Tucson Gem Fair
The epicenter of jewelry and gemstones is right here right now. The sheer variety of gems has been mind-blowing. The miners were gathered at Electric Park with tents and oil barrels filled with rough stones. On the other end of the spectrum, the designs in the couture section of the convention center were astonishing.
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| Jasper | Jasper |
You may notice on the edge of the barrel there is a squirt bottle. It is to show a potential buyer what the stone will eventually look like once it has been polished. A very effective and quick before and after! I spritzed the red stones on the right so you can see a difference. Cool, right? To see these fossils in person and not in some museum was such a privilege. Can you believe the size of this Smokey Quartz?
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There were loads of designers and people who wanted to know how they could come onto HSN to share their wares with you. I know our Buyers are going to work their magic to bring you the most intriguing varieties of stones and styles.
I ran into Colleen Lopez and her son at the hotel and exchanged stories about all the treasures we had seen!
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| Me and Colleen Lopez |
We have some Tucson inspired shows coming up and a big Jay King visit for Valentine’s Day!! Can’t wait to shop with you!
Wish you were here!
Xo,
Shivan
[...] Tucson Gem Fair | HSN BlogsTucson Gem Fair. Submitted by Shivan Sarna on February 9, 2010 – 3:00 PM31 … [...]
Shivan,
Is there any easy tips to tell if a stone is genuine? I have heard that if the stone is cool to the touch that it is the real deal. Is that true?
Hmmm – great question! If a stone is cool to the touch initially, it could still be a synthetic or glass. There is no foolproof quick test that I know of at this time. I will as my friends at the Gem Institute if they know of any.
Hi Shivan;
Love that you are working on your GIA! I’d love to do it because I love ALL gemstones! My daughter, daughter in law and other girls in the family come to visit and go through my jewelry collection!!!(Usually taking something to wear somewhere!) Could u pass along to Sally C?? (or the buyer?) Please ask her if she could make more bracelets to match those masterpiece creations she makes! I wish you could be on at night so we could learn from you! Thanks!
I have passed on your request to the Buyer!
Hi Shavan:
Just love to watch your jewelry shows they are the best!!! Have a favor to ask when it comes to Absolute jewelry can they make the vermeil less orange looking?? I have several rings and I am uncomfortable to wear them because they look so fake…Would really appreciate any help you can give on this…
Best Regards
Hi Shivan, I have enjoyed your pictures from the Tucson trips. I appreciate that you come back with stories to share so it seems like I have been there with you, without the jet-lag. It is amazing to me how those large rocks are turned into wonderful creations. Nature made them beautiful, but it takes imagination and hard work to get the finished product. I look forward to you showing them to us. You really are a gem!
I appreciate your authentic enthusiasm, professionalism, and breadth of knowledge.
I have 3 product requests and 1 personal question.
1. Provide gram weights for precious metals
2. More modern gem settings
3. More quartz, in all of its natural shades
I’d like to pursue formal gemological education, leading to a degree or certification. Would you kindly provide suggestions for doing so?
Thanks for your time.
Thank you for your requests Beth. I have passed them on to the Buyers. If you are looking for formal training in gems, I do suggest the Gemological Institute of America. They are easily found online. Best wishes!
Hi Shivan!
What wonderful photos! I just read that you are an expert in gems. I’m not surprised! Love your shows. Would enjoy seeing you more.
I also have a stone missing in my Nicky Butler ring and need info to get it replaced. Also, why do we not get appraisal values on Chaco Canyon and Studio Barse items? They are always important to have and keep with invoice for items purchased. Really like you as a show host with the jewelry etc.
I hope you reached out to our Customer Service Department for the Nicky Butler ring. I will look into the appraised values for the two brands you mentioned..stay tuned!
Shivan,
I have a NIcky Butler ring that I just love, but one of the stones fell out and
it is gone. Does hsn or Nicky Butler’s company do repairs? Do you have any
suggestions?
Thanks!
