My trip to the gem show this weekend.

Boy, did I have FUN.  There was an excellent variety of stones this year, some of my old favorite vendors plus some new ones.  I came home with oodles & oodles of new stuff.  The new Chinese faceted crystal is excellent and giving Swarovski some major competition.  They have just as much sparkle at a fraction of the cost & I love designing with them.  I took some pictures at my dining room table, but didn't have my lights set up, so the quality isn't too good, but I'm just too excited not to show you anyway.  A few of the things I got:  Stabilized and natural turquoise, natural magnesite & blue magnesite (dyed to resemble turquoise - a very cost efficient substitute for turquoise and I always mark my items as such & don't try to pass it off as the Real Thing), Fire agate, other agates, lots of fantastic citrine, different jaspers, freshwater pearls, tigereye, blue goldstone, laboradite, amazonite, smoky quartz, rhodonite, black onyx, green turquoise & lots of crystal. I was truly in hog heaven.  I have 3 shows this Fall & need to get busy with my new treasures.