Treasure Hunting: Gems, Stones, and Building Rock
November 20th 2006 14:57
This is an article I did for Stone Industry News last year, after Tucson. It is still pertinent, perhaps more so, seeing as Tucson is right around the corner again. Government here has been doing a lot to disrupt regular business, in its attempt to put everyone on the dole, to make us dependent, but perhaps the 3 british poodles blair howard and bush are finally going to get what they have coming....we can hope anyway.
Good News From Tucson For the Building Stone Industry
http://www.stoneindustrynews.com/resources/articles0306d.html
March 2006
By Bill Gallagher
Hachita, New Mexico
Tucson Arizona is legendary for its annual Rock and Gem show event, an extravaganza of Gemstones, Fossils, Minerals, and Jewelry, from all over the world. This annual meet is the common ground for a facet of the stone industry which is dynamic and ever changing, and therefore alive with opportunity. That is the subject of this article, and if your interest has been stimulated, read on and enjoy.
All industries develop and change over time, and because of the basic usefulness of stone, it is a fair prognostication that the stone industry will never run out of things to do. As I explored the 2006 Tucson Rock and Gem Show I considered all this and more. There are definite trends noticeable, especially when considered over the last ten years or so. These new trends are the result of other, past trends, and are of course very clear in hindsight.
A lot of the processing of small gemstone creations, such as beads, cabochons, and faceted stones, has been sent overseas and/or automated, so that a massive overproduction has resulted, which spells drastic loss for the companies involved. A lot of this has happened in China, and I saw beads and cabs that initially brought good prices being sold for $25.00 a kilogram, a giveaway price. The overproduction of cultured pearls is nothing less than astounding, and smaller fossil specimens are being mined in vast quantities everywhere, so that objects which used to bring many dollars, now bring but a few, if that.
The most noticeable trend to me, in the craft-lapidary industry, is the movement towards the large, or even gargantuan in scale: I saw Quartz Crystals from Brazil this year that were over 6 feet tall, and many petrified wood logs exceeded 20 feet in length and were polished entire: basically, the appeal to the interior design industry is very evident. Many stone dealers are also beginning to cater to artisans and craftspeople who work within the building industry, to supply such accoutrements as fountains, fancy archways and the like, especially involving prestigious and custom architectural projects.
The fossil industry, such as the Fossil and Mineral Co-op of Tucson, which was displaying at the new and very well appointed BGMS show (www.beaudrygem.com), has definitely accepted the challenge of appealing to various markets, and has provided many building products totally unexploited as of yet. Another company at the same show, R.L. Lapidary of Reno Nevada, deals exclusively in large hand-cut and polished sections of petrified wood of very high quality and color. His particular type of petrified wood rivals natural wood in color, grain, and figurals.
One of the most interesting innovations in the building stone industry which I have seen recently is the company Door Jewels, who are premier manufacturers of a very exclusive line of door knobs, handles, and drawer pulls which incorporate several patented processes, as well as 15 different gem materials like jade, amethyst, chrysocolla, and much more. This unique hardware is available in 4 separate metal finishes, and the company can be reached through their website doorjewels.com. Let them know you read about it in the Stone Industry News!
During my quest through the many attractions of Tucson 2006 I saw things such as hand carved fountains from giant blocks of serpentine, dinosaur track flagstones, and a selection of rough materials that would interest any specialty builder. While some dealers are lamenting the bad news of overproduction or market shrinkage, the building stone industry in Tucson seems to be catching on, and the news for anyone building with stone, or utilizing stone in monumental projects is good, and deserves serious consideration.
For more information about the Tucson Rock and Gem show, visit
www.tucsonshowguide.com/tsg
Good News From Tucson For the Building Stone Industry
http://www.stoneindustrynews.com/resources/articles0306d.html
March 2006
By Bill Gallagher
Hachita, New Mexico
Tucson Arizona is legendary for its annual Rock and Gem show event, an extravaganza of Gemstones, Fossils, Minerals, and Jewelry, from all over the world. This annual meet is the common ground for a facet of the stone industry which is dynamic and ever changing, and therefore alive with opportunity. That is the subject of this article, and if your interest has been stimulated, read on and enjoy.
All industries develop and change over time, and because of the basic usefulness of stone, it is a fair prognostication that the stone industry will never run out of things to do. As I explored the 2006 Tucson Rock and Gem Show I considered all this and more. There are definite trends noticeable, especially when considered over the last ten years or so. These new trends are the result of other, past trends, and are of course very clear in hindsight.
A lot of the processing of small gemstone creations, such as beads, cabochons, and faceted stones, has been sent overseas and/or automated, so that a massive overproduction has resulted, which spells drastic loss for the companies involved. A lot of this has happened in China, and I saw beads and cabs that initially brought good prices being sold for $25.00 a kilogram, a giveaway price. The overproduction of cultured pearls is nothing less than astounding, and smaller fossil specimens are being mined in vast quantities everywhere, so that objects which used to bring many dollars, now bring but a few, if that.
The most noticeable trend to me, in the craft-lapidary industry, is the movement towards the large, or even gargantuan in scale: I saw Quartz Crystals from Brazil this year that were over 6 feet tall, and many petrified wood logs exceeded 20 feet in length and were polished entire: basically, the appeal to the interior design industry is very evident. Many stone dealers are also beginning to cater to artisans and craftspeople who work within the building industry, to supply such accoutrements as fountains, fancy archways and the like, especially involving prestigious and custom architectural projects.
The fossil industry, such as the Fossil and Mineral Co-op of Tucson, which was displaying at the new and very well appointed BGMS show (www.beaudrygem.com), has definitely accepted the challenge of appealing to various markets, and has provided many building products totally unexploited as of yet. Another company at the same show, R.L. Lapidary of Reno Nevada, deals exclusively in large hand-cut and polished sections of petrified wood of very high quality and color. His particular type of petrified wood rivals natural wood in color, grain, and figurals.
One of the most interesting innovations in the building stone industry which I have seen recently is the company Door Jewels, who are premier manufacturers of a very exclusive line of door knobs, handles, and drawer pulls which incorporate several patented processes, as well as 15 different gem materials like jade, amethyst, chrysocolla, and much more. This unique hardware is available in 4 separate metal finishes, and the company can be reached through their website doorjewels.com. Let them know you read about it in the Stone Industry News!
During my quest through the many attractions of Tucson 2006 I saw things such as hand carved fountains from giant blocks of serpentine, dinosaur track flagstones, and a selection of rough materials that would interest any specialty builder. While some dealers are lamenting the bad news of overproduction or market shrinkage, the building stone industry in Tucson seems to be catching on, and the news for anyone building with stone, or utilizing stone in monumental projects is good, and deserves serious consideration.
For more information about the Tucson Rock and Gem show, visit
www.tucsonshowguide.com/tsg
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