When Chicago-based engineer and Isaac Gaetz and his fiancee, options trader Mei Mei Chan, went hunting for engagement and wedding rings, they found the jewels of their dreams in Tucson, not in the Windy City.

Although the Southwest remains justly famous for native turquoise and silver jewelry, more and more people, like Gaetz and Chan, are discovering Tucson's contemporary jewelers, who design and craft sleek and stunning necklaces, rings, and other pieces, often studded with brilliant diamonds and glowing precious and semiprecious stones. They have blossomed in an encouraging desert environment with robust local mining and jewelry-making traditions, and an educated clientele fostered by Tucson's well-known gem and mineral shows. From hidden treasures found in small shops to traditional, full-service jewelers offering unique pieces, from $100 tokens to gems in brilliant gold or platinum settings, the Old Pueblo's jewelers offer a dizzying way to remember a vacation in Tucson-or acquire a unique wedding band to celebrate a lifelong commitment.

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