In the Desert, Amidst Stones and Light
Every year for the past twenty years, I have traveled to the Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase in Tucson, in the heart of the Arizona desert.
Tucson is a special place. Surrounded by the almost lunar landscape of the Sonoran Desert, with its century-old saguaros and that clear light that makes everything sharper, the city has hosted the world's largest gathering dedicated to minerals and gems for over half a century.
For two weeks, suppliers from all continents set up shop there: hotels converted into showrooms, endless tents filled with geological treasures, warehouses where time seems suspended.
I'm going to Tucson to choose the stones that will shape the year's collections. I don't buy by trend; I buy by vibration. Each stone passes through my hands. I observe it against the light, looking for its depth, its inclusions, its small imperfections that make it unique. I'm interested in those with character, those that tell a story.
What I'm looking for is not just color, but tension, contrast, a possible conversation with the brass worked in the workshop.
Choosing stones is an exercise in intuition and responsibility. I think about how they will interact with the metal, how they will rest on the skin, what emotion they will awaken when someone wears them. Each selection is the beginning of a story that doesn't exist yet, but is already starting to take shape.
After twenty years, I still feel the same mix of emotion and respect walking through those fairs. Because deep down, every collection starts here: at a table of stones in the middle of the desert.
