Tucson Gem Show Tips & Spotting Crystal Fakes

The Tucson Gem Show is one of the largest gem shows in the world, held every year in Arizona.

There are vendors from all over the world, selling all kinds of crystals and it really is pretty magical. I mean, it's pretty amazing to see all of the different things that are available.

So, I wanted to share with you some of the things that I'm doing behind the scenes right now to prepare for my trip to the Gem Show!

Packing Practicalities

I always like to make my packing list for the trip to make sure that I'm nice and organized before I go. I pack things like packing tape, and rolls of tape because I want to make sure that I can wrap everything up nicely and get it home safe and sound. I also pack some Sharpies for labeling things, some pens, and some little notebooks like this one.

Notebooks are honestly one of your best friends in Tucson!

You think you're going to remember things like what you bought, where it's from, how much you paid for it, and who the vendor was that you bought it from in case you want to buy more next year. But it's so hard to remember after the busyness of the show really sets in, so taking a notebook along with you to keep track of these things can be super helpful.

So these little notebooks are perfect for every time I'm there and I make a purchase. I write down...

* What the minerals are that I bought

* How much I paid for them

* The location of where they're from (if I know)

* The vendor's name, as well as where the vendor was located at the show

That way, I can review my notes from last year if I want to go back next year and find something similar because a lot of the vendors will have similar things from year to year.

Wardrobe Winners

You also should plan to dress in layers because you will be in the desert. So it can be really cold in the mornings, pretty warm by the afternoon and then everything else in between.

You can expect a little bit of everything in terms of the weather, so I'd recommend that you pack in a way that you'll be prepared, come rain or shine.

Also, comfy shoes are a must for me! As much as I want to be cute and stylish, I have to be comfy because you do so much walking there.

A note on accessibility: - Many parts of the show are accessible if you use a wheelchair, a scooter or other mobility devices, although some areas are not as user-friendly. A lot of the aisles can be really narrow and very, very crowded with people. So if you do use a mobility device, just look for areas where you'll be able to navigate more easily because, unfortunately, the way some of the vendors set up the tables is not very easy to work around.

Budgets & Bargains

I like to make sure that I have a budget in mind before I go to the Gem Show. How much do I want to spend? Once you get there, it is so easy to overspend on things.

That's another reason that I take these little notebooks with me. At the end of every night that I'm at the show, because we're only there 4-5 days, I total up what I've spent for that day on cash and credit cards. If you have cheques or traveller's cheques, it's good to include that as well. That way, you'll know what you're spending, and you can try to stay within your budget.

It can be tempting to go overboard when you see things you really like! To allow for this,