Tucson, With Intention : Designers Corner at Booth 822

Tucson has always been about discovery. The pace is different. More deliberate, even when the rooms are loud. You are not scrolling, you are looking. Not skimming, but studying. Conversations stretch. Light still matters, even under convention center fluorescents. For designers, it remains one of the few moments in the year when sourcing becomes tactile again.

This year marks something special for Prima Gems!

2026 will be our 15th year exhibiting in Tucson. Fifteen years of showing up, building inventory, refining our eye, and growing alongside the designers and jewelers who return year after year. We have seen trends rise and settle. We have watched certain stones come into favor and others find their moment again. That history matters, and it shapes how we approach Tucson today.

We will be exhibiting at AGTA GemFair Tucson, February 2 to 6, 2026, at Booth 822. From sunrise to last call, our trays will reflect the full spectrum, an inventory built over time, with depth, range, and continuity that only comes from experience.

But this year, we are also introducing something new.

 

Designer’s Corner

Designer’s Corner is a dedicated area within our booth created specifically for designers who want to explore with focus, even if the surrounding energy is anything but quiet.

Tucson is loud. Booths are busy. Conversations overlap. Designer’s Corner is not about escaping that. It is about carving out a moment of clarity within it.

After 15 years of exhibiting, one thing has become clear. Designers do not all source the same way. Some want curated direction. Others arrive with a vision and want help sourcing toward it. Designer’s Corner was created to support both.

How Designer’s Corner Speaks to Two Ways of Sourcing

Designer’s Corner was built around a simple truth we have learned over the years of exhibiting. Not all designers source the same way, and not all needs are the same. 

At our booth, two very different conversations often unfold. Designer’s Corner gives each of them space so you can approach sourcing the way that works for you. 

Custom Sourcing with Julene

You bring the idea. We source the stone.

If you are led by instinct, concept, or a conversation with a client, Julene is where your sourcing begins.

With over twenty years in the wholesale industry, Julene brings deep customer service and sales experience to Prima Gems. She works closely with retail store accounts and independent designers, helping them navigate color, mood, and selection with confidence.

You might have a sketch, a color in mind, or a piece you’re building around a client conversation. You don’t need to know exact millimeter sizes or how many stones you’ll need yet. You need someone who understands taste, proportion, and how a concept becomes wearable.

Sourcing with Julene is collaborative and intuitive! You bring the vision. Together, you explore stones that feel right for it. Color leads, Mood matters, and stones are considered for how they will live in a finished piece, not just how they look in a tray.

This is for retailers, independent designers, and one-off commissions where trust matters more than technical language. The process feels guided, not rushed. Stones feel chosen, not forced.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed in Tucson or unsure where to begin, this is where the conversation starts.

 

Production and Calibration with Amy

Defined specs. Repeatable results.

If your work lives in production, Amy understands exactly what you need before you finish asking.

With more than fifteen years in the jewelry industry, Amy’s experience spans production work, production director roles, and even designing her own jewelry. She understands the realities of manufacturing from every angle, not just on paper, but in practice.

This is where you start when you know what you need. Sizes. Shapes. Consistency. Repeatability. You are thinking beyond a single piece and toward production, replenishment, and long-term reliability.

Sourcing with Amy is precise and efficient. Stones are presented clearly, grouped intentionally, and evaluated against defined requirements. Calibration is not an extra; it is the baseline. The goal is confidence that what you select today can be delivered again tomorrow.

This is for manufacturers and production-driven designers who value process, clarity, and follow-through. The experience is streamlined, dependable, and built to support scale.

You leave knowing exactly what you are working with and what you can count on.

 

Why This Works at Tucson

Tucson is fast, loud, and full of possibility. Designer’s Corner does not try to change that. It helps you move through it with purpose.

Whether you are refining an idea or fulfilling a production need, Designer’s Corner meets you where you are and helps you get where you are going.

Same booth. Same inventory. Two ways to source that actually make sense.