Arizona Part 2

Arizona is a jewelers dream! I should say it is an artsy persons dream too.  I learned so much while being out there and that is why I need to get it all posted on my blog so I don't forget.  My first trip out to AZ I got to see some family out in Mesa which was cool.  I never thought in a million years that I would ever get the chance to go to the biggest gem and lapidary wholesalers,Inc show.  I heard other jewelry vendors at the shows I do talk about it.  This show is hard to explain to anyone that has never been, but it is like the Atlanta America's Mart on crack!  It is huge! I am talking thousands of wholesale vendors come together under huge tents or even in the hotel to sell their beading supplies at wholesale price.  They even had diamonds there.  Notice I said wholesale price...the only way to get into this show is if you have a business license or come as a guest.  I can't remember the budget Devin gave me, but I think it was like $2,000.  He told me to not worry about the money so I could get wanted I wanted, since this was a once in a lifetime experience.  You know you have a good husband when he takes the day off work to go to a bead show with you.  Come to find out later that this show does actually take place on the East coast I believe in North Carlina.  Some of my favorite beads are from the Czech republic as well as pearls. I found some beautiful pearls with cz crystals wrapped around them...below are some photos.  If you go into the restaurants in the Miami or Globe AZ area, you will notice copper on the walls as art work.  Copper can be so pretty because when you put a torch to it, it will change colors. I actually bought some tiny copper pieces and turned it into jewelry.  The copper is cool because it came from the copper mine.  You can read more about copper in a previous post.  Ok, so I have never been a real fan of turquoise until now.  Everyone that knows me, knows that pearls are my thing.  Almost all of my jewelry has pearls in it.  I grew fond of turquoise because of AZ.  Since Globe, AZ is the turquoise capital of the world, I got the chance to buy some really unique turq.  I stumbled across a whole in the wall store and found what's called "Arizona Sleeping Beauty Turquoise."  I will post some pictures of the jewelry I made with turq. below. It's called sleeping beauty because it came from a nearby mountain called "Sleeping Beauty," which looks like a woman laying down.  You can drive anywhere in town and see this mountain.  It's just so cool that I was there to actually take pictures of the mountain that my turquoise was mined from!  AZ is so pretty because of the mountains, the cactus and the sandstone. We actually bought coasters made out of sandstone.  Randy would tell us the name of a mountain if we were driving by it.  There is one mountain in the Tonto National Forest, or it might have been after the forest full of cactus, but either way it is called "Appachi Leap." It is called this because way back when we forced the Indians on the reservation, the Appachi's were the last to go and most wild.  The Appachi's would actually rather commit suicide by jumping off this mountain than going to the reservation.  In the local stores you can get little black rocks called appachi tears that came from the mountain.  I believe Geronimo was an Appachi Indian.  Lorraine's Mom actually remembers her Mother talking about Geronimo.  We got to meet Lorraine's Mom out on the reservation.  I shook her hand and to my surprise this little old lady had the strongest hands ever.  I think this is because she makes all of her quilts by hand.  The Navajo's are known for their metal work and the Appachi's are known for making baskets and quilts etc.