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Gem shows in Arizona rarely disappoint, but there’s one fair in particular that many gem geeks look forward to attending: the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) GemFair Tucson, which takes place annually at the Tucson Convention Center.
While the early-February fair usually runs from a Tuesday to a Sunday, this year’s edition opens on Monday, February 2, and runs through Friday, February 6. But the schedule isn’t the only new element the show has to offer; there will be a roster of new seminars and speakers to educate and inspire, a bounty of new gems to dazzle showgoers on the GemHall floor, and a bevy of newly made and antique jewelry designs upstairs from exhibitors in the Grand Ballroom. Service exhibitors like labs and trade associations will be present in the Galleria, and guests will no doubt see many familiar faces throughout every section of the show.
As usual, all AGTA show exhibitors and members adhere to the strictest criteria for transparency and ethics so clients can “Buy with Confidence, Sell with Confidence” — the nonprofit group’s tagline and de facto mantra.
This year also marks another, less popular first: a GemFair Tucson operating under the trade tariffs that US President Donald Trump recently implemented. In spring 2025, Trump unveiled his “Liberation Day” package of taxes on many US imports, including jewelry and loose gems. While the move’s stated intention was to make global trade fairer for US firms, increase US revenues to pay down the deficit, and bring manufacturing back to the States, the effect on AGTA dealers and their customers has been expensive and threatened livelihoods.
To that end, AGTA leadership spent time in Washington, DC, last year educating legislators about the natural-gemstone industry and the origins of the products that AGTA members sell. AGTA’s goal: to eliminate the tariffs entirely on loose gemstones.
Those challenging behind-the-scenes activities have paved the way for what Tucson attendees will see, hear and spend at the fair. Here’s some of what the show has in store.
Dynamic discussions
AGTA’s Dynamic Seminar Series takes place Tuesday and Wednesday, February 3 to 4, in the convention center’s new wing. The American Gem Society is sponsoring the talks, which total 12 hours of learning. One of the most consistently popular seminars is the one that Stuart Robertson and Brecken Branstrator — respectively the president and editor in chief of GemGuide publisher Gemworld International — lead every year. This year’s talk will highlight colored-gemstone trends and prices.
Meanwhile, journalist and author Richa Goyal Sikri will share anecdotes from her book No Stone Unturned: The Hunt for African Gems, including events relating to the beryllium diffusion scandal of the early 2000s, when the undisclosed use of that heat treatment on sapphires and rubies disrupted the market. Other speakers include gemologists Vincent Pardieu and Wim Vertriest, gem cutters Rodney Rahmani and Dalan Hargrave, and more leaders in the trade.
Tariff talk
AGTA CEO John W. Ford, Sr., and board president Bruce Bridges will lead a discussion about their efforts to eliminate tariffs. Speaking at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, February 4, the pair will detail their journey toward that goal, which is now making headway. AGTA enlisted bipartisan lobbyist firm Hecht, Latham, Spencer & Associates in Washington last year to help them navigate the political scene, while key US senators and House representatives led a letter-writing campaign to Trump to lobby on AGTA’s behalf. These legislators educated the administration on gems’ origins — most stones come from outside the US — and showed the market impact of loose gemstones: Based on government data, these goods end up being a net export, as the domestic manufacturing sector they supply ultimately ships out the resulting jewelry and polished gems.
Trump recognized the challenges of the gemstone industry in Annex III of a September 5 executive order and agreed to exemptions, but only if deals were negotiated with each country of origin. AGTA has undertaken that task. The organization “is confident in its approach and sees progress being made,” says Ford.
Super-rare and fine gems
Collectors are finally realizing that a range of colorful gemstone possibilities exists, unaffected by the issues plaguing white diamonds. The influx of synthetic diamonds — which are banned for sale at GemFair Tucson — has led to plummeting prices for natural and lab-grown diamonds alike. Meanwhile, consumers who are in the know see the beauty and inherent value of natural colored gemstones. As a result, sales of high-end and super-rare gems are seeing an upturn.
Among them are fine emeralds, like the award-winning suite from Oren Nhaissi of EMCO Gem in collaboration with Yaron Nhaissi. The set took first place in the Pairs & Suites and Best of Show: Cutting Edge categories at the 2025 AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards. Paraiba tourmaline and fine rubies are collector’s items as well, as are unheated gems like sapphires and specialty stones like alexandrite. Many of these gems have taken home Spectrum awards in recent years, underlining their one-of-a-kind status and a lasting value that’s as high as their appeal.
Alternative rocks
Given the increasingly high prices of Big Three gems and spinel, traders have started turning their attention to other stones. Think tourmaline, garnet, zircon and tanzanite — the first two of which are starting to see prices climb and availability drop.
Jeweler Alex Šepkus is exhibiting finished pieces with orange garnet and rubellite tourmaline in the Grand Ballroom, and Omi Privé will have rainbow moonstone, another favorite among high-end dealers. Color-change varieties of spinel and zircon are also of interest, as are ombré gem layouts and finished designs.
Show attendees can find examples of the latter categories at Kimberly Collins’s booth; don’t miss her Lake Tahoe necklace, with its blue-to-green gradient of sapphires. “I’ve sold three right off my neck!” the jeweler declares.
Also in the mix are meticulous layouts of calibrated gems, including many varieties and shapes from New York-based supplier Shanu G. The company’s principal, Rohan Agrawal, calls his innovative offerings “secondary” to his main business: custom orders for clients. “Our layouts are an example of what we can do,” he explains.
Parties galore
Gem dealers and their friends know how to have fun. From the opening-night Toast to Tucson Party on February 2 to the AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards Gala on Thursday, February 5 — both happening in the convention center’s recent addition, which is accessible through the Granada entrance — there are plenty of opportunities to let loose.
Anyone with a GemFair badge, which is mandatory to bring, is welcome to attend Toast to Tucson on Monday from 6 to 8 p.m. The affair will feature an open bar and hors d’oeuvres. The party’s sponsors include Jewelers Mutual, Lee Collins Gems, Intercolor USA, Manak Jewels, and Rapaport.
Thursday’s Spectrum gala will start with cocktails at 6:30 p.m., a champagne toast at 7:15 p.m., and the ceremony and dinner at 7:30 p.m. Celebrity stylist Michael O’Connor will once again serve as emcee for the evening. Tickets are $165 apiece and are available for purchase on the AGTA website on a first-come, first-served basis. Sponsoring the gala are philanthropist Allan Norville and family, Jewelers of America (JA), Shelly Sergent of the Somewhere in the Rainbow Collection, and suppliers A. Kleiman & Co., Omi Gems, and Commercial Mineral Company.
Main image: An aerial view of the AGTA GemFair. (AGTA)
