Southwest Gem and Mineral

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.

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.