FIPP2009 is opening auspiciously!!!

The latest news on FIPP2009 is that lots of international buyers are in town!

Naturally, the dealers are very pleased and excited about this.

I won't have much more information until Friday or Saturday, but I will just say that I am very happy for the gem dealers and miners of the region.

International buyers are already in Teófilo Otoni, in advance of FIPP2009

The news from Teófilo Otoni is that buyers have already been in town for a week ahead of FIPP2009. My sources tell me that they have seen buyers from Germany, Italy, and Israel. In particular, the buyer from Germany was surrounded by sellers, meaning that he actually is spending some money.

Normally, the big buyers come in before the gem fair begins and buy all the good stuff early. However, current production of good rough continues to be very low. Good stones are not available in large quantities, except from the larger more established firms, with very high prices, except for aquamarines, which as I have written before, are as common as popcorn.

OK, this is just my opinion, but I will give it, anyway.

Firms that are well positioned to ride out the crisis (those who have managed their cash flow wisely and did not take risks and become overextended) are using this opportunity to buy for clients who are in the same situation, and they are also buying with the long-term future in mind.

It is my understanding that prices have declined only a little. This is where the laws of supply and demand come in. There is relatively little supply of good stones because mining production has been greatly reduced for several months.

I would tend to say that any real buyers are buying now to snap up what is left of production.

And these are the buyers who can afford to wait a long time for sales or who already have orders of some kind.

My good friend, Natasha Petrova, will be scanning the scene by this coming Friday.

At that time, she will be able to talk to the dealers and let me know how things went. I have also asked her to take some photos for posting to this blog. [This year, I had to make an unexpected trip to the States, so I will not be there, myself, as I had intended.] She has already told me that Russian jewelry companies have not placed any orders. [The financial crisis has hit Russia much more than other countries.]

FIPP2009 (Feira Internacional das Pedras Preciosas), Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais

Last week, it seemed that FIPP2009 might not go on; however, according to Monday night's news broadcast, whatever complications there might have been have now been resolved, and FIPP2009 is good to go!!!

Here is a true gem -- my beautiful baby girl, Alais Elena

FIPP2009 (Feira Internacional das Pedras Preciosas), Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais

Feria de Piedras (for our Spanish readers), Teófilo Otoni

Just a tiny update here to let you all know that according to my contacts in Teófilo Otoni, the upcoming edition of FIPP is still on (August 25-28, 2009).

There is, however, a slight problem with the GEA website, possibly due to an error creeping into the code during a change. The FIPP2009 page with its poster has disappeared.

But the webpage for signing up for the gem fair is still there:

http://www.geabrasil.com/inscricao.php

Gemstone sales are dead right now in Teófilo Otoni

hmm, I don't like to be the harbinger of bad news, but word on the street in Teófilo Otoni is that sales are dead. In Portuguese they say "parada" (stopped). Let me explain a bit. When things are not going well, no one admits it. They might say something like "sales are fine," "sales are ok," "sales are not bad," but no one tells you that they are absolutely terrible.

Except that now they are saying this.

You know what they say -- that in bad economic times the big juicy stones still move, the best still sells.

Except that now they are not selling.

Owners of mines were already laying off workers and production had declined dramatically a few months ago. It was nearly impossible to come across any good stones. Well, aquamarine is always available, the stuff grows like mushrooms.

In-house cutters were already at a minimum (one?).

A Japanese buyer (but was he buying? hmm, I will check) told a friend that things would not get better for 5 years. Personally, I think that is an exaggeration, but who knows? Certainly, no one is expecting things to go back to the way they were during 2004-2007 any time soon.

Faceted Green Amber for sale in Teófilo Otoni -- Who knew?

Readers, I am very sorry that I did not get a photo of the absolutely gorgeous clear, faceted green amber that I was shown last month in Teófilo Otoni.

For one thing, I almost never buy something the first time I see it. I have to wait and investigate. Today, I finally found an article about this beautiful stone.

OK, of course, it is not from Brazil -- I am pretty sure of that.

This is what happened. I was sitting in the office of a dealer I like and trust, and he's telling me stories about this stone and that, when he mentions this guy who left a couple of bags of stones for him to sell if he finds any buyers.

The first bag was of those now notorious "andesine" labradorites from Mexico (or China, if you drink the cool aid). They were a very light golden color, not red. But they were easily recognizable. I'm like... uh, no thanks.

