They say that every stone has a story to tell, and we found this to be the case of an innocuous looking store that we found in Angels Camp, CA. The store, Stories in Stone – The Earth Science Emporium, is located in the old part of town. We walked in to the small store front only to find ourselves amazed at the incredible displays of stones from all over the world! Thinking the area of the store we were in was it, we were in for a surprise as we wandered towards the back of the store only to discover an entire warehouse of rocks of all three types: Igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary! If you are a rock hound, this is a definite must see!
Not only does the store boast a sales area, and a wholesale area, which you can peruse, but they also have a learning center nestled in the back. We were so impressed with this place that we had to make 2 more trips back.
The store is operated by Russ and Pam Shoemaker. As we walked into the back of the store on our first trip, we found Russ working in back in the wholesale section of the store. He told us that he had gotten into rocks with his Dad when he was a kid of eight years. He is now 83 years young! And, coincidentally, Pam was introduced to everything rocks by her Grandmother at the age of nine years. Boy, did we meet folks who rock! Literally! If you do stop by, be sure to check out all the photos of Russ and Pam on their rock hunting expeditions! The photos are scattered all around the store, and each one has an interesting story attached to it. I particularly liked how amethyst from Brazil is mined!
I wanted to share a few photos of two items that we brought home with us. We missed Russ and Pam on that trip into the store, as they were off, maybe hunting for more of their spectacular finds!
A Celestite Geode from Madagascar
A look inside its chamber
The beauty of crystals
That was one of the two things we bought. Here is the other, and it is a fossil!
Fossil Fish – Knightia sp – Eocene Epoch from Wyoming
Let’s take a closer look at the little fish…
Up close with the fossil fish
If you get the chance to visit Angels Camp, CA, be sure to stop in this shop! Even if you are not a rock hound you can find beads made of gemstones, sea shells, and a fine array of jewelry! This is a great place to show to the kids and maybe get them interested in rocks and rock hunting, and they can learn about the history of the Earth!
Be sure to tell Russ and Pam that Barb from Placerville sent you in! They are located at 1249 S. Main Street. Here is a link to their store which you can check out for yourself online! Stories in Stones
Enjoy your Monday!
Life in the Foothills 