Philip Permutt's musings on crystals, crystal healing, life, the universe and everything all contained in one simple blog. Although Philip writes extensively in his books on crystal healing, his Take a Break's Fate & Fortune Crystal Clinic with Philip Permutt monthly column and other magazine articles he still occasionally finds time to write things here!
The Tucson Gem Show is the biggest crystal, gem, rock, mineral and fossil show in the world!
It is a massive event that almost takes over one side of the city of Tucson, Arizona and several outlying areas. To give you an idea of the scale - and that's completely impossible unless you're there to experience it - in the UK a mineral show may have 30 - 80 exhibitors. In Tucson there are around 50 shows (yes, fifty!). There are dozens running at the same time. Some run for over 3 weeks whilst others are only on for a few days. They are held in 5* hotels, motels, resorts, exhibition halls, tents both small and large... very large... very, very large with some "tents" covering several acres! The smaller shows have around a hundred exhibitors and the 5 largest have over 1,000 exhibitors in each!
A few years back, when there were (only!) 35 shows running, someone worked out that if you went around all the shows and spent 5 minutes at each exhibitor, you didn't sleep, eat, or stop to buy anything, then it would take about 5 weeks to go round and see everything. Most of the shows are only on over 2 weeks and I do need to sleep, eat and stop to buy crystals!!
It really is amazing!
So I can hear you thinking "How do you decide which shows to go to?" That's really easy with experience. I've been going to Tucson since 1999 missing only a couple of years. This will be my 21st Tucson Gem Show trip! I have my favourite shows and have made a few dealer friends over the years who I like to spend some time with and find out what's happening around the planet in the rock and crystal world. Then there's always a new show or an old show that's moved to a new location. Sometimes it's confusing when the hotel a show is in changes its name or franchise too.
One such example is the Pueblo Gem & Mineral Show which is named after the hotel it's held in. Before it was the Pueblo it was called the 4 Points show because it was in the 4 Points Hotel, until it changed hands - that's the hotel not the show - and became the Pueblo Hotel. Then a few years back the hotel changed its franchise again and became the River Park Inn. But, this time the show kept its name. So the Pueblo Show is in the River Park Inn... Hope you're following... So now the Pueblo Show, which was in the Pueblo Hotel which used to be the 4 Points, is at the Ramada Tucson Conference Centre (formerly River Park Inn - yes sorry the hotel has been taken over again!) which used to be the Pueblo Hotel, from where the show takes it's name when it changed it from 4 Points what seems like many years ago!! AAAARRRGGGHHH!!! You see the challenge. Also, another challenge is having to walk around in the Arizona winter sunshine, whilst it's mostly cold and snowing and raining and windy and wintry at home, having to look at the most beautiful and unusual things on this planet. Work, work, work... Life can be so tough ;-) Seriously though, the weather can be extreme. Tucson is in the Sonoran Desert, Blazing hot sun in the day, freezing at night, Literally.
I'll be travelling 5,281 miles... each way...
But also remember that I am actually working and will probably spend 80% of our anual budget for stock in 14 days!
We're happy to take special orders. So please feel free to let us know anything you'd like in the way of crystals, fossils and Native American goods and we'll try and find whatever you want.
Fully equiped with face masks, suntan cream, lots of water and ready to rock and roll!