Then, he gets out a bag of these gorgeous dreamy green ambers. They reminded me of the color and clarity of the best sweet white wine I have ever had in my life, a golden nectar of the gods from Hungary that I drank back in 1979 -- you know, the kind of wine you never forget.

These faceted green amber gems were the type of stone that makes your eyes light up involuntarily as soon as you see them, and you lean forward, and everything about you tells the seller that you want them, and you want them bad!

Then, he tells me the per carat price.

Fortunately for me, or unfortunately, as the case may be, I was so damned cash poor that they were completely out of my league, especially as I didn't even really know what they were.

The dealer told me that a Japanese buyer had taken some away to be tested to see if they were really amber or not, and that he had come back and said that, yes, it was real amber, but he also didn't much like the price.

It was already late in the day, so I couldn't take a photo. However, today, while I was trying to find articles about the process for stabilizing amber, I ran across one on the treatment for green amber, so below, I am posting three photos taken by the author, Dr. Lore Kiefert, of the AGTA. I don't have permission, so eventually I may have to take these photos down. None of these stones was faceted, and only the really nice ones come anywhere near the stones I saw in Teófilo Otoni, but I think they will give you a pretty good idea.

All three photos were taken by Dr. Lore Keifert, who owns the copyright to their reproduction.

Below is the link to Dr. Lore Keifert's original article on the treatment process; UPDATE, October 14, 2009 -- the link is broken, and I have read on a forum that going to the AGTA site could involve receiving a Trojan virus, so please be careful there: http://www.agta-gtc.org/amber-green.htm

Climate change comes to Teófilo Otoni -- How to make donations for flood victims

Here is my translation of the news story in the post below this one:

"Yesterday afternoon, a storm with extremely strong winds and hail caused damage in the city of Teófilo Otoni, in the Muruci Valley, Minas Gerais state. According to the Minas State Civil Defense Coordinating Office (Cedec), a daycare center and six houses had tiles ripped off their roofs. A tree fell on some wires and caused damage to the electrical system. The southern zone of the municipality had no electricity for a few hours. There were no reports of injuries.

Persons who had to leave their homes were put up by friends and family. Cedec is still adding up the damage caused by the storm. It is not yet known if additional support in the form of food packets will be necessary for the families affected.

Since the rainy season began in September 2008, approximately 113,300 people have been displaced and 1,540 have been made homeless in Minas Gerais state."

OK, so what is the big deal about a storm with strong winds and hail?

A single bad storm cannot be attributed to global warming. But according the the Brazilian weather service, the number of lightning strikes per year has doubled in the last 4 years.

I can attest to that. When I first moved here, 12 years ago, from my home in tornado alley, I was amazed at how quiet the storms were. The rain came, lots of it fell, but there was no thunder and lightning. I actually missed it. In the last two years especially, we see lightning here with almost every storm that comes through. It is a very noticeable change.

I was surprised to read just now that 113,300 people had been affected in Minas Gerais since last September. I knew that it had rained a lot, but I had thought that the main problem was in the north and northeast of Brazil, where there are more than 400,000 displaced and many homeless people -- many have been cut off from the basic necessities for two months. Up in the Amazon region, there is very little in the way of potable water, food, medicines, medical care, electricity, and just about anything else you might need. If you would like to make a donation, in this case I recommend the Catholic charity called Caritas because they have people on the ground in every community and the money cannot be diverted by the local politicians.

Please see my other blog for instructions:

Japanese & American donate to Caritas International for the flood victims in northern and northeastern Brazil -- Learn how!

Caritas - the charitable arm of the Catholic Church - is appealing for contributions to provide assistance to flooded areas in northeastern Brazil

If you are Brazilian and want to make a transfer to a bank account here in Brazil, this is the link to the list of accounts to make donations to the Red Cross:

Cruz Vermelha do Brasil: Como fazer doações p/ os atingidos das enchentes do Norte e Nordeste

Vendaval e chuva de granizo causam estragos em Teófilo Otoni

Um vendaval, seguido de uma chuva de granizo, atingiu o município de Teófilo Otoni, no Vale do Mucuri, na tarde dessa terça-feira, causando vários estragos. Segundo a Coordenadoria Estadual de Defesa Civil de Minas (Cedec), seis casas e uma creche tiveram os telhados arrancados. Uma árvore caiu sobre a via pública causando estragos na rede elétrica. A zona Sul do município ficou sem energia por várias horas. Não houve registro de feridos.

