Please don't miss the Today's Special Value tonight at midnight. It is a fabulous piece with many of my favorite stones-turquoise, lapis (which is that deep rich blue with golden flecks), boulder opal, elongated fresh water cultured pearls, citrine, garnet, pink quartzite, and crystal quartz. It is for the true gem lover, fashionable, bold and colorful. .
We contacted each of the major gem dealers a couple of months before the Tucson Show to see what gemstones they would be premiering. We were able to see samples of the stones and order in advance for the show. Two new colors of transparent opal from Peru will be premiered-one is a fabulous soft green accented with green sapphires and diamonds. The blue opal reminds me of the early morning sky at the beach when you see a mix of soft blue, wispy clouds, and just a touch of green from the ocean. FlaGM, be sure and let me know which is your favorite.
Apatite is a wonderful rare blue stone that QVC has been offering for quite a while, but only in small sizes. One of our stone dealers discovered an opaque variety of Apatite that is rich in color and quite large. This color is truly amazing and reminds me of the color of the Ionian Sea near the island Corfu in Greece.
Our master carver produced a beautiful double carved crystal quartz backed by lapis lazuli. The sculpted maiden appears to be floating in the clouds and is a true work of art.
Please keep an eye out for the advance order pieces. Allison and I found these stones at the Tucson and were able to obtain enough rough and polished stones for QVC. A new, deep green jade discovered in Siberia will be premiered in a large cabochon ring surrounded by another rare stone, Russian Diopside. Leopard opal was recently re-discovered in Mexico. It was believed to have been known by the Aztec but disappeared for centuries. Leopard opal is a most unusual gemstone with a base of fine grained volcanic rock (Basalt) with precious opal scattered throughout the stone.
Bright hot pink gemstones are extremely rare and seldom can we find enough in the quality and quantity for QVC. One vendor had a single parcel of hot pink Spinel which we immediately bought. Don't miss it, there aren't many of them.
Don't miss the Rutilated quartz cats eye ring. The Rutile (a major ore in titanium) needles are a rich orangey, goldish color. Be sure and move the ring in a circular motion to see the eye open and close.
WOW, so many new, unique stones.
Show Host Nancy Hornback travelled to the Tucson Gem Show with us. I asked Nancy to give me her thoughts on the show:
“As a corporate presenter (pre- pre-QVC), I had the opportunity to attend several different types of trade shows both nationally and internationally, and the Tucson Gem Show has officially replaced CES (The Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas) as my all-time favorite show!
There was color everywhere! Deep blues, vibrant purples, golden yellows, passionate reds, and shimmering pinks emerged row after row, tent after tent, building after building - it was as if the earth had opened and presented its treasures to us right there in Tucson, AZ! And in way, it had. These gems had made their way from every corner of the globe: Russia, India, China, Australia, Brazil, Africa and, the good old U.S. of A.(just to name a few). My eyes were popping, my head was spinning and I could barely breathe! (Thankfully, my travel partners, Peyton & Allison (Q gem buyer) understood my plight and helped me through my first gem show experience.)
Once I settled in on the beauty around me, I began to see past the gemstones to the people who bring them to us. For instance, Janice from China. Her father began as a gem cutter as a young man and has since become a master gem carver! Or how about Professor Karfunkle from Brazil, who spoke so passionately about Larimar (a new gem for me). And who could forget Marty from the Kingman Mines in Arizona, a real-life miner and Turquoise expert. What a delightful cast of characters!
I want so much to divulge the brand new gem finds that Q is bringing to you; but, you'll have to wait...sorry! Thankfully, we had a great crew (Mike, Kyle & Andrea) to capture our experience at the Tucson Gem Show! So be on the look out for our adventures on February 17th and on QVC.com.”
Nancy
Take care, Peyton
PS: QPrincess, I do live in Richmond, VA and come up to the office every Monday and go home on Friday. Kaplan206, thanks for the vibes, mother is stable.
Blogs & Forums
