SourcingFeb 15, 2023
AGTA, Rio Grande Announce Partnership SourcingFeb 22, 2023
Stephen Dweck Takes Tucson … For the 40th Time
The designer gave National Jeweler a behind-the-scenes look at his gemstone explorations at the Tucson gem shows.
In late January and early February, Stephen Dweck was on his 40th trip to the Tucson gem shows. The designer shared his favorite finds with National Jeweler from the anniversary pilgrimage.
Tucson, Ariz.—Attending the annual Tucson gem shows is an essential pilgrimage for many jewelry designers.
Seeing so many gemstones from such a high concentration of dealers provides a fountain of inspiration.
To understand just how important Tucson is for brands, consider the imaginative Stephen Dweck, who has continued to visit for four decades, no matter how bursting his coffer of gems.
Stephen Dweck’s Signature Designs Are a Love Letter to Gemstones
Seeing so many gemstones from such a high concentration of dealers provides a fountain of inspiration.
To understand just how important Tucson is for brands, consider the imaginative Stephen Dweck, who has continued to visit for four decades, no matter how bursting his coffer of gems.
Stephen Dweck’s Signature Designs Are a Love Letter to Gemstones
Stephen Dweck hand-carved watermelon tourmaline, faceted pink tourmaline and diamond earrings in 18-karat yellow gold ($29,275)
Boulder opal, green tourmaline, red sapphire, emerald, pink tourmaline, and white diamond pendant set in 18-karat yellow gold ($19,985)
Hand-carved pink opal, Laguna agate, black hair rutilated quartz, pink tourmaline, and diamond earrings in 18-karat yellow gold ($7,975)
Necklace with 119-carat hand-carved lavender moon quartz, 138 total carats of opal, and 3.6 total carats of diamonds in 18-karat gold ($74,495)
Earrings with tanzanite, hand-carved kyanite, and diamonds in 18-karat gold ($19,985)
The designer known for his love of unique and carved gemstones filled National Jeweler in on his Tucson 2023 journey, providing pictures of his hunt for the most captivating colors and shapes.
Read his diary of highlights below as seen at AGTA Gem Fair Tucson, GJX, the G&LW Holidome, and more, as the designer marked his 40th visit to the desert.
Stephen Dweck: This trip to the Tucson gem shows is my 40th time here. I love the desert! I’m always inspired by the landscape, rocks, and colors.
SD: The intensity of these Paraiba tourmalines and fire opals (above) is mesmerizing. Of course, I bought some! I love to mix stones together in unexpected ways.
SD: Every single stone tells a story!
SD: I bought a bunch of these strands of lapis beads to bring home. Lapis is a tried-and-true material for me—something I’ve been working with for decades. Lapis can look ancient, but with a great mix of earthy stones, it can be modern!
SD: Here is some amazing pyrite in natural quartz. It’s just a fascinating material that I always buy! It looks like two materials have collided.
SD: This material is fantastic, it’s ammolite. It’s the opalized surface of the ammonite nautilus shell, which is millions of years old! It looks like an exotic rainbow.
SD: I bought the whole lot of these sapphires! A major organizing of color has to take place before I begin the design process.
SD: Emeralds represent the planet and love. I love, love, love emeralds—of course I bought some!
SD: Pearls are my weakness. These were so dreamy and have such life to them. I always end up buying strands of pearls that I love.
SD: I selected a few of these star sapphires to take home.
SD: It’s a journey to look through all these stones but it’s worth it!
SD: I bought a lot of unheated sapphires from this selection. Such spectacular cuts and colors!
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Sourcing
The Latest
IndependentsOct 14, 2026
Retailer Hall of Fame 2026: Coleman and Mitchell ClarkFourth-generation jewelers Coleman and Mitchell Clark exemplify the best qualities of their predecessors: humility, modesty, and confidence.
FinancialsOct 14, 2026
LVMH’s Jewelry Brands Turn in ‘Very Good’ Performance in Q3 Tiffany & Co. continued its full-scale store renovation project while Bulgari’s high jewelry collection generated “record-breaking revenue.”
Events & AwardsOct 14, 2026
Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference Releases 2026 ProgramThis year’s sessions feature leading voices from human rights, legal, and conservation organizations.
Brought to you by
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionExperience gemstones with greater precision and comfort than ever before.
MajorsOct 13, 2026
David Webb Owner Purchases Lugano JewelryThe high-end jewelry retailer was sold to private investment firm Middle West Partners and a group of longtime clients.
