Crystal Shopped Till We Dropped

This past week we were in Tucson for the annual wholesaler’s trade shows, where miners come from all over the world to sell to stores, who also come descend on the town from near and far. 

This year was probably my 10th show! While The Cristalline has been my brainchild for about 7 years and even before that, I was buying gems when I was working with high-end jewelry designers in my former life. For me, the shows are amazing, but it is very much business as usual as far as needing to have a clear focus. As you can imagine it is easy to get overwhelmed. I go in very methodically with a calculated list of what I need to replenish, and which one-of-a-kind pieces and items I need to find for partnerships and private clients. Even though this is a creative outlet and offers tons of inspiration, my excel sheet runs my game. And most importantly the BUDGET! I always have a main budget and then a splurge one, for special things. As you can imagine it is easy to get swept up in wanting to take everything home with you, and keep it for yourself! And I can tell you rarely does the splurge budget not get touched LOL!

This trip was unique in that, we got to have one of #teamcristalline at the show for her first time this year, so I thought it would be fun for her to share her shiny new experience with the Crystal Insiders. Emily, that has been at the helm of our marketing and events from nearly day one, moved to Sedona recently so it was easy for her to join me at the shows this year. It was so cute to see the shows from her wide-eyed and eager perspective. So, without further adieu, I will let Emily tell you about her first experience at the Tucson Trade Shows. 

Hello! I am so happy to be able to share my first ever Gem Show experience with The Crystal Insiders of The Cristalline. As Rashia said, it was my first time in Tucson, and WOW, what a sight it was to behold! Rashia and I met, while I lived in NYC for 11 years and share a fashion background so this was nowhere near my first trade show rodeo. So, I thought I had an idea of what I was in for… I was WRONG! I have been in stadiums of vendors and jam-packed conference centers but this show essentially took up the entire town! Tents filled miles down the feeder roads on the highway, and many vendors were set up anywhere they could, even hotel rooms! It was incredible. 

There were people who mined these precious gemstones and minerals directly from the earth and traveled across the world to set up their booths. It was so incredible to see the men and women who actually work in the mines and hear firsthand about the stones from those who actually sourced them. 

As Rashia mentioned, she is a seasoned pro at these shows and it was so neat to be able to learn the ropes from her. Not to mention how cute it was when vendors she had built close relationships with over the years spotted her walking into their booths and exclaimed with warmth and excitement to see her. It was so special to see how ethically she hand selects where and from who she gets each and every crystal sold at The Cristalline. 

At this show, The Cristalline focuses on buying from integral mines first and foremost, and small individuals that have a close connection to their countries and its resources that are shared with the world through crystals and really care about the mindful practices within this industry. We definitely also prioritize finding unique pieces that can truly complement the design of one’s home. If you aren’t already familiar with our Energetic Design services, check out more about it here. Secondly, we search for smaller gemstones that can be used to protect, inspire or amplify energy for our sets like the chakra and other curated crystal sets (like these).

As always, it is so fun to see some of the showstoppers, meaning the GIGANTIC gems that are brought in to sell to the hotels and other large companies or interior designers that come to purchase. This Rose Quartz, Clear Crystal Quartz, and Amethyst were some of our favorites! And not surprisingly were SOLD! In this crystal lovers dream world, there is no such thing as a too big crystal, and I can just imagine where these will end up!

We hope you enjoyed learning more about the process of how we buy Crystals for The Cristalline and having a behind-the-scenes look at our time in Tucson. We can’t wait to hear what you think of the new gemstones we got for you.

STAY TUNED FOR THE LAUNCH OF OUR 2021 NEWNESS!

We will send an email out to our crystal insiders first!

Posted 4.13.21