How to Find Gems in Southern Arizona

Hit the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, generally held from late January through the middle of February. The show typically encompasses more than a dozen locations, with the largest collection of vendors at the Tucson Convention Center. You'll also find gem collectors and retailers set up at hotels throughout the city during the event.

Head to gem shops in the Phoenix area for peridot, which is a bright yellow-green or lime-green stone that is mined in nearby San Carlos, about 110 miles east of Phoenix. The largest peridot mine in Southern Arizona is on the San Carlos Indian Reservation, which supplies many of the area's retailers with the gems. Unfortunately it is not open for public tours.

Take a trip to Bisbee, Arizona, located near the Mexico border about 90 miles southeast of Tucson, home of highly sought-after Bisbee turquoise. The mine, which is part of a larger copper mine, is closed, but tours are available and Bisbee turquoise is still for sale at shops in the area, as well as throughout Tucson and Phoenix.

Travel to amethyst-rich Four Peaks, which is about 60 miles northeast of Phoenix. The area is home to the Mazatzal Mountain Range, whose trails draw hikers throughout the year. The Four Peaks Mine itself is on private property among the peaks at about 7,200 feet, but you'll find the purple amethysts at gem shops in and around Four Peaks and Phoenix.