Os desalojados foram abrigados em casas de parentes e amigos. A Cedec ainda faz um balanço dos prejuízos causados pela chuva. Ainda não se sabe se há necessidade de apoio complementar, como cestas básicas, para as famílias afetadas.

Desde setembro de 2008, início do período chuvoso, aproximadamente 113.300 pessoas ficaram desalojadas e 1.540 desabrigadas em Minas Gerais.

(Cecília Kruel/Portal Uai) Link to this article: http://www.uai.com.br/UAI/html/sessao_2/2009/06/03/em_noticia_interna,id_sessao=2&id_noticia=112998/em_noticia_interna.shtml

GEA: Gem Exporters Association (Associação dos Exportadores e Comerciantes de Jóias e Gemas do Brasil, list of members

This is a list of the dealers and members of GEA (possibly somewhat outdated):

• AMS - IMPORTAÇÃO EXPORTAÇÃO DE PEDRAS PRECIOSAS
• APJ - APRENDER PRODUZIR JUNTOS
• AV PEDRAS PRECIOSAS
• BERYNO GEMS LTDA.
• BEZIM GEMS
• BRAZCRYSTAL LAPIDAÇÃO E COMÉRCIO LTDA.
• BRASGEMAS LTDA.
• BRASIL GEMAS
• CAIMEX - COMISSÁRIA E ACESSORIA IMPORTAÇÃO E EXPORTAÇÃO
• CIA DAS GEMAS
• CMP DO BRASIL
• COLORGEMS LTDA.
• CRISTAL GEMAS
• CRISTAIS CORINTO
• DUARTE & BASTOS LTDA.
• EMBRARAD - EMPRESA BRASILEIRA DE RADIAÇÕES LTDA.
• EMPRESA DE MINERAÇÃO BADIN LTDA.
• GEMAIA PEDRAS LTDA.
• GEMAS DA TERRA
• GEMAS MMD
• GEMS HÉRCULES PRECIOUS
• GEMS FROM BRASIL EXPORTAÇÃO E IMPORTAÇÃO LTDA.
• GMIR LTDA.
• GRP GEMAS E MINERAIS
• INDO BRÁS UNITED LTDA.
• JAA GEMAS LTDA.
• JG LTDA.
• KALINA NEUMANN
• K'ELAWAR LTDA.
• KELLES PEDRAS
• LAPIDAÇÃO KELLER
• LP GEMAS
• LUIZ MENEZES COMÉRCIO E EXPORTAÇÃO DE MINERAIS LTDA.
• LUPO MINERAÇÕES LTDA.
• MARKSTONE PEDRAS PRECIOSAS
• MINERAÇÃO TAPICURU
• NATURALE STEIN LTDA.
• OPALAS PEDRO II
• ORGANIZAÇÕES DUARTE LTDA.
• OTF GEMS - OGANIZAÇÕES TAVARES FILHO COM. EXP. IMP. DE P.PRECIOSAS
• QUARTZO ROSA COMÉRCIO E INDÚSTRIA LTDA.
• RAINBOW EXPORT SERVICES
• R. FIGUEIREDO BRASILIAN GEMS STONES LTDA.
• R & R GEMAS
• RSV GEMAS LTDA.
• SANTOS STONES
• SILVA E GUIMARÃES COMÉRCIO E INDÚSTRIA LTDA.
• STONE KELLER COMÉRCIO E INDÚSTRIA EXPORTAÇÃO LTDA.
• STONE WORLD INDÚSTRIA E COMÉRCIO LTDA.
• STONES PICTURES
• TAMIL - TAVARES MINÉRIOS E EXPORTAÇÃO LTDA.
• TEÓPHILO STONES
• TRANSPORT SERVIÇOS INTERNACIONAIS
• VALOR INDÚSTRIA E COMERCIO
• VIEIRA & SOARES GEMAS LTDA.
• VIEIRA LAPIDÁRIOS
• VIEIRA PEDRAS PRECIOSAS

Gem cutting in Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil, and The One That Got Away

For a long time I have wanted to write about the gem cutters here in Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, and later about the cutters in Teófilo Otoni and Governador Valadares in Minas Gerais. Finally, I found the photos I had taken, back in late 2006, of my friend, Saturno. There are really only two cutters in this city, Saturno, and his teacher, Sr. Antônio.

