Welcome to
the 2026 Show
Les Presmyk, Show Co-Chair
The 71st Annual
Tucson Gem & Mineral Show®
Red, White and Blue
Celebrate the Spirit of Minerals
Welcome to
Welcome to
the 2026 Show
Mark Marikos, Show Co-Chair
Hours >
Tickets >
Join the Society
The Tucson Gem and Mineral
Society was founded in 1946
and began as a small group
interested in the hobby of
mineral collecting
and lapidary.
2026 Show Poster
On sale at the TGMS Poster Booth, located in the Galleria of the Tucson Convention Center.
Saturday Awards & Reception
February 14, 5:30PM
West Meeting Room
#102–103
More Info >
2026 Grand Prize
14kt Gold Black Diamond Pendant
2.28cts Diamonds + 14kt Gold Chain
Provided by
D'Amati Fine Jewelry
Booth #025 in Grand Ballroom
Giveaway on Sunday, Feb 15
EVENTS
DIRECTORY
An Arizona Tribute to William “Barite Bill” Dameron and Sue Liebetrau
Les & Paula Presmyk
Guest Exhibit
Arizona Mining, Mineral and Natural Resources Education Museum University of Arizona
Special Exhibit
Gemstone Portals-examples of opulent gemstones that invite you to enter and explore their unique optics.
Mark Oros
Guest Exhibit
Heritage Auctions (variety of collections in a series of auctions scheduled for early 2026)
Nic Valenzuela
Guest Exhibit
Hidden Crystals (group of up close macro photos paired with mineral specimens)
Christina DiFalco
Guest Exhibit
Ichinokawa (specimens and paraphernalia from the Ichinokawa Antimony Mine, Japan)
John Rakovan
Guest Exhibit
Jewelry Created at Northwest Art Center (by students in Pima County Parks and Recreation Metals Classes)
Hilary Jones-Wujcik
Guest Exhibit
Mineral Alchemy (rock quartz crystal and mineral chromophores)
Brian, Jasper & Estella Cook Clan
Guest Exhibit
Minerals of the Maria Mine, Cananea, Sonora, Mexico in Memory of Frank Valenzuela
Cody-John and Bryan Lynch Davis
Guest Exhibit
Petrified Wood (24 million year old weathered wood, petrified, compared with current local weathered wood
Wolfgang Vaatz
Guest Exhibit
Quartz Bunny Natural Colombian quartz crystals clussters fashioned in the image of a rabbit.
Evan & Melissa Jones
Guest Exhibit
Rare Gems in Jewelry Red White & Blue (necklaces of red spinel, blue benitoite; pendant w/rainbow moonstone)
Pat & Mike Gray
Guest Exhibit
The LEGO Mineral Collection (LEGO Set 21362, w/six specimens from orig. idea model and new specimens)
Dario Del Frate
Guest Exhibit
Tombstone, Arizona Fluorite (new specimens from the Second Chance Mine)
Jim & Jimmy Pedicone Ricker
Guest Exhibit
MAP
View Large MapShow Co-Chair's Letter
Les Presmyk
Welcome to the 2026 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show®. Our theme of Red, White and Blue was chosen to kick off the celebration of the 250th birthday of the United States of America. On February 14th Arizona turns 114 as the 48th state. Another milestone is this is the 71st show presented by the Tucson Gem and Mineral Society. You are going to see many displays of minerals, gems and jewelry, and even petrified wood all displaying the Red, White and Blue of nature’s wonders. These eye-catching displays come from hundreds of collectors and museums from all over the world. This is definitely a unique and tremendous, temporary four-day museum, unlike anywhere else.
The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show® Committee has assembled a vast variety of displays for your pleasure. In addition, there are over 150 top quality gem, mineral, fossil and even fluorescent mineral dealers offering top quality specimens from across the globe.
Come experience cracking open a geode and be the first one in over 40 million years to view the beauty inside. Bring your children and grandchildren to gather an egg carton full of pretty rocks and minerals at the Junior Education booth where the U of A SESS students will answer all your questions about the minerals in your egg carton.
Don’t forget, the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show® will also provide you with the opportunity to purchase a truly special gift for the love of your life for Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14th.
We look forward to seeing you sometime over the four days of show.
—Les Presmyk
Co-Chairman
Tucson Gem and Mineral Show®
Show Co-Chair's Letter
Mark Marikos
Welcome to the 2026 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show®, an amazing gathering of mineral, gem, fossil, and other earth science enthusiasts from around the world. This year’s theme, “Red, White, and Blue; Celebrate the Spirit of Minerals” commemorates our nation’s 250th birthday.
A unique feature of this show, presented by Tucson Gem and Mineral Society (TGMS), is our strong emphasis on education, accounting for the broad spectrum of participants and guests – including the merely curious, beginning hobbyists, serious collectors, dealers, academic and industrial scientists, miners, gemologists, lapidaries, artists, photographers, authors, researchers, and other professionals.
A significant portion of our floor space is occupied by displays from private and institutional collections across the globe, featuring some of the finest examples of specimens known. Our invited dealers are selected because of the quality and range of specimens they offer, and their willingness to engage with attendees of all levels, including youth and other novice collectors. Competitive displays by novice and experienced collectors showcase specimens from their collections.
