The Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossils Showcase is a gem show that welcomes 65,000 visitors each winter. Held in Arizona, the show houses thousands of vendors with their new shiny pieces. With 50 separate shows around the city. There are also the oddballs that really catch attention, such as a $70,000 geode “the size of a Volkswagen Beetle,” as CNN details:
While diamonds and precious stones hold a place of honor, there's no shortage of oddities for sale, from animal pelts and skulls to personalized rubber ducks. Over the course of a single day of this year's showcase, which ran from January 30 to February 14, photographer Daniel Arnold saw a $70,000 geode "the size of a Volkswagen Beetle," a baby goat being led around a parking lot by a cowboy, and enough tie-dye to rival a Grateful Dead concert.
"A proper, polished gem show takes over the convention center, and the rest of the city becomes Its swap meet parking lot," Arnold said. "It's an idyllic post-apocalyptic scene, like a very fun version of the end of the world."
image via CNN