Gem Trends From Tucson

Mar 8, 2024

I've been home from Tucson for over a month now, but it was basically a shiny sparkly whirlwind that I am still recovering from! I saw hundreds (if not thousands) of gemstones in every size, shade, cut and price point, which lead me to noticing a few trends. Here are the highlights I gathered while I was there.

1. All green everything

A hand holds up a package of sparkling green radiant cut demantoids with a trade show booth out of focus in the background

The market is maintaining its love of Peridot, Tsavorite, Emerald, Demantoid and more. Green is continuing to have a moment and it isn't going anywhere soon. Designer Viren Bhagat made history with one of the largest emerald necklaces ever worn by Indian mogul Nita Ambani at her son's pre-wedding celebration in Gujurat at the beginning of the month. The rest of us can get in on the action with green sapphire, moss agate and prasiolite at a fraction of the cost.

Shop Prasiolite (or Green Amethyst) in the Monteverde Collection!

2. Unusual cuts

a hand holds up a shield fantasy cut Oregon Sunstone with out of focus gemstone displays in the background

Independent cutters are creating a stir giving us shapes we're highly unlikely to see in traditional jewelry stores. Portrait cuts, rose cuts, and fantasy cuts are hitting the market and making waves across social media. In Tucson, I saw highly skilled gem carvings, smooth as silk cabochons and novelty shaped cuts like clouds, teddy bears and even penises (yes, you read that right).

Shop hexagon cuts in the Balboa Collection!

3. New colors

a hand holding a package of baguette cut sapphires in non traditional hues like pink, white and yellow

In the industry, you'll often hear the term "big 3" which is a reference to the 3 most popular colored gemstones in the jewelry world; Emeralds, Rubies and Sapphires. The big 3 are valued for their deep and consistent saturated red, blue and green but consumers are starting to opt for pastel hues, bi-coloration and colors like yellow, purple, teal and pink.

4. Traceability

A large gemstone display with jelly-bean-esque pastel hued sapphires. Two booth employees are in the background and "Misfit Diamonds" can be clearly read on their tie-dyed t-shirts.

Mine to market initiatives are gaining massive popularity- particularly among emerging designers, such as ourselves! Vendors like Misfit Diamonds have made it their mission to increase transparency within the supply chain and provide consumers with answers the industry has shied away from in years past. Providing more clarity about gemstone sourcing is a trend we hope never goes away.

Shop gemstone trends