Gem and Jewelry Show

This weekend is the International Gem and Jewelry Show! Can you tell I'm excited? A friend of mine introduced this show to me a couple years ago and I've been smitten ever since.

The show comes to the Dulles Expo Center several times a year and I try to make time to go when they're in town. You can find just about anything jewelry at the show. Are you a beader? There are hundreds of bead vendors, findings vendors and an incredible vendor that sells just about any tool you'll need. Like antique jewelry? You'll find an amazing collection of vendors with jewels that will make you hyperventilate. Like contemporary jewelry or looking for loose gems? You'll find that too.

I don't often see plique au jour jewelry, but I've seen it here. I'm able to get better buys on my gemstone beads when shopping here - and that's not even mentioning the fact that you can see and touch the beads before you buy them. My favorite vendor, however, is Efim Gilin (http://www.efimgilin.com/).

He and his wife are usually at the front of the hall and they carry the most magnificent jewelry! They'll let you hold jewelry that you might find in a museum and they'll talk with you about the craftsmanship if you show an interest. When it was time for my now husband to look for an engagement ring, we went to Efim - and boy did we find a beauty. They have pieces from a couple hundred dollars into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. And they have always been incredibly patient with my questions and requests to look at pieces I'll never be able to afford. They're just wonderful!

So if you're in DC this weekend, and you want to find a treasure, I'd suggest the International Gem and Jewelry Show at the Dulles Expo Center. If you're not in DC, you can find their touring schedule (they travel across the US all year long) here: http://intergem.com/

And if you DO go to the show, stop by and say hello to Efim. And tell him I sent you!