Tucson Day One

So now I'm back to the real world and the intensity of the Tucson Gem Show. Actually I should say shows as there are over 30 gem, mineral and fossil shows happening over a two week period. Dealers from everywhere and buyers mostly from the US come here and haggle, cry, yell and weep over a few beautiful things and so many god awful things you wouldn't believe it. So here are a few things I managed to photograph before I got lost in the maelstrom of simply looking at treasures of the earth. I've tried to photograph things I thought were interesting and avoided those(most) that were boring.

When is too tall simply too tall? A 12' amethyst geode?

When is too tall simply too tall? A 12' amethyst geode?

Last year I bought 10 lbs of these magnetic "hematite" beads. Not enough. At $4 a pound they seemed pretty reasonable but this year I got 25 lbs for $3 a pound. Excellent. I wonder how much it will cost to ship them home.

Last year I bought 10 lbs of these magnetic "hematite" beads. Not enough. At $4 a pound they seemed pretty reasonable but this year I got 25 lbs for $3 a pound. Excellent. I wonder how much it will cost to ship them home.

When is too big too big? When it's a quartz crystal that won't fit in your trunk.

When is too big too big? When it's a quartz crystal that won't fit in your trunk.

This is just the first day and this is a very small tent. Things can only get bigger.

This is just the first day and this is a very small tent. Things can only get bigger.

These qualify as medium to large amethyst geodes. I'm not sure how I feel about the person who came up with the idea to put them on tripods that almost look natural.

These qualify as medium to large amethyst geodes. I'm not sure how I feel about the person who came up with the idea to put them on tripods that almost look natural.