SourcingFeb 15, 2023
AGTA, Rio Grande Announce Partnership SourcingFeb 22, 2023
Stephen Dweck Takes Tucson … For the 40th Time
The designer gave National Jeweler a behind-the-scenes look at his gemstone explorations at the Tucson gem shows.
In late January and early February, Stephen Dweck was on his 40th trip to the Tucson gem shows. The designer shared his favorite finds with National Jeweler from the anniversary pilgrimage.
Tucson, Ariz.—Attending the annual Tucson gem shows is an essential pilgrimage for many jewelry designers.
Seeing so many gemstones from such a high concentration of dealers provides a fountain of inspiration.
To understand just how important Tucson is for brands, consider the imaginative Stephen Dweck, who has continued to visit for four decades, no matter how bursting his coffer of gems.
Stephen Dweck’s Signature Designs Are a Love Letter to Gemstones
Seeing so many gemstones from such a high concentration of dealers provides a fountain of inspiration.
To understand just how important Tucson is for brands, consider the imaginative Stephen Dweck, who has continued to visit for four decades, no matter how bursting his coffer of gems.
Stephen Dweck’s Signature Designs Are a Love Letter to Gemstones
Stephen Dweck hand-carved watermelon tourmaline, faceted pink tourmaline and diamond earrings in 18-karat yellow gold ($29,275)
Boulder opal, green tourmaline, red sapphire, emerald, pink tourmaline, and white diamond pendant set in 18-karat yellow gold ($19,985)
Hand-carved pink opal, Laguna agate, black hair rutilated quartz, pink tourmaline, and diamond earrings in 18-karat yellow gold ($7,975)
Necklace with 119-carat hand-carved lavender moon quartz, 138 total carats of opal, and 3.6 total carats of diamonds in 18-karat gold ($74,495)
Earrings with tanzanite, hand-carved kyanite, and diamonds in 18-karat gold ($19,985)
The designer known for his love of unique and carved gemstones filled National Jeweler in on his Tucson 2023 journey, providing pictures of his hunt for the most captivating colors and shapes.
Read his diary of highlights below as seen at AGTA Gem Fair Tucson, GJX, the G&LW Holidome, and more, as the designer marked his 40th visit to the desert.
Stephen Dweck: This trip to the Tucson gem shows is my 40th time here. I love the desert! I’m always inspired by the landscape, rocks, and colors.
SD: The intensity of these Paraiba tourmalines and fire opals (above) is mesmerizing. Of course, I bought some! I love to mix stones together in unexpected ways.
SD: Every single stone tells a story!
SD: I bought a bunch of these strands of lapis beads to bring home. Lapis is a tried-and-true material for me—something I’ve been working with for decades. Lapis can look ancient, but with a great mix of earthy stones, it can be modern!
SD: Here is some amazing pyrite in natural quartz. It’s just a fascinating material that I always buy! It looks like two materials have collided.
SD: This material is fantastic, it’s ammolite. It’s the opalized surface of the ammonite nautilus shell, which is millions of years old! It looks like an exotic rainbow.
SD: I bought the whole lot of these sapphires! A major organizing of color has to take place before I begin the design process.
SD: Emeralds represent the planet and love. I love, love, love emeralds—of course I bought some!
SD: Pearls are my weakness. These were so dreamy and have such life to them. I always end up buying strands of pearls that I love.
SD: I selected a few of these star sapphires to take home.
SD: It’s a journey to look through all these stones but it’s worth it!
SD: I bought a lot of unheated sapphires from this selection. Such spectacular cuts and colors!
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Sourcing
The Latest
EditorsSep 19, 2025
These Female Athletes Had the Best Jewelry of the SummerFrom Coco Gauff’s hoops to Madison Keys’ diamond medallion, these are Senior Editor Lenore Fedow’s standout jewelry looks of the season.
CollectionsSep 19, 2025
Piece of the Week: Vanessa Fernández Studio’s ‘Curva’ Wrap HoopsThe trendy earrings feature asymmetrical drops, one with a grossular garnet and the other with a diamond.
Recorded WebinarsSep 19, 2025
Watch: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using TikTok and Instagram ReelsFour social media marketing experts discuss their go-to methods and favorite tools for making high-quality short-form video content.
Brought to you by
reDollar.com Is Rolling Out the Next Level Jewelry, Diamond & Watch Consignment ProgramWith their unmatched services and low fees, reDollar.com is challenging some big names in the online consignment world.
