Q&A: 5 Jewelry Designers on Shopping the 2025 Tucson Gem Shows

The Tucson gem, mineral, and fossil shows have been drawing designers, jewelers, lapidaries, and collectors to the Arizona desert every February for decades. 

Now featuring around 40 different shows with talented artisans and vendors, some of whom have been exhibiting since the 1970s, there’s no shortage of material to sift through.

For the casual gemstone enthusiast, that might be part of the fun, but for many established jewelry designers in the trade, shopping the annual shows requires planning ahead.

Four months from now in Las Vegas, they’ll be in work mode, showing finished collections at their booths. 

Tucson is work too, but a different kind—the kind that feels a little bit like play.

I talked to five designers about their approach to taking on Tucson: Jade Ruzzo, Tini Courtney of Handle Only With Love (HOWL), jeweler and designer Vanessa Fernández, Lizzie Mandler, and Lauren Harwell Godfrey of Harwell Godfrey.

Here’s what they’re eyeing this year. 

These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

Lauren McLemore: How long have you been attending the Tucson gem shows?

Jade Ruzzo: This will be my third year attending.

Tini Courtney: The first time I went was 2013. I haven’t been able to go every year, but I am very excited to get back this year.

Vanessa Fernández: This is only my fourth year attending the Tucson gem shows. 

Lizzie Mandler: This will be my 14th year.

Lauren Harwell Godfrey: I started coming to Tucson in 2016, before the launch of my fine jewelry line.

LM: When you head to the shows, are you mostly looking for something for a client/commission or for your brand collections, or is it a bit of both?

Ruzzo: It’s definitely a bit of both. I’ll be sourcing for my upcoming collection, various one-of-a-kind pieces, as well as some client commissions.

Courtney: It’s definitely a combination of both commissions and collections. The gem show this year falls at a perfect time where I am in the process of creating my big collection for Couture, so I will definitely be on the lookout for materials to incorporate.

Fernández: When I arrive at the show, I pour all of my attention into my private clients first and foremost; they are my top priority! As the week progresses, sales are made and the bulk of my clients are taken care of, [so] I begin to shop for my studio inventory.

Mandler: A little bit of both. Tucson is an amazing and unique opportunity to expand your horizons and discover. For me, it’s an important way that I stay inspired, to see new things and discover, or rediscover, things I don’t get to see on a daily/weekly basis. But, I am also always hunting for at least a handful of custom projects as well.

Godfrey: It’s a bit of both. I create one-of-a-kind pieces for both my clients and to pepper into my collections, and Tucson is the perfect place to source amazing one-of-a-kind gemstones.

LM: As a designer, is the preparation for a gem show like this different than for a trade show like Couture or JCK? 

Ruzzo: Definitely. The nature of the shows are very different. At Tucson, it’s a creative experience, sourcing stones and getting inspiration for future pieces. I try to be organized beforehand with a list of specific things I’m looking for, but I also like to leave a lot of space to just discover.

Courtney: For me, it’s much different. At Couture, I have a very specific mission: displaying and showcasing my newest collection. At a gem show like Tucson, I can attend with a very open mind, meeting new vendors, visiting old ones and, most importantly, gaining a massive influx of inspiration.

Fernández: Yes, absolutely, it’s totally different for me. A trade show like Couture is incredibly demanding of me in the studio and in the sense that I am in preparations for several months beforehand.

During this time, I’m creating a new body of work for what might be the most important presentation of the year to the wholesale market. 

For an event like the Tucson gem fairs, I am focused on my private clients. They are my priority, and I prepare them about a month in advance. More aggressively, with design and projected purchases, two to three weeks in advance of the shows. It’s important that when I get to the gem fairs, I have a game plan and that my clients and I have a focus. Otherwise, it’s overwhelming and chaotic for everyone. Preparation is key for any show, regardless of whether it’s Couture or Tucson.

Mandler: Attending Tucson is vastly different than Couture for me. At Couture, I’m a vendor, I’m required to do a certain amount of work. While Tucson is technically work, my primary “job” there is to be inspired and to make connections. To find new goods and vendors, as well as seeing vendors from around the world that I’ve worked with for a long time. Vegas is fun, but Tucson is a different kind of fun for me.

Godfrey: Yes, because with a trade show [like Couture], I come with fully realized collections. Part of the magic of Tucson is discovery and inspiration, so while I show up with a specific shopping list, I also bring loose ideas and an open mind.   

LM: Do you play it safe and stick to the same vendors/dealers each year, or do you find that it’s important to explore and venture out to new booths, shows, tables, etc.?

Ruzzo: I think it’s super important to explore and venture out to new vendors and booths in order to keep growing and developing as a designer. I never want to get “stuck” in a comfort zone, and I love how endless the possibilities are once the right stone finds its way to you.

Courtney: Exploration is a big part of the gem show for me. I’m always open to new opportunities.

Fernández: Sticking to my same vendors is more so about loyalty and trust. I work very closely with B&B Fine Gems and Poli Trading, because we’ve built a relationship over the years. I’ve really enjoyed growing with both companies and the way they have both been unwavering in their support of that growth. 

That being said, I love discovering new sources, and I also work closely with Nomads, China Stone, Arnoldi, Eliko Pearl, Esmeralda, Gem 2000, and Asba, just to name a few. It’s important to maintain business with my favorites but also very important to explore. You never know what you’ll find!

Mandler: While I always go see my tried-and-true vendors in Tucson, it is also an important opportunity to find new vendors and see their full catalogue of goods. It’s a very unique sourcing opportunity, which is hard to achieve outside of trade shows. I always look at it as the perfect opportunity to expand my Rolodex. I spend most of Tucson doing a lot of “window shopping” and not necessarily buying on the spot. 

Godfrey: I do a bit of both. For the super high-end stones, I tend to stick with my known and trusted vendors, but I also dedicate time to the smaller shows, finding new resources and purchasing more price-point stones. I have found some real gems (pun intended) and developed long-term relationships with many of those people.

LM: What’s on your gemstone wish list this year? Is there anything you expect to be a challenge and if so, what makes it a challenge?

Ruzzo: I am really interested in deep red garnets right now, so I’ll certainly have my eye out for those. I’m always looking for unique and interesting cabochon-cut stones as well.

Courtney: I am excited about incorporating some bigger colored stones into my work. My biggest challenge truthfully is being as efficient as possible for the short amount of time I have.

Fernández: My gemstone wish list this year is for vibrant chrysoberyl material, soft pastel pink and lavender spinels, garnets (all colors), rough turquoise and anything exotic, or anything that strikes my eye as beautiful and unique. 

I expect that we’ll see higher prices across the board, not as much with diamond, but with fine color and pearl, no doubt.

Mandler: Other than a few projects for clients, I’m not looking for anything super specific this year, but I am always on the hunt for beautiful and unique bicolor tourmalines for our fluted pieces.

Godfrey: Opals are always on my wish list in Tucson. I am also hoping to find more zircon after buying some great specimens last year. I’d also love to try to find some pearl drops; it’s a shape that’s becoming harder to find.