By Cynthia Unninayar

Once a year, during the month of February, the desert city of Tucson, Arizona becomes the prime destination for gemstone and jewellery buyers and designers from around the world.

Like an alphabet soup for the gemstone industry, the AGTA, GLDA, and GJX attracted thousands of gem dealers and buyers—as well as an increasing number of jewellery designers—from around the globe. While these three shows were strictly for the trade, the rest of the city opened hotel rooms, tents, trailers, and just about everything else to the public, where thousands of collectors, connoisseurs, and the simply curious could shop for a wide variety of gemstones, minerals, fossils, beads, pearls, rock sculptures, and jewellery. If it was related to rocks and gems, Tucson displayed it during the month of February. Add to all this the prestigious by-invitation-only Centurion jewellery show that took place in one of Tucson’s most elegant resort hotels, and you have the entire range of the gem and jewellery industry represented in one rather convenient—even if a bit spread out—city.

Renewed Optimism

With optimism that the challenging international economic crisis may finally be over and a recovery is in the wings, expectations at all the shows were hopeful yet realistic. The Centurion show was among the first on the Tucson calendar and served as a kick-off event for prestige retail jewellers and their suppliers. In a complete mood turnaround from the doldrums of last year, the ambiance at this private show, now in its ninth year, was incredibly upbeat. Anecdotally, the hallways were crowded, the booths were busy, and the vast majority of exhibitors expressed joy—yes, joy—at the results, both in contacts made and in sales. According to show president, Howard Hauben, “The sold-out Collection Floor, featuring more than 100 salons, was busy for all of the three show days, providing a marked contrast to the 2009 show, which suffered from a holiday 2008 that for many better retailers was the worst they had seen in more than 60 years. This year, store attendance surged by 14 percent to 206 retail operations. But the attendance wasn’t the only thing that spiked.

According to reports from mostretailers and exhibitors, 2009 was more of an aberration and, at Centurion 2010, the stores were back to the full-year planning and re-stocking missions.” New to Centurion this year was the Emerging Designer Awards contest, where six winners were given display space at the show. They represented diverse facets of fine jewellery design from around the world, and offered retailers a look at new approaches and new faces.

Increased attendance—and optimism—was also seen at the AGTA (American Gem Trade Association) GemFair. Officials indicated that a total of 8,176 registered buyers attended the event, an increase of 7 percent over last year. “We were encouraged to see an increase in the number of buyers at GemFair and the enthusiasm they brought to the show floor,” said AGTA CEO Douglas Hucker. “We had steady traffic each day of the show, and the buyers were serious about restocking their inventory in a wide variety of gemstones and pearls in all price points.” He went on to comment, “Economic times have dictated a change for jewellers who may not have considered colour before to now take a second look as they search for products in a range of price points that offer a good turn on margins.”

Exhibitors at the three gem trade shows indicated that buyers were serious this year, but several also said that they used 2009 to revaluate their strategies. AGTA exhibitor, Paula Crevoshay, for example, known for her bold colourful jewellery, explained, “When gold topped $1000 an ounce, I went through my older pieces that didn’t reflect my current work, and melted the gold down. Starting afresh, I am concentrating on my major pieces, many of which are natureinspired.” Part of her new strategy is the creation of a multi-media presentation for her retailers called the “Colors of Humanity,” which integrates her jewellery with images of scenery and people from the nations where she sources her gemstones. Set to tribal music, her voice-over gives words of empowerment along with descriptions of her creations—an inspiring cultural voyage into the world of gems and jewellery.

Trends in Gems

Just about every type and every colour of gemstone was seen in Tucson, so it is hard to say that there were really any definite “trends” as such. Having said that, however, an informal survey of exhibitors and visitors indicated that red and pink spinel continued to be very popular. Niveet Nagpal of OMI Gems explained that while the company is known for ruby and sapphire—and sold a good amount of that at the show—they really sold a lot of spinel, along with alexandrite, as well as other rare and unusual stones.

Tourmaline was another buyer favourite in Tucson, probably due to its availability in a full spectrum of colours, although pink and red seemed to be the most demanded, followed by mint green. Andrew Rosenblatt at Akiva Gil, however, displayed some stunning Paraiba tourmaline, both loose and set in lovely pieces of jewellery, which drew a lot of interest.

With the “new luxury” in jewellery calling for relatively less expensive gemstones to be used in interesting and unusual designs, aquamarine and peridot as well as the “common” stones of garnet and quartz, including citrine and amethyst, were said to have sold well. But we certainly can’t count out emeralds, rubies, and sapphires, especially the blue sapphire, which seemed to be perennial choices. Myriam Naftule Whitney of NAFCO, explained, however, that while spinel is one of their best sellers, they are also seeing a huge interest in natural, untreated orange sapphires, while their calibrated diamond-cut and princess-cut sapphire melee in every colour also found interested buyers.

Tribute to Campbell Bridges

Probably the best-attended event during the Tucson shows was a special tribute to the late Campbell Bridges during the annual International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) reception on February 3, co-sponsored by GIA and AGTA. GIA’s Robert Weldon gave a moving presentation of the life of this well-loved and respected discoverer of tsavorite in photos and in words. The Bridges family, including Campbell’s wife Judith and their children, Bruce and Laura, as well as many family members and friends flew into Tucson to attend the tribute. Bruce Bridges’ emotional remembrance of his legendary father included the tragic details of the last moments of his life when Campbell was slain—and Bruce was seriously wounded—by a group of illegal miners who attacked them near the Bridges’ famous tsavorite Scorpion mine in Kenya. Bruce also thanked the ICA for its collective efforts to rally support of the international gemstone community in efforts to seek justice for Campbell and prosecution of the known perpetrators, one of whom was arrested the day after the ICA reception. A story to be followed…