Quartzsite and Tucson, What a fun trip! It was a learning experience being my first time because I didn’t really know where to go first or what is considered “a truly good price”. But I guess you have to pay for an education one way or another. 
Amazingly I think I actually got almost everything that I was looking for, but I truly was a girl on a mission. After all was done and spent it is a definitive fact that I am a woman attracted to fire and flash – Labradorite, Ammolite, Moonstone and I discovered Spectralite too, and of course my first love, Opals; Boulder Opal, Ethiopian Opal and my surprise acquisition, Australian Opal.
I say surprise because although I Love Australian Opals they are really pricey so I was not expecting to buy any. But I equate my attraction to opals to maybe the way an alcoholic is to a gin and tonic. I see the booth and say to myself “stay away” but then I think “I can just look, what’s the harm?” Well the harm is a super nice guy and boy what a sneaky sales person, he kept waving those sparkly, irresistible beauties in front of me even as I was saying “No no, I can’t afford them, I’ve spent all my money”. Well the clincher was when he said “Just take them with you and pay me later.” DARN HIM! I started shaking and got an immediate headache and took 3 pairs home.
On the non flash side I also picked up Turquoise, Bumblebee Jasper, Chrysocolla, Garnet and Citrine. Another upside to the trip was making contacts and establishing a rapport with a few dealers so I can order things throughout the year. Next year I will be more focused on what shows I know I want to go to; Pueblo, and Jogs and a couple we were too early for that I would have liked to attend, AGTA and GJX.
Amazingly I think I actually got almost everything that I was looking for, but I truly was a girl on a mission. After all was done and spent it is a definitive fact that I am a woman attracted to fire and flash – Labradorite, Ammolite, Moonstone and I discovered Spectralite too, and of course my first love, Opals; Boulder Opal, Ethiopian Opal and my surprise acquisition, Australian Opal.
I say surprise because although I Love Australian Opals they are really pricey so I was not expecting to buy any. But I equate my attraction to opals to maybe the way an alcoholic is to a gin and tonic. I see the booth and say to myself “stay away” but then I think “I can just look, what’s the harm?” Well the harm is a super nice guy and boy what a sneaky sales person, he kept waving those sparkly, irresistible beauties in front of me even as I was saying “No no, I can’t afford them, I’ve spent all my money”. Well the clincher was when he said “Just take them with you and pay me later.” DARN HIM! I started shaking and got an immediate headache and took 3 pairs home.
On the non flash side I also picked up Turquoise, Bumblebee Jasper, Chrysocolla, Garnet and Citrine. Another upside to the trip was making contacts and establishing a rapport with a few dealers so I can order things throughout the year. Next year I will be more focused on what shows I know I want to go to; Pueblo, and Jogs and a couple we were too early for that I would have liked to attend, AGTA and GJX.
