In my last blog entry, I talked a bit about what I am planning on buying / not buying during my upcoming trip to Tucson. I’ve now contacted most of the gem dealers I work with to see what’s new, what they will bring, etc.
Starting with my shipment from Madagascar: it will arrive on 1.19. My friend Jochen Hintze from Jentsch Minerals is bringing it – he’s passing through on his way to Tucson. If you want to visit his booth by the way, he will be at the Inn Suites from 1/27-2/8. He doesn’t sell faceted stones, however.
I will be getting a box of chrysoberyl, a box of sapphire, and a box of grandidierite. All are part of a trade. My friend Irene from Antsirabe needed some funding last summer to prepare and deliver a shipment of calcite to a French/Malagasy couple that was selling them in Denver and Tucson. Irene needed an ox-cart, an oxen and some men to transport the material, as well as labor to cut the rough into egg shapes and other shapes. I sent the money via Western Union and expressed the offer to trade for gems. So with your purchase of any of these, you will have directly funded a small business enterprise and helped a family in Madagascar.
Not yet Processed Chrysoberyl
I’ve also talked with my friend Dudley Blauwet. He has worked up some more of his older kornerupine rough which I plan to get. I’m especially hoping for 3.5-4mm sizes. The more reddish Burmese spinel are nearing the end but there are more pinkish ones still, and a LOT of sapphire, which I’m always excited about. There will be a little more of the Afghani emerald and Dudley is also enthusiastic about a new lot of pink sapphire/ruby. There will be mostly rounds, 3-3.5mm, all Madagascan material, no heat. I received a photo but it’s not a very good one so I’m not going to publish it here. Also, with more experienced gem dealers that know me well, I can work by description only, the photos, in the end, don’t add any informational content.
Chrome Beryl with Red Burma Spinel
Afghani Tourmaline with Red Burma Spinel
There will also be a tiny amount of small cobalt spinel, I’ve asked for that to be held for me and I plan on grabbing that right away. Listings for that should be up on the 31st or 1st.
Paraiba tourmaline will also be available. I just got off the phone with those sellers and they are in the process of grading a new batch. I am going to go on Tuesday 23rd to inspect it – before it ships to Tucson.
I hope to be picking up a few pieces of lagoon tourmaline later this week, to be listed on the weekend if I have time.
What I have NOT been successful with is hauyne. I have contacted the dealer but not heard back. And I don’t know where else to look. Dudley had some, but it has ALL been bought at this point. There was a dealer in GJX from whom I got quite a few two years ago, but last year he wasn’t there. It’s a seller who usually trades in Vietnamese goods (spinel mostly) but last year they didn’t have enough material to bother with the trip.
Our Tucson sale starts Sunday 28th but expect some listings to show up earlier.
Finally, if I may, it would help us a lot if you could fill out the questionnaire we are sending out. We’d like to get as much information as possible before we start spending our hard earned funds, so that we don’t end up getting our cash stuck with purchases that don’t move. So even if your own kitty doesn’t allow it this time around, it would help us to know what interests you most. The toughest and riskiest decisions for any gem dealer are what to buy and what to leave alone, even if we like it ourselves. Once your money is traded for gems, you’re stuck with what you have and you HAVE to try to sell it!
Afghan tourmaline super close up (not yet listed, 6x4mm in size)
That’s it for me folks. A news blast is scheduled next week to officially announce the sale (so if you read this blog you are ahead of the game!), other than that you’ll have to stay tuned to Social Media and the shop to find out what’s new. We will do our best to keep you informed as we head for 14 hr working days (and hopefully a trip to Tombstone) in the less frigid Tucson.
(Picture of the lavender sapphires I am hoping to buy in smaller colors and other shapes, i.e. round).
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