Have you been to the Tucson Gem Fair? This February (2022) was my first time. With my cousin Andrew as my guide, and Uncle Charlie making recommendations, we took in the following shows:
As a family, we visited the 22nd Street Show and Oracle Road wholesalers.
Eyes open for natural crystal specimens that would fit in a kid's palm and not break the bank, I found all of the dazzling gems, tables of beads, unique jewelry, giant specimens, and masked crowd seriously overwhelming.
 
I did find some gems though (pun intended). Sylvester Mushingwa had Quartz clusters (some with Citrine), natural dodecahedron Garnets, and Chrysocolla - all from Erongo, Namibia (where he is from).Â
Then I picked up a little bit from here and there to create a Tucson 2022 collection. Check it out here.
Some delights? Rocko somehow always choosing the most expensive thing to want, which I couldn't afford; dude has expensive tastes. Joy needing a diaper change and ducking behind the food trucks to change her. Joy starting to do what tired two-year olds do and flail around and try to grab everything - to the horror of the gem vendors.
Better delights -
- Rocko really getting into the science of it all while playing in the interactive exhibits at the Mineral Museum as Joy was rolling around on the ground (later realized she had just grown a new molar in - must have been really uncomfortable).
- Meeting really cool people who share my passion.Â
- Catching up with one of my all-time-favorite cousins.
- Seeing how cool my uncle is (I knew it, but it was rad to see everyone come visit and catch up with him - he's like the gem show prom king).
 