2105

            Nice quality Oregon sunstones. Briolettes.

Jayakody Gems - booth # 2108

 

Chris Price Opals - booth # 2204

            Excellent Australian opals.

 

Morning Sun Jewelry - booth # 2303, 2304

            Gold in Quartz.

Belmont - booth # 2305

            Straight from the Brazilian emerald mine.

Emil Kreis & Co. - booth # 2306

            Idar quality - Nice color, carved tourmalines…

Naturale Stein - booth # 2311

            Brazilian gem materials.

 

Frank Reubel Designs - booth # 3003

Super Bell Jewelry Co. - booth # 3004

 

Nature de Zircon - booth # 3301

            Sounds interesting. They must have Zircon.