Gem Lovers Converge on Tucson 2016 for Treasures, Reunions
May 5, 2016
Dealers, designers, buyers and other attendees converge in Tucson in early February each year to share their passion for gems, minerals and jewelry – and reconnect with colleagues and friends from around the world. From the AGTA GemFair at the convention center to hotel rooms and tent cities spread across the desert, an extensive array of gem and mineral fairs take over the area. Gem lovers take advantage of the many opportunities to peruse tables of treasures and get an up-close look at old favorites and new discoveries.
The compass pointed north this year for the GIA Alumni Association’s “Party at the Gem Mine: Artic Blast” dinner dance and auction, which has become the best destination in Tucson to reunite with former classmates and friends in the industry. More than 350 guests from 17 countries (the U.S., Brazil, Canada, Columbia, China, Japan, Spain, Portugal, Malta, Italy, South Africa, England, Thailand and more) attended the artic-themed event. Guests mingled amongst polar bear and igloo decorations − and signposts of artic mines − as a video highlighting alumni chapters activities from around the world played in the background.
Beyond catching up with old friends, this alumni event is an opportunity to support the Alumni Endowment Fund. This year’s event raised more than $25,000, which includes more than $14,000 from the silent and live auctions. Seventy items, including loose gemstones and pearls, designer jewelry, mineral specimen, equipment, books and more, were available to bid on. Joseph DuMouchelle and Lindy Adducci, of DuMouchelle Auctions, volunteered their professional services – for the 15th year – to run the exciting live auction.
“A special thank you to all our auction contributors, supporters, event volunteers and attendees,” said Kate Donovan, manager of alumni relations. “And save the date for next year’s bash – Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. We are already accepting donations!”
GIA Alumni Association chapter leaders and senior GIA executives also gathered in Tucson for a leadership forum to discuss chapter ideas, challenges, policy and plans. This annual event makes it possible for attendees to share and coordinate ideas and enhance relationships between chapters for the overall benefit of the alumni association.
Forty-three alumni leaders from 21 chapters (the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Spain and Portugal) attended, along with GIA executives Susan Jacques, president and CEO; Bev Hori, senior vice president of education and Chief Learning Officer; Anna Martin, senior vice president of global development; and Stephen Morisseau, director of corporate communications.
Starla Turner, a longtime alumni leadership council member and immediate past-president of CA – Golden Gate chapter, lead a spirited chapter-to-chapter peer discussion session to share meeting topic ideas and how to engage more alumni with local chapters.
Susan Jacques and other GIA executives meet with alumni chapter leaders from around the globe at the Alumni Chapter Leadership Forum in Tucson.GIA Displays
The GIA Museum and the Richard T. Liddicoat Library and Information Center had exhibits during the gem shows.
GIA’s museum AGTA exhibit “Striking Gold!” featured a number of transparent yellow gem species and varieties on the market, including sapphire, citrine, topaz and more unusual, collector gem minerals. The museum also created a display for the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show (TGMS) to reflect the annual theme, “Shades of Blue: Minerals of the World.” It featured rough and cut stones, jewelry and carved objet d’art and won the award for Best in Show.
The library’s TGMS display, “Providing Access in a Digital World” gave visitors insight into the library’s recent digitization project, begun in 2015. The library staff is working on an extensive project to make many of its rare and historically significant books available online to the public.
Amanda J. Luke is a senior communications manager at GIA. She is the editor of the GIA Insider and Alum Connect and was the editor of The Loupe magazine.
