Shop the Tucson Gem Shows Like a Jeweler

By Victoria Gomelsky | January 21, 2026

There’s only one way to shop the Tucson gem shows—with a wide-open mind.

That’s the takeaway from two recent conversations we had with Tucson veterans who are returning to the Arizona desert next month to shop for color.

Jade Ruzzo ring — *Cymbal ring in 18k yellow gold with 16.47 ct. brown zircon, price on request;* *Jade Ruzzo*

“The first year I went expecting to load up on all my production-type stones,” designer Jade Ruzzo, who’s on the brink of her fourth Tucson experience, tells JCK. “I’ve slowly learned it’s really about discovery and one-of-a-kind pieces, not for rent-and-repeat stones. The vendors I need for all my production pieces I have in New York.”

“I know the things I’m looking for in terms of the silhouette they’ll go into, but because so many of my pieces are clean and minimal, it’s all about discovery,” she adds. “Last year was red and I’m still really in a red era. And I’m always looking for greens and interesting neutrals.”

While Ruzzo is keen to check out zircons, especially in lighter champagne-colored tones, she’s excited to see the shows’ selection of red-hued gems, especially Malaya and spessartite garnets, not as substitutes for ruby but as desirable gems in their own right.

Jade Ruzzo earrings — *Amelia earrings in 18k yellow gold with 18.58 cts. t.w. Malaya garnets and diamonds, $21,400;* *Jade Ruzzo*

“If I wanted a ruby, I would just get a ruby,” Ruzzo says. “There’s something about the tone of a garnet that has less pink in it that I find more flattering. It’s deeper, warmer, it’s juicy, cozy. A lot of my designs are anchored in those words.”

As far as pricing is concerned, Ruzzo is bracing for increases. “We’re going into the show with an organized list of price-per-carats that we paid last year for stones,” she says. “I’m worried that vendors will be gouging and calling it tariffs.”

For Tini Courtney, the designer behind HOWL (Handle Only With Love) in Los Angeles, the gem shows are an opportunity to fall in love. “The magic and beauty of the gem shows is the inspiration I get from wandering around and being exposed to all this beauty in different forms, sizes, and colors,” she tells JCK. “When I’m too focused on specifics, I miss so much.”

HOWL Stella mandarin garnet spinel ring — *Stella ring in 18k yellow gold with 1.35 ct. Mandarin garnet and 1.31 cts. t.w. violet spinels, $11,200; HOWL*

The AGTA GemFair and GJX show are Courtney’s main stomping ground in Tucson. “I’m obsessed with Nomad’s at GJX—they’re out of control with the way they display, the quality and colors,” she says. “But I’m not stuck on anything. I love meeting new dealers.”

This year, Courtney is leaning toward pastel colors for a forthcoming collection she describes as “old-world elegance with a tropical twist.” She’s also on the hunt for one of Tucson’s less ubiquitous gems: diamonds.

“I’m getting out of my comfort zone in the diamond world,” Courtney says. “I haven’t really explored the yellow and brown world yet, so I’m excited to see what that will look like.”

Top: Nomad ring in 18k yellow gold with 2.36 ct. Mandarin garnet, $15,800; HOWL