Review: Seattle International Gem and Jewelry Show March 2007
March 25, 2007

Review:

The last time I went to this show (March of last year) it was one of the biggest I had ever been to. This year it is significantly smaller... not sure why.  It's still probably the biggest show I've been to. The web site boasts "thousands of exhibitors" but I think that's a total for the year. This show is a commercial venture that travels around the country and appears in about 30 cities. Actually it will be returning to Seattle on 6/22/07 and again on 11/16/07. This year I'd estimate that there were about 120 retailers present (vs 200+ last year) and I'm guessing another 100 wholesalers. To enter the wholesale section of the show they require that you present a tax ID and a business card. The show definitely attracts organizations from all over the U.S. and with connections all over the world. The emphasis is clearly on gems and jewelry as the name implies though there were some vendors focused on crystals and mineral specimens. There were also fancy watches for sale and a jewelry cleaning and repairing service.

This is the place to come if you're interested in loose stones and/or jewelry and be prepared to haggle for the best price. This year there were two interesting things I hadn't noticed before: Himalayas' Legend was selling leaves and pinecones that are gold and silver plated. They are absolutely gorgeous and show the tiniest detail ! Another organization was selling manufactured diamonds ! I have been reading about these but had not had any opportunity to see some in the wild.

The vendors are friendly and will answer all your questions. Not much to interest the kids here...

The organization: International Gem and Jewelry Show, Inc.