Southwestern Minerals

Prices are good but location not. They probably thought I was a criminal. Kept asking me like 5 times during my 10 minutes I was there if I "needed help" when I was browsing at the fossils and minerals. I could easily have bought $400 worth there but just decided to leave because the vibe was just bad. Different from my previous purchase run. This time my browsing just seemed to bother them. I'll go elsewhere.

Come with time! I could not believe the amazing selection here! This place has everything! Beads, findings, jewelry, rough stones, cut stones.... Really everything you could possibly imagine when it comes to stones or jewelry making! It is ran by a family who is super helpful and patient. I would highly recommend just going in for a look!

Southwestern Minerals deserves SIX stars! I love gems and minerals and Southwestern Minerals has the largest selection that I've ever seen. Both the owner and the salesperson were friendly and welcoming. They answered my questions and were patient with me as I perused the gems and minerals for over an hour. They are also very affordable. I highly recommend Southwestern Minerals. I left with an ammonite, a piece of azurite/malachite, and a piece of Kingman turquoise. Each piece will be featured in a ring.

This store has the absolute biggest and best gem and mineral selection I've ever seen. In fact, it's probably the best of what Tucson has to offer in terms of precious and semi-precious cut stones under 1 roof. There are cases and cases of cut gemstones, rough material, findings and everything else needed for jewelry making. The owner and the folks who work there are incredibly helpful and will help you find exactly what you need. They also offer lapidary services for cutting rough material. If you are on the hunt for some great stones, this is the place. Prices are incredibly reasonable. Absolutely worth the drive!

I love this place! It sells gold and silver findings (prong settings, clasps) ...but also precious and semi precious rocks... ...everything from diamonds and tanzanite to crystal balls (quartz) and coprolite (fossilized dinosaur poop). The staff is well versed in identifying pretty much any type of stone or gem used in both fine jewelry and crudely crafted dirty hippy jewelry. Maybe you don't care about tri color tourmaline or pyritized ammonites.... ....but who doesn't need a chunk of amethyst geode for a paperweight? ...or maybe some natural copper ore bookends to impress on the ladies ones good taste in scholarly pursuits. ...and if all that is too nerdy, well hell, there is always the fossilized dinosaur poop. It makes a great gift for the person you don't like that much who has everything.

so i just moved to albuquerque and on a mission to find a place to indulge in my crystal obsession...finding southwestern minerals was the right spot to go! large selection for collectors, jewelers, creative artists, and the curious.the staff was awesome and since i was there for quite a while, we had interesting conversation and my questions were answered with respect.i will be a regular visitor of this fabulous family owned local business :-)one item i bought was an agate sphere with crystal druzy opening that extends all the way through allowing light to make the whole piece glow! (photo attached)

These folks are so knowledgeable and friendly! They also have cool display cases with NM minerals, then other ones for other states and throughout the world. They also have a good selection of raw and tumbled items. It's a rockhounder's paradise.

Everyone was so nice and extremely helpful. I am new to crystal healing and I highly suggest going here if you are in search of some gorgeous minerals.

I have been to this store twice. The selection is great, but very poor customer service. I spent $89 but no one even bothered to come and ask if I was findings everything I needed and there was no other customers in the store, sales person just standing around. Very disappointed in their customer service

Wow: this place has so many rocks and minerals it's almost dizzying (in a good way). Yet it's still very organized. Probably the most organized rock shop I've ever seen.I got a little bit of everything: fossils, interesting rocks (rough and polished), and gem grade minerals. I appreciated the vast selection of gems and minerals. Whether you want rubies, emeralds, diamonds, etc.--there are hundreds of cuts/sizes/colors to choose from.I'm not an expert in gems & minerals, but I really appreciated that this store had the selection that a large jeweler might have, but the prices of a smaller one. That's very hard to find, but very important. When spending $100s on a gem, you want choice/selection (which many small gem stores or rock shops don't offer). But you don't want the big chain markup.This is the kind of store that would be worth traveling a hour or two to get to. There are so many things to choose from, and I found the prices on most items to be very fair. This was one of my last stops after a 3000 mile roadtrip through TX, NM, AZ, and CA visiting rock & mineral stores--and it was one of the very best.Lastly, I appreciate that this is not in a touristy area, and it seems like it's been around a long time (decades). During the 2+ hours I was there, I noticed quite a few jewelry makers coming through. To me that's usually a good sign regarding prices and quality.