Tucson season does something magical to the jewelry trade.

Not the “I found a parking spot near the venue” kind of magical. The commercial kind. For a few concentrated weeks, retailers are in high-intent mode. They’re buying. They’re comparing. They’re building assortments. They’re hunting for color that makes customers stop mid-scroll and say, “Wait—what is that?” And this year’s zeitgeist has a poster child: kunzite.

AGTA’s 2025 Spectrum & Cutting Edge Buyer’s Choice winners included Mimi So’s 18K rose gold “Cotton Candy” necklace featuring a 16.71-ct pear-shaped kunzite, and a 35.25-ct pink-purple octagonal-cut kunzite from Ben Kho. Beautiful? Absolutely. Important for your business? Also yes—because awards and trend coverage don’t just flatter designers. They create retailer demand signals. Retailers see stories like that and immediately start asking their suppliers the same thing they ask every Tucson season:

“Can you send pics + specs + price + availability?”

And the suppliers who can answer that in minutes (not days) win more orders. The ones who can’t… get “circle backed into oblivion. This blog is about how to use Tucson as a true sales accelerator—and why “aftercare” is the unreasonably effective lever most wholesalers and manufacturers underuse. Because the opportunity isn’t only “sell the stone.” It’s “help the retailer sell it confidently—and keep the customer happy after.”

That’s where reorder velocity and long-term accounts come from.
‍

If you'd like to be a step ahead and upgrade your jewelry ERP, contact us here or book a demo directly here.

Why Tucson compresses decision cycles (and exposes weak operations)

Tucson is unique because it combines:

• newness (fresh product stories)
• urgency (short buying windows)
• comparison shopping (multiple suppliers, same day)
• retailer imagination (merchandising and storytelling decisions happening live)

AGTA GemFair Tucson runs Feb 2–6, 2026, right in the peak buying window.

In this environment, your product can be incredible and still lose to a competitor… because the competitor’s presentation is easier to buy from.

The modern retailer workflow looks like this:

1. Spot a trend / story (like kunzite winning Buyer’s Choice)
2. Identify 3–6 possible suppliers
3. Request details
4. Compare quickly
5. Place orders with whoever makes the decision easiest

The “whoever” part is the point. It’s not personal. It’s operational.

The new competitive advantage in wholesale: buyer-ready product data

Retailers don’t want more information. They want clean information. When retailers ask for “details,” they typically mean:

• high-res product images (multiple angles)
• core specs (stone type, carat weight, dimensions, cut shape)
• metal, setting, and accent stone details
• certification / verification info (when relevant)
• SKU consistency (so the item can be referenced later without confusion)
• availability + lead time
• pricing and terms (or a structured quote)

If your team is assembling this from:

• one spreadsheet for pricing
• another for availability
• a shared drive folder for images
• and a person who “knows which SKU is which”…

You’re not selling wholesale. You’re doing archaeology. The fastest way to win more Tucson orders is to make every item “buyer-ready”—with standardized SKUs, specs, images, and availability that can be shared instantly.

Related Read: Jewelry Design Trends 2026: What Retailers Will Be Asking You For

The “Cotton Candy” effect: awards create demand spikes you can ride

When National Jeweler covers a winning piece, it doesn’t just celebrate craftsmanship—it helps retailers justify buying decisions.

In this case, the Buyer’s Choice winners were:

• Mimi So’s “Cotton Candy” necklace (kunzite centerpiece)
• Ben Kho’s 35.25-ct kunzite (Cutting Edge)

This creates two immediate opportunities for wholesalers/manufacturers:

1. Trend-aligned assortment building
   Retailers lean into “moment” stones for merchandising stories (window displays, social content, February gifting, spring events).
2. Faster inbound inquiries
   Retailers reach out asking for similar colors, cuts, and price points—often across multiple suppliers to compare.

If your response requires three internal Slack messages and a prayer, you’ll lose that race.

Why aftercare is the underrated “deal closer” for colored stones

Here’s the thing retailers know but don’t always say out loud:

Colored stones can be emotional purchases and operational risks.

Not because the stones are “bad,” but because consumers are increasingly sensitive to:

• durability
• care
• cleaning
• warranty clarity
• what happens if something chips, fades, or breaks

Kunzite is a perfect example. It’s gorgeous—and it also comes with real care considerations:

• Mohs hardness around 6.5–7
• toughness is considered poor due to cleavage
• high heat or sudden temperature changes can cause breaks
• color can fade with prolonged exposure to heat or intense light
• avoid steam/ultrasonic; warm soapy water is recommended

That’s not “scary.” That’s just the truth—and retailers who can educate customers confidently make fewer problems for everyone. Aftercare isn’t an accessory. It’s insurance for the sale.