Supplier BulletinSep 18, 2025
Will Your Design Define 2026? Enter The Spectrum & Cutting Edge AwardsSponsored by American Gem Trade Association
Weekly QuizSep 19, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SurveysSep 18, 2025
Deloitte Thinks the Holidays Will Be Merry, PwC Isn’t So Sure In its holiday report, PwC said the season will be more like jazz—improvisational and less predictable—than an easy-to-follow melody.
MajorsSep 18, 2025
Pandora to Open New Distribution Center in MarylandThe jewelry giant will relocate its existing facility to a larger space in Anne Arundel.
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key IssuesJewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.
CollectionsSep 18, 2025
Ashley Zhang Launches Garçon New YorkThe designer, who is the creative force behind her namesake brand, has now started a new mini line focusing on chains for fathers and sons.
TechnologySep 18, 2025
Hill & Co. Launches AI Strategy ProgramThe 21-day program was designed to help jewelry retailers identify opportunities and eliminate inefficiencies with AI.
AuctionsSep 17, 2025
Mythical Set of Patek Philippe Pocket Watches Expected to Sell for $10M+A set of four Patek Philippe “Star Caliber 2000” pocket watches is part of Sotheby’s upcoming auction in Abu Dhabi.
TrendsSep 17, 2025
Silvia Furmanovich’s Book Tells the ‘Journey of a Jeweler’The Brazilian jeweler’s latest book marks her namesake brand’s 25th anniversary and tells the tale of her worldwide collaborations.
WatchesSep 17, 2025
Bob’s Watches Acquires Vintage Rolex Won on ‘The Price is Right’ The Submariner Ref. 1680 with a Tiffany & Co. dial came from the original owner, who won it as a prize on the game show in the 1970s.
TechnologySep 17, 2025
Jewelers Mutual Launches Shipping Solution App for Shopify The new integration allows users to manage shipments directly from the Shopify dashboard.
EditorsSep 16, 2025
Out & About: 7 Great Quotes From Converge in CarlsbadAt Converge 2025, Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff attended sessions on DEI, tariffs, security, and more. Here are her top takeaways.
CrimeSep 16, 2025
2 Robbery Suspects Killed in California Pawn Shop ShootoutSix people were shot last week at an Oakland cash-for-gold shop as employees exchanged gunfire with individuals trying to rob the store.
CollectionsSep 16, 2025
Chopard Adds New Designs to Its ‘Ice Cube’ Capsule CollectionThe jeweler has expanded its high jewelry offering, which launched last year, with new pieces featuring its cube motif that debuted in 1999.
EditorsSep 15, 2025
Skipping the Necklace, Embracing Snakes: The Best Jewelry From the 2025 Emmy AwardsAssociate Editor Natalie Francisco shares eight of her favorite jewelry looks from the 77th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, held Sunday night.
SurveysSep 15, 2025
Resilient Shoppers to Boost Holiday Retail Sales, Says DeloitteIt’s predicting a rise in retail sales this holiday season despite economic uncertainty and elevated inflation.
SourcingSep 15, 2025
Gemfields Achieves $32M at High-Quality Emerald AuctionIt included the sale of the 11,685-carat “Imboo” emerald that was recently discovered at Kagem.
SourcingSep 15, 2025
AGTA Elects 8 Members to Board of Directors The newly elected directors will officially take office in February 2026 and will be introduced at the organization’s membership meeting.
EditorsSep 12, 2025
Out & About: Mining Sapphires in Rock Creek, MontanaAssociate Editor Lauren McLemore headed out West for a visit to Potentate Mining’s operation hosted by gemstone wholesaler Parlé Gems.
TrendsSep 12, 2025
Piece of the Week: Arunashi’s Fordite and Rhodolite EarringsFordite is a man-made material created from the layers of dried enamel paint that dripped onto the floors of automotive factories.
Events & AwardsSep 12, 2025
Al Gilbertson Wins 2025 Robert M. Shipley AwardGilbertson has worked as a researcher, jeweler, lapidary artist, appraiser, and business owner throughout his decades in the industry.
Policies & IssuesSep 11, 2025
Supreme Court to Hear Tariffs Case in November A decision likely won’t come until January 2026 at the earliest, and the tariffs remain in effect until then.
MajorsSep 11, 2025
Tabayer Opens Nordstrom Shop-In-ShopLocated in the revamped jewelry hall at the retailer’s New York City flagship, this opening is Tabayer’s first shop-in-shop.
SourcingSep 11, 2025
Need to Sell More Natural Diamonds? De Beers Has an App for ThatThe new, free app offers accessible educational content, like games and podcasts, for U.S. retailers.