Professionals from government, academic, and non-profit organizations offer free educational materials and information in the Galleria; no admission fee is required. Beginning on Friday afternoon, at the TGMS Junior Education Table, youth receive a beginner’s collection of 12 mineral specimens and printed materials and interact with members of the University of Arizona Society of Earth Science Students (SESS) in educational activities. At the TGMS Free Lecture Series invited speakers cover diverse earth science related topics; see this program for schedule and topics.
Enjoy!
—Mark Marikos
Show Co-Chairman
Tucson Gem and Mineral Show®
Grand Prize
2026 Grand Prize
14kt Gold Black Diamond Pendant
2.28cts Diamonds
14kt Gold Chain
Provided by
D'Amati Fine Jewelry
Booth #025 in Grand Ballroom
“Giveaway Booth”
located at the west end of the exhibition hall
Grand Prize Drawing
Sunday, February 15th at 3:00pm
Giveaway Drawings
Thurs, Fri, Sat: on the hour 11–4
Sunday: on the hour 1030–230
Ticket Info
General Admission
February 12–15, 2026
$15.00 Admission
($14 plus $1.00 TCC ticket tax)
Tickets are available at the door.
2-day $26.00 tickets
not valid with any other discounts.
$2.00 off coupons
on website
Military & Senior
On Friday, February 13, 2026, receive $2.00 off the regular priced ticket for Military (active & retired) and Senior Citizens (62+).
Children
14 years and under are free with a paying adult.
Show Hours
Thursday, Friday, Saturday:
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday:
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Official 5 TGMS Show Poster
On sale at the TGMS Poster Booth, located in the Galleria of the Tucson Convention Center.
Saturday Night Awards & Reception
February 14, 5:30pm
West Meeting Room 102/103
Off the west end of the Exhibition Hall
Off the west end of the Exhibition Hall
PROGRAM
5:30 PM – Cash Bar
6:00 PM – Refreshments will be served
6:30 PM – Awards Ceremony
- M.C’s Greeting
- TGMS President & Show Chairman's Remarks
- Competitive Awards, Slide Winners, Young Mineral Collectors Awards, Friends of Mineralogy Awards, Carnegie Mineralogical Award
Tucson Competition:
Junior, Junior-Master, Novice, Advanced, Masters, Junior Awards, Best of Theme, Bideaux, Romero, Lidstrom and Desautels Trophies
2026 TGMS Show Committee
Ellen Alexander
Show Treasurer, Docent Program Chair
Mark Ascher
MicroRoom Chair
Mike Braswell & Sara Day
General Retail Dealer Co-Chairs (Ballroom)
General Retail Dealer Co-Chairs (Ex-Hall)
Robert Crowell & Bob Alberts
Exhibit Case Co-Chairs (Assembly & Maintenance)
Ken Don
Show Photographer
Victoria Fila
Junior Education Chair
John & Nancy Howard
Exhibitor Move-In/Move-Out Co-Chairs
Dave & Barb Korzendorfer
Exhibit Hall Information Booth Co-Chairs
Marie Lincoln
Educational Exhibitors Chair
Mark Marikos
2026 Show Chair
Lectures Chair
Rose Marques
Executive Assistant, Special Projects, Saturday Night Program
Patricia McClain
Executive Manager, TCC Liaison, Security Chair, Saturday Night Program, Special Projects, Publicity Chair, Show Poster Committee
Lauren Megaw
Special & Guest Exhibits Co-Chair
Peter Megaw
Special & Guest Exhibits Co-Chair, Saturday Night Program
Robert O’Donnell
Material Distribution
Linda Oliver
Arizona Cine Equipment, Show Decorator, Floor Manager, Saturday Night Program, Special Projects
Bear & Hollie Pitts
School Visits Co-Chairs
Les Presmyk
2026 Show Co-Chair
Competitive Exhibits Chair, Saturday Night Program, Show Poster Committee, Special Projects
Herb Ross
Galleria Product Sales & Show Poster Co-Chair, Show Poster Committee
Penny Savoie
Giveaway Booth Chair
Ortrud Schuh
Mineral Retail Dealer Chai/ Publishers Chair
Katherine Verbeke
Galleria Product Sales & Show Poster Co-Chair
Tucson Gem & Mineral Society
2025–26 Officers & Directors
TGMS is a non-profit corporation promoting interest in and study of geology, mineralogy, lapidary and allied earth sciences.
Victoria Fila
President
Dave Korzendorfer
Vice President
Linda Ross
Recording Secretary
Ellen Alexander
Treasurer
Suzanne Collier
Membership Secretary
Mike Braswell
Society Director
Peter Megaw
Society Director
Ortrud Schuh
Society Director
Mike Hollonbeck
Past President
Affiliations
- American Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. (AFMS)
- Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies (RMFMS)
- Metropolitan Tucson Chamber of Commerce (MTCC)
- Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce
- VisitTucson
Show Hours
Thursday, Friday, Saturday:
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday:
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.