Went to Gem show, Sunday

Yes, there was a gem and jewelry show at the local convention center and I had to go. Was a bit disappointed in the size and selection represented at this one.

The jewelry: The majority of the jewelry represented was large and heavy looking. You needed to be a woman of a certain age and size to carry off these pieces. There was also alot of amber, especially the creamy opaque white kind. My mental picture of the needed customer is an older woman who lives on Long Island or Westchester, New York. She is either Italian or Jewish and looks like she was an extra on the tv show The Nanny. She checked out the backroom at her local Loehmann's before hitting the jewelry show. Heck she could even be living in Boca! No harm meant, it was just so you could get the mental picture of this stuff they were passing off as rings, necklaces, and bracelets.

Beads: Tons of beads. wood, bone, ceramic, semi-pecious. Pearls, cultivated and dipped in all the colors imaginable. Some very high priced per strand, others not so. The quality also varied so you had to be careful before buying.

I found some of the sellers on the verge of being too pushy. it doesn't help I have an anxiety disorder that can be aggravated by too much stimuli, especially in public places like Walmart....
Everytime I even looked at something and touched what were layers and layers of beads on the tables, they would grab them out of my hand to see the price tag......and scream "For you, i give good price... $5" it got to the point where at one booth were I spent just shy of $90, that if they interferred with me again I was going to put the basket down and walk away. it was too overwhelming for me to deal with. I might of spent more money if allowed to leisurely select my beads amongst the other pushy bead buyers elbowing each other out of the way to dig in a bin.

Crystals: This was my major area of interest. Saddly, the metaphysical catagory was represented by one booth. He got around $30 from me. If he had more of a selection, I would have found more to buy.

Overall my purchases for the day came out to these goodies:

one 9.5" circumference Selenite sphere, varies from milky white opaque to a tunnel through which you can almost see clearly through.

Two pieces of rough Black tourmaline around 1.5" to 2". Couldn't find a sphere for my room nor a big chunk to put in my car (need big chunk so I don't accidently throw it away)

one size 6 wide band sterling silver ring with a very light colored amethyst (most likely from South America I think, usually a deep purple if from Africa)with 6 moonstones set into the sides of the actual setting. It was 75% off, and made a point of getting my attention.......at one point it was mid-air, jumping. lol! True, me no lie.

Two hand beaded red garnet necklaces. One 32" long, the other 35" long. The beads are slightly different on the two, so I can wear them solo, or together.
Strands of beads:

One strand, unknown semi-pecious beads estimated 10mm or 12mm. 41 beads, opaque white with areas of light glowing carved into round roses.

Two stands of beads that match some beads I bought recently locally. Believe they are called pumpkin jade. They are a combination of green, pink and white opaque. Each strand is different than the other in the carved shape. One is a true tear drop shape, faceted. The second stand is close but the shape has been rounded off. almost shaped like upper front teeth, faceted also. have to decide how to combine all 3 styles I have for a multi strand necklace, ala victorian style. Will have to look for a proper spacer bead to tie the look together.

3 strand of tourmaline. each a different size. Smallest close to faceted #08 beads.
the other two are flat but rounded off tear drops, respectively in graduated size to one another. multi-colored strands, From pale pink, rose, and pale green, jade green to a dark almost bluey green. Have some master plan stored somewhere in my head on why I needed so many of the same colored beads. Hope I eventually have time to make the jewelry before the next gem show!

2 doughnuts carved of what looks like rose quartz and the other I'm not sure what it is yet. The base color is milky not clear with a lace of green and blue suspended inside. Very interesting, as you turn it around, and rotate it you see the depth of colors and different compositions within it. I will either use a lucet or crochet a silk cord to suspend them off of to wear as necklaces.

Last but not least 2 chinese zodiac amulet type thingies. Not sure composition, could be faux bone patined with brown to show off carving and leave rest a light tan color. One is year of the Rabbit, for my mom. The other is for me, year of the Mouse (shouldn't it be year of the Rat? oh well, it's still a rodent. lol!)have some grand plan of creating some kind of protection/healing creation of art. Either embroidered down to fabric and/or wired with specific crystals. We'll see.