Shiny, Pretty Things

The International Gem and Jewelry Show was in town this weekend.

I haven't been in a couple years, but I'm still on the mailing list, so I thought it might be an interesting outing.

If you are looking for fine jewelry, investment pieces, I would recommend going somewhere else. But if you just want a fun afternoon looking at glittery stuff, this has it's good points.  It's also educational, because a lot of the market is aimed at people who make jewelry, so there are a lot of loose gems around. 

amber - $25 a strand

Jewelry stores have everything locked up, but here, there are tables full of pearls, twisting like lustrous spaghetti. You can learn a lot about semi-precious stones. Particularly how inexpensive many of them are.

blue-gray chalcedony

And if you like working with beads and crystals, this is heaven:

There is, of course, a ton of jewelry available. Jewelry styles at the show range from the modern, to vintage, to south Asian. You can get  a strand of pearls, or a full Indian parure (including ankle bracelets) or Navajo turquoise. It's all available. I would have pictures, but the vendors tend to get upset about people photographing their products.  

Of course I couldn't leave without buying something. 

Amethyst, citrine and gilded metal - $15

Aren't they pretty? And I ended the afternoon with a dozen on the halfshell at Captain Benny's.  If you are ever near the dome at lunchtime, I recommend them highly. It's never a bad time for oysters.

Sadly, no pearls.