DOWNTOWN-AREA SHOWS
1GIGM Show — Globex Gem & Mineral Show
When: Jan. 27 to Feb. 11.
Where: Days Inn, 222 S. Freeway Ave.
Cross streets: Interstate 10 and Congress Street.
Rapa River Gem and Mineral Show
When: Jan. 27 to Feb. 12.
Where: 292 S. Freeway.
Cross streets: Interstate 10 between Congress and Cushing streets.
2Pueblo Gem & Mineral Show
When: Jan. 27 to Feb. 8.
Where: Riverpark Inn, 777 W. Cushing St.
Cross streets: Interstate 10 and Cushing Street.
3GIGM Show — Quality Inn Gem and Mineral Show (formerly Clarion)
When: Jan. 27 to Feb. 11.
Where: 750 W. Starr Pass Blvd.
Cross streets: Farmington Road and Starr Pass Boulevard.
GIGM Show — Howard Johnson Gem and Mineral Show
When: Jan. 27 to Feb. 11.
Where: Howard Johnson Inn, 1010 S. Freeway.
Cross streets: Interstate 10 and 22nd Street.
African Art Village
When: Jan. 28 to Feb. 12.
Where: 1134 S. Farmington Road.
Cross streets: Farmington Road and Starr Pass Boulevard, behind Waffle House.
Tucson Showplace LLC
When: Jan. 27 to Feb. 12.
Where: 1530 S. Freeway.
Cross streets: Interstate 10 and Starr Pass Boulevard.
422nd Street Mineral, Fossil and Gem Show
When: Jan. 26 to Feb. 12.
Where: Corner of 22nd Street and Interstate 10.
5Sonoran Glass Art Show
When: Feb. 1 to Feb. 4.
Also, Flame Off, 7-11 p.m. Feb. 3 ($20) Torchworking competition, beer, wine and food trucks, live bidding, artist MCs.
Where: 633 W. 18th St.
Cross streets: Interstate 10 and 18th Street.
5JG&M Expo; Simpson Street
When: Jan. 28 to Feb. 12.
Where: 601 W. Simpson St.
Cross streets: East of Interstate 10 along frontage road and Simpson Street, near the Tucson Convention Center.
7Tucson Gem and Mineral Show
When: Feb. 9-12
Where: Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave.
Cross streets: Church Avenue and Congress Street.
8Arizona Mineral and Fossil Show
When: Jan. 28 to Feb. 11.
Where: Hotel Tucson City Center InnSuites Conference Suite Resort, 475 N. Granada Ave.
Cross streets: Granada Avenue and St. Mary’s Road.
Fine Minerals International Show
When: Jan. 28 to Feb. 11.
Where: 450 N. Granada Ave.
Cross streets: Granada Avenue and St. Mary’s Road (next to Hotel Tucson City Center).
Granada Avenue Mineral Show
When: Jan. 27 to Feb. 12.
Where: 350 N. Granada Ave. next to Hotel Tucson City Center.
Cross streets: Granada Avenue and St. Mary’s Road.
Granada Gallery
When: Jan. 27 to Feb. 12.
Where: 338 N. Granada Ave.
Cross streets: Granada Avenue and St. Mary’s Road.
WEST TUCSON SHOWS
1Madagascar Minerals Gem Show
When: Jan. 20 to Feb. 13.
Where: 201 W. Lester St.
Cross streets: 10th Avenue and Lester Street.
Oracle Road Just Mineral Event
When: Jan. 29-31.
Where: Elks Lodge 385, 1800 N. Oracle Road.
Cross streets: Oracle Road and Lester Street.
2Arizona Mineral and Fossil Show
When: Jan. 28 to Feb. 11.
Where: Mineral and Fossil Marketplace, 1333 N. Oracle Road.
Cross streets: Oracle Road and Drachman Street.
Executive Inn Mineral Fossil and Gem Show
When: Jan. 25 to Feb. 12.
Where: Fortuna Inn & Suites, 333 W. Drachman St.
Cross streets: Main Avenue and Drachman Street.
Main Avenue Gem Show
When: Jan. 29 to Feb. 12.
Where: 1202 N. Main Ave.
Cross streets: Main Avenue and Drachman Street.
3American Indian Exposition
When: Jan. 29 to Feb. 13.
Where: Flamingo Quality Hotel Ballroom, 1300 N. Stone Ave.
