48 hours sourcing and treasure hunting in the desert.
This year was my third time attending the Tucson Gem Show, a mind-bogglingly big show that brings jewelry designers together with stone suppliers and manufacturers from across the globe. Together with our Product Development Manager, Kat, I jetted out to the desert for 48 hours of sourcing and treasure hunting.
The main goal was to source gemstone beads for our gemstone necklace collection. Gemstone necklaces are near and dear to my heart. Because stones come from the earth and are not mass-produced, we can only make a handful of each design depending on what we find. And we never know what we’re going to find. It’s a true treasure hunt.
As soon as we dropped our bags at our AirBnB, Kat and I high-tailed it to meet with our top source, a family-run company from Jaipur. I felt like a literal kid in a candy store - we spent several hours sorting through special strands of aquamarine, chrysoprase and chalcedony. It was heaven.
The next day was spent catching up with another trusted vendor who makes our gold-filled chains in the United States. We spent an hour talking about our company’s growth, and how we can support each other this year. I feel so lucky to have such trusted partners.
The remainder of the show was saved for discovery. It’s my favorite part - we don’t have a specific thing in mind; I just know it when I see it. We walked the halls, meeting vendors from Peru to Germany to Hong Kong. I stumbled upon these insanely gorgeous flowers carved from mother-of-pearl shells. Kat and I immediately agreed that they would make amazing charms for summertime, and we bought the entire lot. I also bought hunks of lapis, pyrite and crystals to use as styling elements in our stores.
It was a quick trip, not a sexy one either. We stayed at a humble AirBnB and ate a lot of power bars. Pretty much all work and no play… except the last night with a three-hour laughter-filled dinner at Guadalajara Mexican Grill with our gemstone dealer. I feel so grateful that we get to work with such passionate, fun, and caring partners. I’m excited to share the magic that came from this trip!