When you provide retailers with:

• a simple care card template
• cleaning guidance
• “avoid this” reminders (steam cleaners, intense light/heat)
• recommended wear context (“great for occasion jewelry; remove for heavy tasks”)

…you reduce buyer friction and help the retailer protect their reputation. And here’s the selfish win for you: retailers remember suppliers who reduce headaches.

Aftercare creates service revenue for retailers (and loyalty for you)

Retailers love aftercare when it’s framed correctly. Because aftercare doesn’t just reduce returns—it creates repeat service touchpoints:

• inspections
• tightening
• cleanings
• rechecks after wear
• prong evaluations (especially for statement pieces)

Those visits are opportunities for:

• future purchases
• upgrades
• add-ons
• custom projects

So if you’re a wholesaler/manufacturer, “aftercare” is not a retail-only topic. It’s a relationship accelerator. You’re not just selling product—you’re helping the retailer sell outcomes: confidence, longevity, and serviceability.

The four bottlenecks that slow wholesale orders in Tucson season

Let’s call the usual suspects by name:

1) SKU chaos

Retailers ask a question, and internally your team says:
“Which ‘pink kunzite pendant’ do they mean?”

If you can’t uniquely identify an item instantly, everything slows down.

2) Specs scattered across systems

One file has carats, another has dimensions, the third has treatment notes, the fourth has images. That’s a quote delay waiting to happen.

3) Media is not ready-to-share

Retailers need images that are:

• clean background
• consistent lighting
• multiple angles
• named and linked to the correct SKU

If your images live in someone’s phone camera roll, it’s not going to scale.

4) No “single source of truth” for availability + lead time

If availability is manual, your quotes become risky. Nobody wants to explain backorders after a retailer already merchandised the piece.

The Tucson-ready operating system: make buying easy

If you want a simple practical goal for February:

Build a “Tucson Kit” for every SKU you plan to push

At minimum:

• SKU + product name
• primary image + alternate angles
• stone and metal specs
• dimensions and weights
• certification info (if applicable)
• availability status
• lead time / production window
• wholesale price / MAP guidance (if relevant)
• a short aftercare note (especially for stones like kunzite)

If you can deliver that cleanly and fast, you remove friction from the retailer’s decision. A Tucson-ready catalog is one where a retailer can compare items quickly with images, specs, and availability in one place.

Where Luxare fits for wholesalers and manufacturers

This is exactly where Luxare helps.

Luxare is built to support digital-first wholesale selling by helping you:

• standardize product data across your team (SKUs, specs, attributes)
• maintain buyer-ready media tied to the right item
• share searchable digital catalogs quickly
• reduce back-and-forth in quote-to-order workflows
• present inventory professionally so retailers can decide faster

When Tucson accelerates buying decisions, the suppliers who look organized win—not just once, but repeatedly. Because a retailer will reorder from the vendor who made the first order painless.

Quick FAQs

What are AGTA Buyer’s Choice Awards?
They’re awards associated with AGTA’s Spectrum and Cutting Edge programs, with Buyer’s Choice winners announced around the Spectrum Awards Gala.

Who won the 2025 Buyer’s Choice Awards featuring kunzite?
National Jeweler and AGTA coverage cite Mimi So’s “Cotton Candy” necklace (16.71-ct kunzite) and Ben Kho’s 35.25-ct kunzite as Buyer’s Choice winners in Spectrum and Cutting Edge divisions.

What’s the best way to win more wholesale orders during Tucson season?
Respond faster with buyer-ready catalogs: clean SKUs, images, specs, availability, and pricing in a consistent format.

Is kunzite durable for everyday wear?
Kunzite is around 6.5–7 Mohs but has poor toughness due to cleavage; it can break from impact or heat/temperature changes, and its color can fade with prolonged heat or intense light. Warm soapy water is recommended; avoid steam/ultrasonic cleaning.

Why does aftercare matter for wholesalers and manufacturers?
Because retailers sell more confidently, see fewer issues, and build service revenue when they have clear care guidance—leading to stronger, repeat wholesale relationships.

The takeaway

Tucson isn’t just a sourcing trip. It’s a decision window.

Awards coverage like the kunzite Buyer’s Choice wins creates a surge of retailer interest—great for everyone, but especially for the suppliers who can deliver:

• speed
• clarity
• consistency
• and confidence (via aftercare support)

So here’s the February challenge: Don’t just be the vendor with the best product. Be the vendor who makes buying easiest.

That’s how Tucson becomes your sales accelerator—this season, and every season after.

‍

Book your Luxare demo today and turn the Tucson aftereffect into revenue.

‍