Cross streets: Stone Avenue and Drachman Street.
4Mineral and Fossil Co-op, L.L.C.
When: Jan. 28 to Feb. 12.
Where: 1635 N. Oracle Road.
Cross streets: Oracle Road and Elm Street.
5Arizona Mineral & Fossil Show
When: Jan. 28 to Feb. 11.
Where: Ramada Limited Tucson West, 665 N. Freeway.
Cross streets: Interstate 10 and St. Mary’s Road.
6Tucson’s New Mineral Show
When: Jan. 31-Feb. 6.
Where: 1055 W. Grant Road, in the former Century 16 Theater.
SHOWS AROUND TUCSON
1Miners Co-op Rock Show
When: Jan. 27 to Feb. 12.
Where: Mike Jacob Sports Park; Interstate 10 eastbound frontage Road, 6901 N. Casa Grande Highway in Marana.
2Westward Look Mineral Show
When: Feb. 3-6.
Where: Westward Look Resort, 245 E. Ina Road.
Cross streets: East of Oracle Road on Ina Road.
3The Tucson Bead Show
When: Jan. 30-Feb. 4.
Where: Radisson Suites Tucson, 6555 E. Speedway.
Cross streets: Speedway near Wilmot Road.
4To Bead True Blue
When: Jan. 28 to Feb. 4.
Where: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Tucson at Reid Park, 445 S. Alvernon Way.
Cross streets: Alvernon Way and 22nd Street.
5JCK Tucson
When: Feb. 1-4.
Where: JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa, 3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd.
6Gem and Bead Mall
When: Jan. 30 to Feb. 13.
Where: 2901 S. Fourth Ave.
Cross streets: Fourth Avenue and Old Vail Road.
7The Best Bead Show
When: Jan 30-Feb. 4.
Where: Kino Veterans Memorial Community Center, 2805 E. Ajo Way.
Cross streets: Ajo Way and Forgeus Avenue.
8Kino Sports Complex Gem and Fossil Show
When: Jan. 27 to Feb. 12.
Where: 2500 E. Ajo Way.
Cross streets: Ajo Way and Forgeus Avenue.
9A Bead Carnival
When: Jan. 17 to Feb. 11.
Where: 3301 E. Pennsylvania St.
Cross streets: Palo Verde Road and Michigan Street.
JG&M Expo Michigan Street
When: Jan. 28 to Feb. 12.
Where: 3300 E. Michigan St. next to Holidome.
Cross streets: Palo Verde Road and Michigan Street.
International Gem and Jewelry Show Tucson at the Clarion Palo Verde
When: Jan. 28 to Feb.5.
Where: 4550 S. Palo Verde Road
Cross streets: Palo Verde Road and Michigan Street (register online as buyer or guest at intergem.com)
10JOGS International Exhibits at Tucson Expo Center
When: Jan. 28 to Feb. 8.
Where: Tucson Expo Center, 3750 E. Irvington Road.
Cross streets: Alvernon Way and Irvington Road.
KOA Gem & Mineral Show
When: Jan. 29 to Feb. 12.
Where: 5151 S. Country Club Road.
Cross streets: Country Club Road and Benson Highway.
NOTE: Information subject to change. Check with individual shows for specific information.
For a complete listing of shows go to www.visittucson.org/visit/events/featured-tucson/tucson-gem-mineral-fossil-showcase
If you go What: Tucson’s New Mineral Show Where: 1055 W. Grant Road When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Jan. 31 to Feb. 6 GEOSCIENTIST OUT OF WATER At the 2006 Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase, Marcus Origlieri met a dealer from China who was selling some striking red wulfenite crystals. Origlieri struck up a conversation with the man and decided he would like to import the crystals himself. The dealer offered to show him where to buy some and the two exchanged emails. Not long after, Origlieri was on a plane to China. Upon arrival, Origlieri realized the fatal flaw in his plan: he didn’t fully remember what his new friend looked like. “Are you here from America?” a man asked. “Yeah,” Origlieri confirmed as the man led him to his car. Luckily, Origlieri took the risk on the right man because he ended up at a woman’s house packed with wulfenite. After days of haggling, they landed on a price and Origlieri returned victorious. “I started to think about that I don’t really want to just fly to some foreign country and not know who I’m getting picked up by or where I’m really going,” Origlieri said. “I might not do that again.”
