Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase – January 31 – February 15, 2009
For two weeks every winter, the world meets in Tucson as it becomes a bustling, international marketplace of buyers and sellers at the Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase.
The “Gem Show” is much more than a single event at one location. Rather, there are thousands of participants and attendees at nearly 50 sites around town. Dozens of shows take place at the same time – in giant white tents, at hotels and resorts and at exhibit halls.
There’s something for everyone at the many open-to-the-public shows – from gold and diamonds to granite bookends and glass beads, and from fine specimens of dinosaur fossils to opals dug from the Australian Outback.
The main event of this two-week showcase is the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show which packs downtown’s Tucson Convention Center over the final weekend. This show attracts thousands of treasure hunters from every corner of the globe and is open to the public. There are displays from renowned museums and private collections along with over 250 mineral, gemstone, jewelry and fossil retail dealers. It also features hands-on exhibits only for school children.
Most of the gem and mineral shows around Tucson are free and hours vary.