Weekly QuizOct 08, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Lab-GrownOct 13, 2026
Stephanie Gottlieb Takes Lab-Grown Diamond Collection WholesaleThe jewelry designer has partnered with Sofer Jewelry to distribute her 85-piece lab-grown diamond collection.
IndependentsOct 13, 2026
Retailer Hall of Fame 2026: Sean DunnDunn, this year’s Single-Store Independent inductee, is passionate about innovation and telling the story of natural diamonds.
Brought to you by
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSubmit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.
AuctionsOct 13, 2026
Christie's Geneva To Auction 'Bulgari Pink' DiamondThe 24-carat fancy intense pink diamond ring could fetch up to $18 million at the November sale.
IndependentsOct 13, 2026
Greenwich St. Jewelers’ New Candle Smells Like HomeThe “Island Jewel” candle honors New York City and Puerto Rico and raises money for the island’s water relief efforts.
TechnologyOct 13, 2026
GemFind Is a New JA Member Benefit Partner The partnership will give JA members access to preferred pricing, exclusive benefits, technology solutions, education, and resources.
SurveysOct 09, 2026
These Will Be the 10 Busiest Days for In-Store Shopping This Holiday SeasonStores should expect to see the most customers on Nov. 27, and Christmas week is expected to be hectic too, as Dec. 25 falls on a Friday.
CollectionsOct 09, 2026
Elisa Solomon Collabs With Serendipity 3 on ‘Frozen Hot Chocolate’ CharmThe charm, our Piece of the Week, features brown diamond frozen hot chocolate topped with white diamond whipped cream and a ruby straw.
AuctionsOct 09, 2026
8-Carat Blue Diamond Goes Unsold at UK Jewelry Auction The top lot of Elmwood’s recent fine jewelry sale in London was a 1.84-carat, D color Tiffany & Co. solitaire diamond ring.
WatchesOct 09, 2026
Movado to Sell Majority Stake in Ebel for $66.5MThe watch company agreed to sell a 95 percent interest to a group comprised of F.P. Journe, Chanel, and Swiss watch exec Pierre Jacques.
Policies & IssuesOct 08, 2026
Third Wave of IEEPA Tariff Refunds Begins This round of tariff refunds is for importers that have sued over IEEPA tariffs in the Court of International Trade and won.
CollectionsOct 08, 2026
Brent Neale’s New Collection Goes ‘Back to Basics’It revisits the brand’s most requested silhouettes, from "Pillow"-set necklaces and bracelets to "Signature"-set rings and earrings.
Events & AwardsOct 08, 2026
Pattons Fine Jewelry Sweeps Local Design ContestAra Chanakian, a jeweler at Pattons, took home top honors in every category at Jewelers of Louisiana’s annual jewelry design competition.
AuctionsOct 08, 2026
Reba McEntire’s Jewelry, Watches Head to Julien’s AuctionsThe live charity benefit sale in Nashville will also feature gowns, boots, and other memorabilia from the country music legend.
Supplier BulletinOct 08, 2026
Overnight Mountings’ Bridal Builder Helps Jewelers Turn Custom Design into a Hands-On Selling ExperienceSponsored by Overnight Mountings
Policies & IssuesOct 07, 2026
The Plumb Club Amplifies Its Voice as Geopolitical Pressures MountThe supplier organization recently joined JA and JVC to have more input on political issues affecting the jewelry industry.
CollectionsOct 07, 2026
Blue Nile, Royal Asscher Collection Highlights Natural Diamond BeautyBlue Nile, a Signet Jewelers-owned brand, is now Royal Asscher’s exclusive licensed retailer in North America.
CollectionsOct 07, 2026
4 Standout Pieces in Audemars Piguet’s First High Jewelry Collection “Royal Oak” pays homage to the brand’s most popular watch model using 18-karat gold as well as diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires.
MajorsOct 07, 2026
Empire Safe & Vault Promotes Juan Morales to CEOAs part of the transition, Joseph Nicosia has stepped into the role of COO.
SourcingOct 07, 2026
AGTA Extends Deadline for 2026 Spectrum Awards EntriesParticipants now have until Oct. 14 to complete their submissions.
CrimeOct 06, 2026
6 Charged in Connection to String of New Jersey Smash-and-GrabsThe alleged thieves used crow bars and sledgehammers to smash into jewelry stores across the state.
ColumnistsOct 06, 2026
Sherry Smith: Is the Consumer Really Trading Up?Ahead of the holidays, Smith urges jewelers to take a hard look at who’s buying jewelry, what they’re purchasing, and who’s stopped buying.
