Tucson 2012: "Survivor" Meets "Treasure Hunt"

Compared to last year, Tucson 2012 was a pretty mellow, uneventful yet productive show for Bright Star. No record cold temperatures. No endless wind storms. However, the more gem and mineral shows I attend, the more I'm convinced the gem business is really a cross between "Survivor" and "Treasure Hunt". 


The "Survivor" portion occurs by trying to avoid the scams and not getting robbed. Unfortunately, an Oregon sunstone miner had their entire inventory stolen a few days after the GJX show. This was reportedly only $800,000-$900,000 in loose stones and finished jewelry. The International School of Gemology is offering a $1,000 reward for the recovery of these gemstones, etc. More details can be found here.


"Treasure Hunt" occurs during the endless search for good rough rock. A second and again unfortunate reality is Tucson 2012 really didn't produce any significant new discoveries. There were plenty of dealers content to offer the same types of rough. Of course there was a plentiful supply of some of the more popular agates and jaspers but there really wasn't that much new material available.

Two really neat materials that I overlooked last year are the Utah Lace Opal and Atlantasite. 

Lace Opal slightly resembles crazy Lace Agate and is offered in every form imaginable -rough, slabs and finished cabs and jewelry. Bright yellow to orange patterns run through a bright red to crimson background. Aspen Rock and Gem are both the direct miners and distributors. Call Larry or Joyce at 970-250-0178 or 970-250-4094 to try some.

Atlantasite is found only on the island of Tasmania. The miners really must have a sense of humor to name a stone after an ocean on the other side of the world. Purple Stichtite provides a nice contrast to the almost chartreuse yellow or green Serpentine. 

While both of these materials require treatment with some type of polymer to help stabilize them, the results are worth it. The finished cabs are really stunning. 

Need a knife? Need a really nice, custom one-of-a-kind with stone inlay handles knife? Knives were one of the "in" items this year.

Custom knife maker Steve Nolte of Nolte Knives is the guy to see when you want the best in one-of-a-kind cutlery. This was Steve's second year exhibiting in Tucson and he seemed to really enjoy himself. His specialty is using Damascus steel combined with different stones including Turquoise, Agates, Jaspers and even the above mentioned Lace Opal to create the ultimate cutting tools. 

All the knives are sold with a custom leather sheath that often compliments and reflects upon the style of the knife. Steve can be reached through his website http://www.snolteknives.com .

Hopefully, this marks the beginning of regular postings to the Bright Star blog. Sometimes it's a little surprising where all the time goes - 2011 was certainly one of those years.