The Impact of the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show

TUCSON, Ariz.– The 22nd Street Mineral, Fossil, Gem and Jewelry Show swarmed with vendors and buyers alike.

The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show takes place every year in the late Winter and is made up of over 50 shows, including the popular 22nd Street Show.

The event is always free to attend and has 450 vendors that offer a wide range of goods. It took place at 993 S Freeway from Jan. 30 to Feb. 16, 2025. The majority of the vast space was inside, with a few tents outside of the main area.

The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show attracts people from all walks of life, whether they are a big spender or a vendor following their passion.

A Vendor’s Perspective

For over 30 years Lisa and Rich Hagar have been doing the 22nd Street Show. At first, they shopped the shows “just like everybody else,” but when they got married they started vending the shows.

“At some point a collector becomes a dealer,” said Rich Hagar.

According to Lisa Hagar, co-owner of Hagar’s Fossils and Minerals, the 22nd Street Show is the only one she will consider vending at.

“We like to stay here [at the 22nd Street Show] because our customers know where we’re at, and they come to visit us every year,” Lisa Hagar said, “If we move, we lose our customers.”

The specimens that she and her husband sell are usually found by Rich Hagar himself, whether by scuba diving or hiking, and the rest come from old personal collections of others.

“It’s neat to see all the treasures that people have collected over the years,” said Lisa Hagar.

The goods they sell range from Megalodon teeth and Woolly Rhino bones to Pyrite necklaces.

While the pieces that the Hagar’s source are ethical, the same can’t be said for everyone in the community.

On the topic of ethics in the crystal and mineral world, Rich Hagar said “it’s kind of complicated.”

“The mines in South America are horribly dangerous with a lot of collapses. A lot of that is the only source of income,” Rich Hagar said, “Third world country stuff is hard to look at unless you spend a lot of time in them.”

According to Rich Hagar, for some “it is between food or going into a mine where you could die.”

A Consumer’s Perspective

Consumers may not know about the danger that these miners face, but people like Margaret Drury try to be conscious of it.

Drury has been going to the Tucson Gem Show since she was a kid, but has only been shopping strictly crystals and minerals for about five years now.

She believes that the 22nd Street Show is “easier to navigate” and that it can be advantageous for people who are less familiar with the Tucson Gem Shows.

Drury has taken both local friends and out-of-towners to the 22nd Street Show. One of these friends even spent $5,000 on fossils.

When asked about the Tucson Gem Show’s relationship with the environment, Drury said that there is “definitely” an impact.

“It not only takes massive amounts of fuel and disposables to get all of the crystals to Tucson, but it can also damage the earth to harvest those crystals,” said Drury.

It is nearly impossible to know the exact source of every specimen, but at the 22nd Street Show people can often talk with the miners directly.

“I can chat with them about their practices and decide for myself whether or not I’d like to purchase,” Drury said.

She does not know that all of her collection is completely eco-friendly, so she likes when she is able to know for certain.

“I think it’s important that collectors and resellers alike are aware of the environmental impact of the mining practices they’re supporting so we can hopefully move towards greener collecting,” said Drury.

Conclusion

The Tucson Gem Show is a great opportunity to learn more about fossils and minerals, as well as the environmental impact that it has on our community.

To support Hagar’s Fossils and Minerals, go to https://hagars-testing-site.myshopify.com/

For more information on the upcoming Gem and Mineral shows, go to https://shows.tucsongemshows.net/