One thing that amazes me about Saturno is that he is roughly my age (in fact, I think he is a few years younger) and he does not need to use reading glasses.

Of course, much more amazing is how he uses equipment that would be considered relatively unsophisticated or even completely inadequate in the U.S. and Europe.


OK, so the first photo here is of his grinding wheel (proper term to be inserted later) where he forms the rough, holding the rough stone in his fingers. He really does everything he wants to do right there.

Once, I was sooooo peeved with him because he had some gorgeous pinkish amethyst rough, and I sat next to him, and he formed a large piece of it into a triangular shape just the way I wanted it. The finished stone would have been about 80 carats. When I came back on the weekend to pick it up and pay for it, it was no where to be found. How does this happen? My mistake! If I had paid for the rough first, then paid for him to cut it, he would have made much more, but I wanted to pay by the finished carat weight. Once he had finished the stone, he must have decided that it was worth a lot more to another buyer, so away it went.

I, being American, assumed that we had a done deal -- after all, had I not sat there right next to him while he formed the rough to my specifications and agreed to have it finished at the weekend when I was to come and pick it up? There was a deal made, wasn't there?

Hellooooo! This is Brazil we are talking about.

There I am, completely confused because I have known Saturno for years, and he has never pulled a stunt like this on me before, and I was also extremely disappointed because that particular amethyst rough was so unusual. It was extremely sparkly, had a silver cast to it, and showed both pink and blue. It even sparkled in the evenings when amethyst is normally a fairly dull stone. Furthermore, there was no chance of getting any more because the owner of the mine had shut it down due to so much theft.

But really, the worst was that I had trusted him. And, in his Brazilian way, he made up all sorts of excuses and fibs about how he had had to give it to Sr. Antônio to cut it for him because he had had other work to do, and it was gone or it had broken or some such nonsense, and this being Brazil, I had to get over it right there on the spot and not get mad and just accept the fact that he had found someone willing to pay a lot more money, and it was my mistake for not paying for the rough up front.

This is called "going native."

Or, "live and learn."



The first rule of business here is: don't trust anyone!

The second rule of business here is: don't trust anyone!

The third rule of business here is: well, maybe trust just a little bit, but not really.

Here are some photos of one that did not get away:

Sr. Antônio is a bit hard to get along with, but his work is better. I asked him to put twice the number of facets on the pavilion as usual -- this is called a fantasia cut, here. So, this is the best I can get, here, which is the reason that I am in search of a really confiável (someone I can trust -- LOL) cutter in Teófilo Otoni with whom I can work. I am beginning with the "french-fried" tourmalines guy, so we'll just have to see how that goes.

By the way... That big oval was cut back in 2006, and I sold it to a really nice client of mine in São Paulo. He was also studying gemology with the GIA there. After he received the stone, he phoned me all in a panic, saying that it was giving the wrong Chelsea filter reaction. I was like, please, Arnaldo, calm down. Ask your teacher. I know this is a real stone because I saw the rough. Look, you can see the growth layers. Later, he phoned back and told me his teacher, a nice guy from Spain, had checked it out, and indeed, yes, it was natural.

[Last paragraph deleted because it was an embarrassing display of gemology ignorance -- I love the fact that blog posts can be edited!]

Copyright © 2009 N. Tenney Naumer -- All rights reserved.

International Gem Fair will be held!!! FIPP2009, August 25-28, 2009, Teófilo Otoni, Brazil

Boy, am I ever pleased to be able to write this post!!!!

Here is the official site for registering for the 2009 Feira Internacional das Pedras Preciosas (FIPP: International Gemstone Fair)!

In Portuguese and English: http://www.geabrasil.com/inscricao.php

In better times (I am thinking of 2006 and before), the fair was held in the main square (Praça Tiradentes), where you can stand under the trees outside the pavillion and have the birds drop fruit juice from the berries on top of your head or in your eye while watching the tree sloths. Tree sloths are called preguiças in Portuguese (loosely translated, this means "lazy" or "sleepy" ones), and the praça is the only place where I have seen them.

