Tucson Rock and Gem Show

                                           

In February I was lucky enough to attend the Tucson Rock and Gem Show.  It was great to again peruse the vast displays of fossils, gemstones, minerals and other rockhound treasures.  (The gem show had a set back during Covid just like everyone else.)  The above photo shows an assorted display of fossils mostly from Oregon. I bought a few specimens for myself and for gifts.  The display below is of dinosaur bones. It's hard to believe that fossilized dinosaur bones are so beautiful and reasonably priced.  Too bad my suitcases were too heavy to take on any more than the smallest pieces.

There were also large crystal displays with affordable specimens and some that were beyond my pocketbook.  They were nice to look at though but definitely too big and heavy to fit into my suitcase.

I really admired this small crystal cluster and knew that I had room for it in my carry on bag, but my husband convinced me that there was no way that we'd get it home unbroken. Next time I'm bringing lots of tissue, bubble wrap, and more MONEY!

I did buy some gemstone strands like these turquoise, chrysoprase, and larimar (center strand).  My plans are to find a pendant for the larimar beads and make some jewelry with the other pieces.  This is just a very small portion of what I came home with....I didn't want visual proof of my addiction. There were a lot of great bargains in finished jewelry, beads and specimens.  The HM Ben Franklin employees who attended the Tucson Rock and Gem Show were assigned the difficult task of purchasing items.  The new items will be appearing soon in the Rock Locker Box and the bead department in some of the BFC stores.  I hope you'll go and check out the gorgeous displays and maybe purchase something for your own collection. Be aware that rock collecting is addictive.... believe me, I know!