We spent our annual week of buying merchandise at the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show in early February 2008. Each year the show grows larger, yet the items stay mostly the same. With the overwhelming number of vendors carrying the same beads & jewelry supplies, it is difficult to define trends, but we always take a stab at it.

First, copper beads and findings are HUGE this year. We've been scraping for sources for years and we finally found a very wide selection of solid copper beads and findings to choose from. Expect to see many more designs with some of the lovely handmade copper materials that are available and more importantly- affordable. With Silver and Gold at 20 year highs and the value of the dollar this low, copper becomes the most affordable metal for jewelry making. We will be adding dozens of new copper items in the coming weeks.

Overall, the buying trend seems to be focused on value and affordability. The jewelry making industry had a "down" year in 2007, but the costs of gemstone and glass beads actually increased significantly over that same period. Not good for profits for anyone in the supply chain.

So, our buyers were seeking better values on more affordable materials like freshwater pearls and more economical gemstones. We bought lots of both of those types of products, but we really focused a great deal of our time on looking for great values on higher end semi-precious gemstone beads like Apatite, Spinel, Tourmaline, and Rhodochrosite that you can use for flash and focus. We found some great values to pass on to you!