A Day at the Alfie
Schedule
Sat Jan 31 2026 at 10:00 am to 04:00 pm
UTC-07:00Location
115 N Church Avenue, Tucson, AZ, United States, Arizona 85701 | Tucson, AZ
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We are hosting our fourth annual, all-day event to kick off the Tucson season of gem and mineral shows!Spend the day with presentations by expert guest speakers, networking with industry professionals, family-friendly entertainment in the courtyard, and the opportunity to view our latest exhibit installations!
Admission to the museum is free all day! No ticket reservation needed to participate in the event!
We encourage you to arrive before 2pm to enjoy all of the galleries and festivities!
Courtyard Activities by:
UA School of Mining Engineering & Mineral Resources, UA Tree Ring Lab, Angie Crabtree, and Alfie Museum Admissions Team
Food Trucks onsite:
Calle Coffee & GiGi's Mexican Peruvian Fusion
Presentation Schedule:
Seating is limited for presentations. Reserve your seat today!
10am Isaiah Spring & Will Scott Nelson present: Experimental Petrology: High Temperature, Under Pressure
This presentation explores experimental petrology and the behavior of minerals and rocks under extreme conditions. Through laboratory-based experimentation, Spring and Scott examine how high temperatures and pressures shape mineral formation and transformation, offering insight into the processes that occur deep within the Earth.
11:30am Richard (Rich) W. Graeme IV presents: Minerals of Bisbee, Arizona
Born in Bisbee, Arizona in 1968, Rich Graeme began collecting minerals underground with his father and twin brother at the age of six. His youth was shaped by hundreds of hours spent underground in Bisbee and other Western mining districts, where minerals and mining became lifelong passions.
Rich has worked in the gold fields of Nome, Alaska; the Sunnyside Mine in Silverton, Colorado; the Continental Mine near Silver City, New Mexico; and the Golden Queen Mine near Mojave, California, gaining extensive firsthand underground mining experience.
As opportunities in domestic mining declined, Rich transitioned into education, earning his degree from the University of Arizona in 1999. He has taught for 27 years in Southeastern Arizona and is the author or co-author of numerous books and articles, including The Mineralogy of Bisbee, Arizona Volumes 1 & 2, 7-Bells Mine Accidents at Bisbee, Arizona, and Forgotten Caves of Bisbee, Arizona, among others.
1:30pm Shelly Sergent presents: A Magical Carpet Ride
Imagine stepping aboard a bejeweled magic carpet, traveling from faraway lands and ultimately arriving at the Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum.
You are invited to experience this mystical, yet entirely true, story behind a remarkable object of bejeweled art with guest speaker Shelly Sergent. In this presentation, Shelly will share the inspiration, engineering, craftsmanship, and intricate details involved in bringing this one-of-a-kind jeweled tapestry to life.
About the Speaker
Shelly Sergent has spent nearly 45 years in the jewelry industry and is widely regarded as an authority on fine, rare colored gemstones and jewelry design. She began her career at age 16 at Zales Jewelers and advanced through sales, service, philanthropy, and management, developing a deep understanding of gemology, craftsmanship, and the details that distinguish handcrafted designer jewelry from manufactured pieces.
Shelly has worked closely with leading design houses and learned from brokers, designers, and collectors around the world. Her professional philosophy centers on honesty, transparency, and long-term relationship building, with an emphasis on understanding clients’ needs rather than focusing solely on sales.
She currently serves as curator of Somewhere In The Rainbow, a world-class gem and jewelry collection dedicated to hands-on education and appreciation of fine colored gemstones and artisan-crafted jewelry.
Shelly is the recipient of the 2022 AGS Sallie Morton Award and the 2023 AGTA Leon Ritzler Achievement Award. She has presented and exhibited at Smithsonian Natural History Affiliate Museums, Harvard University, and the University of Arizona, and has served as a keynote speaker at major international gemological events. She also serves on the University of Arizona Board of Advisers for the Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum.
3pm Richard W. Hughes presents Jade: China’s Gift to the World
Jade has been treasured in China for more than 8,000 years. Yù (玉), the Chinese word for jade, is one of the oldest in the language, its pictograph distinguished from that for “ruler” by a single dot. Outside China, jade is often associated with vivid green fei cui from Myanmar (Burma). Within China, however, the most revered jade is white.
In this presentation, Lotus Gemology’s Richard Hughes surveys the global sources of fei cui and nephrite before focusing on Hetian yu, the true “Stone of Heaven,” and its profound cultural significance.
About the Speaker
Richard W. Hughes is one of the world’s foremost experts on ruby and sapphire. Over a 45-year career, he has authored multiple books and more than 170 articles, with his writing and photography appearing in publications worldwide. He has received numerous international awards for his contributions to gemology.
In 2014, Richard founded Lotus Gemology with his wife, Wimon Manorotkul, and daughter, E. Billie Hughes. His recent publications include Jade • A Gemologist’s Guide (2022), Broken Bangle • The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature (2024), and his 2025 translation of Heinrich Fischer’s Nephrite and Jadeite, completing his jade trilogy.
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Where is it happening?
115 N Church Avenue, Tucson, AZ, United States, Arizona 85701Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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