February 17, 2011
Posted by Tina
…ain’t always gold people! These are just some of the freebies and goodies I scored from my Tucson trip.
AGTA gem postcard. If you’re in the industry, BE a member of this organization!
Diamond shape guide
MJSA journal. Another great organization to be a part of.
I walked up to this booth and they gave me this handy reference publication. Score!
Russian garnets
February 9, 2011
Posted by Tina
…patterns at Balboa Park.
Thank god the gem show is in Tucson, because if it weren’t for that I don’t think I’d ever go back. I was so excited to visit that city and be in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the jewelry industry. But, sadly it was quite the opposite. The town was dead, quiet, and visually uninspiring except for maybe two buildings, cacti, and its desert aesthetic. The gem show however, well, that’s another story! Like I said, thank god for the show. It was AWESOME. My images below don’t even begin to describe the endless amount of vendors.
We visited 3 shows: AGTA, GJX, & Pueblo Gem and Mineral Show. They took us about 10 hours to walk through and even that wasn’t enough time! I could’ve easily spent a whole day at the Pueblo show where vendors took over an entire hotel. Imagine walking down a long, dim hotel hallway where the tiny lights are casting an amber overtone. The hallway ceilings are low and you’re wondering to yourself, “Is someone going to trap me in one of these rooms??” But then you realize each room opens up into a bright, DIY set up of anything and everything! There were rooms dedicated to just turquoise, just corals, just cabochon stones in every variety! Just…ANYTHING! And that’s just the Pueblo show. It was amazing. Ok, sorry to have nerded out on you so hard. If you love stones, minerals, jewelry, or even fossils, you MUST check out Tucson during these two heavenly weeks. MUST.
February 4, 2011
Posted by Tina
Headed to Tucson, Arizona for the weekend for the largest gem/mineral/fossil show in the worrrlddd! This road print top would be the perfect accessory for the trip :)
HAPPY WEEKEND EVERYBODY
February 3, 2011
Posted by Tina
Sapphire Earring
Diamond ring
February 2, 2011
Posted by Tina
Gold torc of the Middle Bronze Age.
Gold torc from the Oxus Treasure.
Sintra gold collar, one of the finest Late Bronze Age neck-ring from Iberia.
All images from 7000 Years of Jewellry. I’ve decided to make it a habit of sharing with you books I check out from the GIA library.
February 1, 2011
Posted by Tina
This is why my eyeballs are going out of whack! School has been filled with hours and hours of tiny detailed watercolor paintings like this one here. That heart gemstone, it’s about the size of a penny. Talk about steady hands.
January 30, 2011
Posted by Tina
Posted by Tina
I’ve been taking advantage of my school’s library, which by the way houses the largest collection of books covering anything and everything related to gemology, jewelry manufacturing, and jewelry design history. Oh, and did I mention it’s open to the public??
These images are from Fashionable Mourning Jewelry, Clothing & Customs.
p.s. check out my hot mess manicure gone wrong!
January 24, 2011
Posted by Tina
If there’s anyone reading this, I’m sorry for the absence in posting. Getting used to a new city, new school, and new people is EXHAUSTING. It’s officially been two weeks since school started. So far I’ve learned how to render gemstones in:
- faceted form
- cabochon form
with:
- graphite
- colored pencils
- watercolor
As for activities, I’ve been:
- dancing
- getting lost hiking in the San Diego mountains
- beach-ing
- eating
- sleeping
Yeah, school is suuuuch a hard life ;) Anywho, hope to update this blog here with a little more school-related stuff because let me tell you, GIA is a pretty damn interesting school with some damn interesting resources. I’ve been describing it as a “mini United Nations stuck in the middle of an old person’s beach town.” Hopefully that puts some kind of picture in your head. Hope y’all had a good weekend!
