Tucson Rock and Gem time again, from the end of January until well into the month of February tens of thousands of people involved in minerals, rocks and gemstones flock to Tucson for the annual three weeks of trade shows. During this time the buyers and the sellers need to be housed, fed, and entertained, in addition to the countless hours everyone spends going from one show to another, visiting with friends and going to dinner parties, it is a whole world apart for many individuals in this line of work.

Several people post updates about the Tucson show, like Jolyon Ralph of MinDat.org or John Veevaert of MineralShows.com.

The set of show reports we like the best are the ones from the ladies of the Los Angeles Natural History Museum.

Assoc. Curator Eloise Gaillou, work-study student Caroline Im and Collections manager Alyssa Morgan (3/4 of team L.A. County)

In these three blog entries, Elouise, Caroline and Alyssa share with the general public the life of three los angeles museum workers during the Tucson show. Though, I am pretty sure no mention of the cramped sleeping quarters are mentioned.

The first report is on the AGTA and GJX gem shows

http://nhminsci.blogspot.com/2013/02/tucson-part-1-gem-shows.html

This is the bracelet I’d do terrible things for. Red Beryl and Montana Sapphires. Ouch.

The next blog entry is about the various mineral shows around the Tucson area, from the Inn Suites (Hotel Tucson) to Riverpark and onwards to some of the more…less visited areas of the Tucson Gem Show.

http://nhminsci.blogspot.com/2013/02/tucson-part-2-hotel-shows.html

There were neat pyrites from Merelani, Tanzania, with interesting morphologies. Roy Foerster, Gem and Mineral Council Treasurer bought us a flat of them. Thanks Roy!!

Then, finally, the BIG show, the Tucson Gem and Mineral Society Show at the Convention Center, which caps off the whole event. A behind the scenes look at one of the important parts that makes the TGMS so legendary, the display cases.

http://nhminsci.blogspot.com/2013/02/tucson-part-3-main-show.html

Not to brag or anything, but you KNOW my team here in LA walked away with the GRAND PRIZE for professional educational exhibits

So, while other show reports talk about what minerals are new, why prices are so high and so forth, these reports give you a much better look into the lives of the professionals who make Tucson their home, for a large percentage of their total lives, in the month of February.