Did you know that "Tiradentes" means tooth puller? Perhaps an archaic word for dentist? No, Tiradentes is a great hero of Minas Gerais who was executed by impalement in Ouro Preto -- Yikes!!!! Don't worry, it was a very long time ago! For more on the history of this Mineiran hero, click here: http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Tiradentes

[OK, here it is -- it doesn't matter where you are as a tourist, the tour guides will often tell you the most complete nonsense right off the top of their heads. I visited Ouro Preto in 1998, and the guide actually showed me the very spot where Tiradentes had been executed. I absorbed it all. However, if you go to the above link, you will read that he was executed by hanging in Rio de Janeiro. hmmm]

According to the gem dealers I have talked to over the past few weeks, they expect the show to be held inside the Palmeiras Country Club. In fact, this is a pretty good spot, although without the small town charm of the praça. I prefer the praça because it is close to the offices of the dealers, some of the best cutters, all the banks, and lots of places to eat with good food and good prices.

The Palmeiras Country Club does offer good security, and it is very close to one of the better hotels (more on this later), as well as being within walking distance of the SESC pousada. The SESC pousada does offer wireless Internet (but I will check on this, again, next week, to be sure), and it is very close (5 minutes walking) to the bus station. Almost directly across the street from the pousada is a wonderful place for having lunch with a wide variety of fresh dishes that only Mineiras can cook. I am thinking of going down to Teófilo Otoni early next week, so I will firm up all these little details with business names and addresses.

I am not sure where all of the little stands will be located (another detail to be provided later).

The fair is organized by the GEA (known as the Gem Exporters Association in English, but the Portuguese name is Associação dos Comerciantes e Exportadores de Jóias e Gemas do Brasil, which translates as Association of Business Owners and Exporters of Jewelry and Gems of Brazil). Brazilians are fond of pronouncing the anacronyms as if they were words, so the GEA is called the "gee ah" (that is a hard "g" as in gadfly). I'll tell ya, though, Brazilians talk so fast that even knowing what they are going to say, I find it difficult to catch it all.

That's all for now, folks!

(But I am soooo happy!!!!)

Copyright © 2009 N. Tenney Naumer -- All rights reserved.

Brazil Gem Show (13ª Feira Internacional de Gemas e Jóias, Governador Valadares, 2009) cancelado -- notícia official do Sistema Sindijóias Ajomig

UPDATE -- PLEASE DO NOT CONFUSE THE SHOW IN GOVERNADOR VALADARES WITH THE SHOW IN TEÓFILO OTONI.  THE SHOW IN TEÓFILO OTONI HAS NOT BEEN CANCELLED AND WILL BE HELD 25-28 AUGUST 2009!

UPDATE -- ENGLISH TRANSLATION RECEIVED TODAY, JUNE 3, 2009 (I'm thinking they need to hire me to touch up their translations, although this one is not really all that bad.)

Dear Visitor,

As you already know, the international economical turbulence in the main jewelry consuming countries has had a significant impact in the whole industry worldwide, notably in the gem business. As a direct result, all the players in this segment are being forced to adapt to the current harsh market situation, aiming at minimizing the losses in the short and medium terms. Having this perspective in mind and hoping to preserve the interests of exporters and importers, we regretfully inform that the 13th Edition of the Brazil Gem Show, which was scheduled for the period of June 24 thru 27, in Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, has been postponed for 2010, at a new date to be defined in the near future, taking in consideration the international trade shows calendar. We hope to receive your full support and patronage in the next Brazil Gem Show, which will certainly enhance its success history. We are at your disposal for any further clarification.

Sincerely yours,

Recebido, agora, dia 13 de maio do 2009

Prezado,

Como é do conhecimento de V.Sas., a turbulência econômica nos principais países consumidores de jóias provocou um impacto relevante no âmbito de suprimentos dessa cadeia produtiva, sobretudo no setor de pedras preciosas, o que vem obrigando os operadores desse segmento a uma adaptação às circunstâncias de mercado a fim de minimizar as perdas a curto e médio prazos. Alinhados a essa perspectiva e no sentido de preservar os interesses maiores dos empresários exportadores e dos clientes do setor, comunicamos o adiamento da 13ª edição da BRAZIL GEM SHOW - FEIRA INTERNACIONAL DE GEMAS E JÓIAS, que estava agendada para o período de 24 a 27 de junho próximo, na cidade de Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais / Brasil, para 2010, em data a ser definida, levando-se em consideração o calendário de feiras internacionais do setor, a fim de garantirmos a participação de V.Sas.

