• FEATURE •
At InterGem’s Pasadena show, buyers can shop directly from manufacturers, wholesalers and designers.
Gem and jewelry show sparkles at convention center
Photo courtesy of Visit Pasadena
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By Laura Latzko Pasadena Weekly Contributing Writer
he International Gem and Jewelry Show in Pasadena brings together manufacturers, designers and wholesalers offering a wide selection of items. Organized by InterGem, the show runs from Friday, Nov. 19, to Sunday, Nov. 21, at the Pasadena Convention Center. “What’s nice about the show is whatever you are looking for in gems and jewelry is going to be there,” said Arnold Duke, InterGem Inc. owner. “It’s a nice assortment of exhibitors with different merchandise.” The Pasadena show will boast around 100 vendors, selling products with silver, gold, diamonds, pearls, rhinestones or beads as well as raw materials. Categories include fine jewelry, silver, fashion jewelry, gems, beads or gifts and accessories. Repair work and custom jewelers will be available, too. “If you’ve got your grandmother’s ring, and you want to make it updated and change it into something else, we can do that,” Duke said. At one of the shows, two sisters had two rings created from their grandmother’s jewelry. Others have brought in photographs to have lost or stolen jewelry recreated. “When it comes to jewelry, the sky is the limit. Anything is possible,” Duke said. A number of local companies, including Los Angeles boutique jeweler Lo Rador, have been taking part in InterGem shows for decades. Sitting at booth 311, Lo Rador was founded in 1985 by Lawrence and Maria Law. About 15 years ago, their daughter Peih-Gee Law, who appeared on “Survivor: China” and “Survivor Cambodia-Second Chance,” joined them. Before her parents, Peih-Gee’s grandfather was in the gemstone business in Hong Kong. Her mother and father worked as a nurse and aeronautical engineer, respectively, before changing careers. What started out as a side business turned into a full-time job specializing in jewelry. Many exhibitors, including Curtis J. Lewis, will bring a wide selection. Lewis is a designer, manufacturer and estate jewelry reseller who specializes in fine original and contemporary jewelry with various price points. This includes estate jewelry that is purchased and resold. “We want to make sure the piece is sound, that it is built to last, that you get your money’s worth out of everything you buy from us,” Lewis said. “If that piece meets that requirement and
it is preowned, I’m happy to put it back into the showcase and resell it.” Lewis offers finer sterling jewelry, 14- to 18-karat gold and platinum pieces with diamonds and natural gemstones and fashion jewelry made from brass and stainless steel. Lewis’ items tend to come from the 1980s and ’90s. However, he had offered art deco pieces from the 1920s, postmodern jewelry from the ’40s and ’50s, and Edwardian jewelry from the 1800s. Wide variety Lewis said consumers see a wider variety than they would at a jewelry store. “People are excited when they come to these events. You get an opportunity to see so much more,” Lewis said. One family of sellers from Greece uses gold, silver and copper in its jewelry. “We do have some designers who make very unusual artistic, artsy jewelry that you won’t find anywhere else. We have everything from the traditional six-prong Tiffany diamond ring to some of the wildest, craziest jewels and jewelry that you can ever imagine,” Duke said. Lo Radar offers creative pieces made with various gemstones, which, Peih-Gee said, she uses as the base for her designs. “A lot of other jewelers will buy premade settings, and they will buy the gemstones and put them together,” Peih-Gee said. “I can always tell when that happens because they don’t always fit right in that setting. Whereas for me, I do a custom basket, which is what the gemstone sits in, so the gemstone can sit perfectly. It’s not sitting up too much or too low. I let the shape of the stone dictate how the setting is going to look.” Peih-Gee often tries to incorporate unusual gemstones, such as teal sapphires or purple garnets, into her pieces. Recently, she has been working a lot with color-changing gemstones. Attendees will often find unexpected treasures at the show. “You go booth to booth, and you think you know what you are looking for,” Duke said. “All of a sudden, you then come up on a booth. You never thought about this type of jewelry, or you never thought about those kinds of color combinations. Everybody makes great discoveries at the show.” Prices range from $1 for rocks and crystals to $1 million for diamonds. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 11.18.21 | PASADENA WEEKLY 7
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