Stratified eyes and a lovely Warring States example.

Shinji showed me this rare 7 layer twist chevron bead. I'm linking to the Picard 7L chevron exhibit for anyone who might not know about their wonderful exhibits on their site.

Mumtaz over at the Gem Mall had this lovely coral snuff bottle, reportedly carved in approx. the 1960s. I believe it weighs 277 grams - well over 1/2 pound. I didn't measure it, but it's a bit over 4" in height. I just know it's big enough to carry all the snuff I'd ever need!

Danny's work is beautiful! It was super to be able to spend some time with Danny and Suzie. Thank you so much for the lovely chalcedony bead necklace, Danny! This stone is a big favorite of mine and I love wearing it. David did an experimental image of it for me tonight. The turquoise beads are of unmatched beauty.

It was a joy to spend a little time with Robert Liu and his son Patrick Benesh-Liu! Here, they had just arrived at the Grant Inn ballroom and are looking at Thomas' amazonite.

A piece of illuminated gem silica chrysocolla.

I think I met Dr. Liu at an LA Bead Society meeting in the late ‘70s or early ‘80s. That particular meeting included a Q & A session, and thanks to Mom I was invited to join the panel to help answer questions. I didn’t know anything about beads per se, but at that time I was an instructor at GIA in Santa Monica, and I was eager to see and discuss gem materials in any form. I really enjoyed meeting the beads and their people :-)

Now, seeing the posts on this forum, I continue to be amazed at how much there is to learn about beads, and how dedicated many bead-lovers are in pursuing that knowledge. The history and materials and workmanship, oh my!

Tedd

This gentleman told me that he makes these wonderful jeweled adornments for his friends and family. Note their hatbands as well. I didn't ask the weight of his necklace - the counterweight at the back is also very substantial! All solid gold and genuine stones. I've seen him previous years, but he actually moves pretty fast and I've been shy to ask him for a photo before!

With Suzie's loomwork, just gorgeous. I think she did the leather work too. Built to last! I hope she brings some of her work next year.

Here's the view out the back door of the old Grant Inn ballroom the morning of 2/9/2013, on my way back to California. What an adventure the Tucson shows are, indeed.

For all your posts about Tuscon. Oddly, it made my pain more palatable seeing what I missed!

One of my favorite shots, Robert Liu and Bassem having a chat about a bead during dinner with Patrick, Joyce and myself, I think the moment caught in time sums it all up, the unspoken mutual respect and fondness for a fellow bead enthusiast is priceless, I'm touched whenever I see this picture..........the second pic is of Joyce, a bit blurry (she worked her butt off and never sat still).....it will be a show I will always cherish!

http://beadcollector.net/cgi-bin/anyboard.cgi?fvp=/openforum/&cmd=get&cG=9313434353&zu=3931343338&v=2&gV=0&p=

An activity where one can be a grayhair but still totally cool and awesome.