Na época oportuna faremos a divulgação do evento, esperando contar com sua presença, que será significativa para o sucesso do evento. Colocando-nos à disposição para maiores esclarecimentos, subscrevemo-nos.

Atenciosamente,

Sistema Sindijóias Ajomig


Brazil Gem Show homepage in English:http://www.brazilgemshow.com/en/index.htm

Brazil Gem Show homepage in Portuguese:http://www.brazilgemshow.com/pt/index.htm

Interesting website -- Sistema Sindijóias Ajomig: http://www.ajomig.com.br/produtos.php?prod_tipo=1

Prasiolite and Rose Quartz purchased in Teófilo Otoni, cut in Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais

Pssst! Don't tell anybody, but if you know the right people, you can buy these pretty rose quartz or prasiolite stones for $2.50 a carat there in Teófilo Otoni!

My camera doesn't show the colors very well. The prasiolite was a light mint green, and the rose quartz was more open.

Copyright © 2009 N. Tenney Naumer -- All rights reserved.

French Fried Tourmalines in Teófilo Otoni

And this is why you should never ever turn your back on a six year old!Just click on the photo to enlarge it and see the details.

The cutter and owner of the oven told me that he had been babysitting his young daughter at his place of business, and when he got ready to leave, someone stopped him to talk while he was walking out. His daughter was behind him, and was eye level with the dial on the oven, which she must have turned to the right, up to well over 700 °C, and so the blue-green tourmalines he had cut were cooked from Saturday afternoon until Monday morning.

Note that the stones were cut and polished before heating, just like the ones in the photo that were not over cooked. Another dealer told me that if the stones are not polished before heating, in which case the surface is not smooth, then during heating the stones can acquire a coating that cannot be polished out.

Copyright © 2009 N. Tenney Naumer -- All rights reserved.

Brazil Gem Show, Governador Valadares, and FIPP2009 (Feira Internacional das Pedras Preciosas), Teófilo Otoni

UPDATE:  FIPP2009 IN TEÓFILO OTONI WILL GO FORWARD -- WILL BE HELD ON 25-28 AUGUST 2009!

I'm here in Teófilo Otoni, a city I really love (especially when the weather is as it was today -- the temperature was perfect and the humidity was low).

I was expecting the streets to be a bit calmer, but like many cities in Brazil, Teófilo Otoni has been experiencing quite a bit of growth in recent years (not due to the stone business, I might add).

OK, so the word on the street is that the Brazil Gem Show has been cancelled. That is a great pity, but if too few people have signed up, then what else can they do?

So what is going to happen in Teófilo Otoni this August with FIPP2009 (Feira Internacional das Pedras Preciosas)?

I sincerely doubt we will know the answer to that question for a couple more months.

Copyright © 2009 N. Tenney Naumer -- All rights reserved.

2009 Brazil Gem Show cancelled -- had been scheduled for June 2009 in Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais

UPDATE:  PLEASE DO NOT CONFUSE THIS CANCELLATION WITH THE SHOW TO BE HELD ON AUGUST 25-28, 2009, IN TEÓFILO OTONI -- THE SHOW IN TEÓFILO OTONI HAS NOT BEEN CANCELLED!

There is no official word, yet, and nothing on the website, but word is racing all over Teófilo Otoni that the Governador Valadares show has been cancelled. This is not good for the gem business in Brazil which has been in decline since mid-2007.

Let's hope the FIPP2009 doesn't go the same way.

Brazil Gem Show homepage in English:

http://www.brazilgemshow.com/en/index.htm

Brazil Gem Show homepage in Portuguese:

http://www.brazilgemshow.com/pt/index.htm

FIPP2009 cancelada? Feira Internacional das Pedras Preciosas, Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais, August

UPDATE: July 3, 2009: my friends in Teófilo Otoni are telling me that sales are dead, but the FIPP2009 has NOT been cancelled.

____________________________________________________

UPDATE: May 9, 2009: right now it appears that all systems are go for the 2009 FIPP!

____________________________________________________

Well, if this happens I will be really, really disappointed, and I won't be the only one.

There is some talk now that the gem fair in Teófilo Otoni, scheduled for August, will be cancelled.

From what I understand, the association was thinking of having it at the Palmeiras Country Club, which is just up a steep hill from the SESC (a nice, clean, inexpensive place to stay!).

If the vendors and the association do not have enough funding to rent the pavillion and hold the fair in the square, then indeed, the country club would be a great venue.

