︎
Brief story of the Tucson Gem Show 2022 on film
My friend Martina is a serious photographer. A photojournalist, to be exact. For instance, she’s currently working on a beautiful project about nomads.
She asks me, Will you come with me to this fair of gems, stones, and precious rocks?
You see, I go there to check if there are nomads. I’m sure at the fair you’d take plenty of beautiful pictures with your colors and irony!
Sure, Martina! You know what? I’ll bring my Mamiya. I want to try to make a reportage on film because I’ve never done it before. I bought this camera and I want to use it!
Eight hours of driving and we are in Arizona. These saguaro cacti look so cool. Everything is exactly how I imagined it, like in Wile E. Coyote, so to speak. If I had a shutter release cable and some black-and-white film with me, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take some nocturnal photos of the desert.
![]()
We get up early and—boom—we’re there. An expanse of hangars crammed with giant rocks, sparkling spiky crystals, huge and perfectly round spheres glowing in the blinding sun.
Shit. This Mamiya weighs like a shotgun wedding and I feel pretty awkward and uncomfortable carrying it. It’s not exactly the kind of camera you want for reportage. Will I be able to make it work?
Rows of bracelets, spiritual stones, but also fancy jewels. Incense, hippies, fat cats. There are some ugly faces too. Yes—who knows if someone is selling more than we can see, under the counter, we wonder.
She asks me, Will you come with me to this fair of gems, stones, and precious rocks?
You see, I go there to check if there are nomads. I’m sure at the fair you’d take plenty of beautiful pictures with your colors and irony!
Sure, Martina! You know what? I’ll bring my Mamiya. I want to try to make a reportage on film because I’ve never done it before. I bought this camera and I want to use it!
Eight hours of driving and we are in Arizona. These saguaro cacti look so cool. Everything is exactly how I imagined it, like in Wile E. Coyote, so to speak. If I had a shutter release cable and some black-and-white film with me, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take some nocturnal photos of the desert.
We get up early and—boom—we’re there. An expanse of hangars crammed with giant rocks, sparkling spiky crystals, huge and perfectly round spheres glowing in the blinding sun.
Shit. This Mamiya weighs like a shotgun wedding and I feel pretty awkward and uncomfortable carrying it. It’s not exactly the kind of camera you want for reportage. Will I be able to make it work?
Rows of bracelets, spiritual stones, but also fancy jewels. Incense, hippies, fat cats. There are some ugly faces too. Yes—who knows if someone is selling more than we can see, under the counter, we wonder.
Oh, here’s a nice big stand. I see people diving into the crystals.
Hello, darling! Feel free to take pictures of everything on display!
Oh, thank you! Are you the owner of the stand?
No. Yes. Well, no—it’s my father, Mário.
He jerks his chin toward him. A tall, burly man who talks, who sells.
Wow! I’ve got to say, you guys have beautiful stones here!
Yes, we bring them from Brazil. We are Brazilian, like most of the exhibitors here.
He proudly shows me their business card, pointing out—also with pride—that he bears the same name as his father.
Well, besides the gems, can I also take a picture of you? Maybe with the mineral you like best—the one that means the most to you.
![]()
Hello, darling! Feel free to take pictures of everything on display!
Oh, thank you! Are you the owner of the stand?
No. Yes. Well, no—it’s my father, Mário.
He jerks his chin toward him. A tall, burly man who talks, who sells.
Wow! I’ve got to say, you guys have beautiful stones here!
Yes, we bring them from Brazil. We are Brazilian, like most of the exhibitors here.
He proudly shows me their business card, pointing out—also with pride—that he bears the same name as his father.
Well, besides the gems, can I also take a picture of you? Maybe with the mineral you like best—the one that means the most to you.
Do you know why I chose this one? Mário Jr. asks me.
If you look closely, you can see there’s a sort of mountain inside. Do you see it?
This makes it very precious. I would say it’s the most precious one we have.
As soon as I leave the hangar, I run into Zef. Man, what a character.
Can I take a picture of you with your gems?
Sure!
He is barefoot. He points at Martina—who has appeared out of nowhere—and then immediately disappears into thin air.
Listen, Zef, is that huge stone you’re leaning on so proudly your most beautiful rock?
No, I only have these little ones. That one belongs to my neighbor’s stand. The mandarin is mine, though.