I hope you contacted our award-winning Customer Service Department…
I am a petite lady who loves drusy. My problem, is the pieces available are way to large for me.. Please, bring in smaller pieces…
Shivan,
Your blog is so very interesting!! I am getting very intersted in gems and studing them on my own.
I was wondering if you could do me a favor and give Dianne Gilliam a message for me??!! Her Todays Special before this one was black and indigo butcut jeans for $39.90. After four wearings, the top snap just came off and got lost. Would you please ask her if there is a way to get that size from her for those particule pants?????! For months and months I have had NO luck with HSN helping.
Hmmm…first about the jeans – I hope you returned the pants! That would be your best bet. Diane doesn’t usually repeat Today Specials. I hope you were able to return them or save them in some way.
Now about your gem studies – fantastic! Keep me posted!
Shivan – thanks for the pictures from Tucson. I agree with Janice, you and Jay are great together. It is nice to hear what experts have to say about the stones we buy. Keep the info coming.
Shivan
I love watching you interact with Jay, your as knowledgeable as he is. I love his jewelry and would like to buy most of the pieces but alas I have to watch my budget. I wish you were on in the afternoon so I could see you more often, as I work during day and catch you sporadically. Keep up the Great work and information.
Shivan, I am so excited for the show!!! I wish someone would cut off a big hunk of that smokey quartz and put it in a necklace…I would buy it in about 5 seconds!! I am a newbie to HSN and have only purchased two technibond rings so far (from you!) and I absolutely adore them…..they are unlike anything I have seen anywhere else, and believe me I am always looking! I love jasper and don’t see it often enough so I can’t hardly wait to see what HSN comes up with! Keep up the great work!!!!
Wow Shivan! It was so amazing to learn that the stones have to be wet in order to see how they will look polished! Were there a lot of new and yet-to-be-named stones that you discovered at the show? You are such an expert…..I am sure you know them all. I loved the fascinating pictures you took of all these raw jaspers…..I especially loved the picture of you and the smoky quartz! Can’t wait for you to sell me some new and wonderful discoveries on the Tuscon inspired show!
Enjoy your jewelry shows. You share a wealth of information. Really enjoyed recent Tuscon gem show. I bought the moldavite ring and it is an oh-so unique piece. The tiered design is beautiful. What struck me at first was the very large moldavite that is rarely if ever seen in this size for this price; so much so, that didn’t notice diamonds at first however while being mesmerized by its beauty, noticed the extreme sparkle and thought oh my god it has beautiful diamonds. Thanks for your savvy.
You have great taste! That Moldavite ring was a winner. The Diamonds were a nice extra!!! I agree 100%
Awesome pics! Oh man I want to go to tuscon soo bad. My sister went one year and said it was amazing. Thanks for the great report Shivan!
I enjoy watching your shows! You share so much of your knowledge with viewers. I like knowing so much about the jewelry I purchase from HSN.
Congrats on getting certified. I have wanted to do it all my life but could not afford the expencive classes. I rely on people like you to pass along info as you are pretty knowledgable. Good job.
Oh my gosh! What amazing stones! I’m staying tuned in and can’t WAIT to see what you’ve gotten for us! I’m watching you right now – you are so FUN!!!
Glad you are back, Shivan. It is always a treat when you share your experiences with us. Thanks for keeping me in the know and for being the one in the know. You are refreshing.
Been looking forward to your Tucson Gem show – nobody describes jewelry as well as you. I almost feel as if I have it in front of me. Makes it very easy for me to get exactly what I want.
Thanks so much for bringing us some great jewelry.
Can’t wait to see the Jay King items for the Valentines Day! The red jasper looks spectatular! You Rock On today!
Cant wait to see what jems you have uncovered for HSN!
I cannot wait to see the Jay King items.
The photos of the Tuscan scenery are amazing.
I want to see when you will be on the air again.
You are really the only one I still watch.
Thanks for your ongoing training and the way you feature the beautiful gems.
Ms. Beacon