The club is still far from the banks, cutters, and dealers' offices, but it is also located near the better hotels and also very near the bus station (not to mention SESC). There are also some nice restaurants in that neighborhood of town.

The praça (square) was the most ideal location, but if it is not doable, then the country club idea ain't half bad.

OK everybody, please cross your fingers and hope the gem fair in Teófilo Otoni will carry on.

Brazil Gem Show homepage in English:

http://www.brazilgemshow.com/en/index.htm

Brazil Gem Show homepage in Portuguese:

http://www.brazilgemshow.com/pt/index.htm

Copyright © 2009 N. Tenney Naumer -- All rights reserved.

Brazil Gem Show foi cancelado? Scheduled for June 2009 in Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais

UPDATE: PLEASE DO NOT CONFUSE THIS CANCELLATION -- FIPP2009 HAS NOT BEEN CANCELLED, THE SHOW TO BE HELD IN TEÓFILO OTONI, ON 25-28 AUGUST 2009, HAD NOT BEEN CANCELLED!

My friends in Teófilo Otoni are telling me that the Brazil Gem Show scheduled for June 2009 has been cancelled. However, there is no official word on this as of yet, and the website is not showing anything on this.

Here is the current list of exhibitors:

Auriverde
BC Gemas
Ben Sabbagh Bros.
Bezim Pedras
BGC Gemas
Blue Gem Ind.
Caimex
CAMBRY
Carneiro Gems Stone
CMP Cristais
Cosmos
Cristalina Ltda
Di Grande
Embrarad
Enigma Gems
Gemas de Minas
Geometa Ltda
GRP Gemas
ICA
Igem
J. G. Ltda
J. Pinto Pedras
Js Gems
Lapidação Industrial
Lapidação Minas Gemas
Lapidart
Luciane Sabbagh
Manoel Bernardes
Manoel Nogueira
Marcelo Gemas
Marjon Bio-Jóias
Mineração MG
Mosalite
Natural Gems
Neiva & Neiva
Nevestones
Opalas Pedro II
OTF Gems - Org
Paixão Pedras
PinkStone
Possebon Jóias
P. P. Brazil
Premier Gems
Ribeiro Precious
Rocha Mineração
RM Gemas
Salomon Design Ltda
Tecnoforte
Topázio Imperial
Transport
Vianna Jóias
Vasconcelos Pedras
Wilson's Pedras

Brazil Gem Show homepage in English:

http://www.brazilgemshow.com/en/index.htm

Brazil Gem Show homepage in Portuguese:

http://www.brazilgemshow.com/pt/index.htm

12th Annual Brazil Gem Show, Governador Valadares, MG, June 25-28 2009

UPDATE:  THE SHOW IN GOVERNADOR VALADARES WAS CANCELLED.

THE FIPP2009 WILL GO ON!  THE GEM FAIR IN TEÓFILO OTONI WILL BE HELD ON 25-28 AUGUST 2009!!!

Below is the text of the press release for the upcoming annual gem show in Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil, to be held on June 25-28, 2009. The exhibition center will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 25th is a Thursday, and most of the big spenders will come in at least one day before the show to see if they can pick up everything they want and leave before the lesser mortals show up. June 28th is a Sunday and is likely to be the day when the local public are allowed to come in and look around. (This is pretty much the same thing that occurs in Teófilo Otoni in August.) Now, differently from Teófilo Otoni, there are not many places to sit and haggle over bargains on the final day. In Teófilo Otoni, the gem show ends on a Saturday, and exhibitors will already begin to pack up on that day. But, I happen to know that if you stay until Sunday, you can go to the praça and continue to pick up good deals, if you make arrangements beforehand. There is really no convenient way to do this in Governador Valadares.

I have a few words to say about the text below. You will note that it says they had 15,000 visitors. Hmmm, I would really like to know how they came up with that figure. My friend, Natasha and I were there in 2007, and it was fairly slow. Natasha has been attending since 2006, and she reported back that 2008 was very, very slow. Things were very nice at the shows in Teófilo Otoni in August 2005 and 2006, but after that, attendance at both shows has dropped off a lot. If there were 15,000 attending, last year, then most likely they were locals. During the first few days of the show, only registered visitors, dealers, and exhibitors are permitted to enter. On the final day, the local public may enter. That might account for the attendance figure. Generally, the locals hardly buy anything -- after all, they live in a gem center all year round, and prices during the show are much higher than they are during the rest of the year.

Now, let's talk about the "180 exhibitors." Hmmm, not inside the main exhibition hall (there are two floors), I would say. But, just outside under tents, there are the smaller sellers of less precious stones and minerals. You can get some good buys on mineral crystals, rose quartz, smoky quartz (also known as "morion" here), dendritic quartz, agates, etc. But, the "good stuff" is inside.

The exhibition hall is situated just up from the bank of a river, making it a very picturesque spot in an area otherwise mostly devoid of natural beauty (the region is largely deforested). However, this year, there has been an absolutely astounding amount of rain, so everything should be very lush and green as opposed to the years of drought. This reminds me that I should check into the situation of the river since so many areas of Brazil are flooding due to the abnormal quantity of rainfall.

One thing that you should know about Governador Valadares is that it is hot! I mean, really hot! And humid! The interior of the exhibition hall is not air conditioned but has a system of misters hanging down from the high ceilings that sprays a fine mist of water into the air. This actually cools things down inside the hall, which gets heated up due to the high-intensity spots that many exhibitors use to show off their wares. But be prepared to sweat!

On the backside of the exhibition hall, there is a large restaurant with pretty good food, and you can sit outside on the ample balcony, resting your feet while overlooking the river, and where there is usually a nice breeze -- very nice and refreshing, indeed!

12th Annual Brazil Gem Show

The world of precious stones trading is here.

Latin America’s largest gem show, the Brazil Gem Show is held in Governador Valadares, one of the major mineral and stones extraction areas in the world. It success in attracting public, attractions and trading have made it a great opportunity to do business with hundreds of exhibitors who offer a large variety of gems and precious stones of incomparable quality. A success in public attendance, attractions and sales, the show is one of the biggest trading opportunities, with hundreds of exhibitors who offer a large variety of incomparable quality gems and precious stones.

The largest gem show in Latin America

Visitors from 22 countries
13 Brazilian states
180 exhibitors
15 thousand visitors

A show of opportunities

The show presents visitors with the trends, products and development policies for the precious stone industry. In a single venue, the visitor will find a wide variety of Brazilian stones, which are the highlight in the domestic and international markets.

The Brazil Gem Show is a Sindijóias Ajomig event (the Minas Gerais Syndicate and Association of Jewelers, Precious Stone, Watch and Fashion Jewelry Traders) and IBGM, the Brazilian Gems and Jewellery Trade Association in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, the Government of the State of Minas Gerais, the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA), the Governador Valadares Municipal Government, FIEMG (Minas Gerais State Industrial Federation), Apex Brasil (Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency) and Sebrae-MG (Brazilian Support Agency to Micro and Small Companies).

____________________________________________

Link to this page: http://www.brazilgemshow.com/en/brazilgemshow.htm

This link will take you to a page where you can sign up to receive upcoming information: http://www.brazilgemshow.com/en/index.htm

Here you can sign up to be a visitor (this is a good idea since you need to register to be permitted to enter -- however, I believe that registration can also be done onsite, provided someone brings you inside and past the security at the main entrance): http://www.brazilgemshow.com/en/beavisitor.htm

Here you can sign up to be an exhibitor (not free and not cheap): http://www.brazilgemshow.com/en/becomeanexhibitor.htm

____________________________________________

Here is some additional information concerning the 2006 show -- 2006 was really a high point in both Governador Valadares and Teófilo Otoni. Let us all hope that such good times return!

Exhibitors and Visitors

The Brazil Gem Show is an event aimed at two different kinds of public:

The main exhibition area with stands and other facilities for gems and jewells trade, exclusivelly open to previously registered professionals with credentials such as exhibitors, traders, designers, buyers, dealers, exporters, newspeople and authorities. The outside area, with restaurants, veranda, hancrafted products exhibition and commerce, workshops and seminars halls will have public free access, representing a large number of visitors from regional communities such as from Valadares, Teófilo Otoni, Ipatinga, Belo Horizonte. The previous exhibition, the 10th Brazil Gem Show represented a big sucess as for public attendance, events and sales. The 2006 Show had 150 exhibitors, 3,500 visitors with credentials and a major 14,000 people flow of visitors to the event.

Link: http://www.brazilgemshow.com/en/brazilstones.htm