Oh wow! This is a really nice and well curated shop chock full of everything from standard mineral rocks to coral, shells, fossils, meteorites, and all sorts of everything stone related. The folk working there are friendly and knowledgable, and the value is in the rarity of these items - which if you're a geology nerd is pretty high. :) read more

Stories In Stones - Jewelry Near Me - Angels Camp, California

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I've been collecting crystals since I was a kid and I absolutely adore this store. If you can think of any crystal you're curious about, they 99.9% have it and also are extremely knowledgeable about it and the metaphysical properties of it as well as what country it is from. The prices of crystals range from under a dollar to hundreds of dollars. Depending on the size, rarity of the crystal, and if it's in a piece of jewelry it seems to be more. The staff is always SO sweet and not to mention they have a charity jar that goes towards helping kitty shelters and with spay and neuters so that's a win win for me I absolutely love it and come here every time I come to Angels Camp :) read more

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Selection is AMAZING! And the value for your dollar goes a long way (in my opinion)! The staff were nice and friendly. We enjoyed viewing all the stones and shells and even the fossils! Very very nice store! read more

I love this store! They have an amazing selection of crystals and I love their jewelry. Everyone is friendly and helpful.

Unimaginable what you will find inside. Words are insufficient to describe your eye's pleasure. Delightful.

Magic. That's what this place is. Filled with precious stones, dazzling gems, fascinating fossils - and so much more - Stories in Stones is pure gold. The owner and his wife - dazzle as brightly as the stunning stones, which inhabit this unique spot. The owner's eyes light up whenever he talks about his early childhood love affair with stones and precious gems - recollecting memories of being a toddler with a bucket and spade - unearthing soil covered bliss. Definitely be sure to set aside some time to take your time wandering around this one of a kind store. The owner gives informational talks and is always excited to share tidbits about the impressive array of natural gems and artifacts carefully organized throughout this special spot. Trust. read more

We are rock and fossil collectors and enjoy the large amount of inventory of rocks and fossils. We love this store.

My parents have been going here since before I was born such an iconic place to many & to my family . Grew up going here as seen in a funny picture below from 2015 of my siblings and I. Had the opportunity to come again today and buy lots of amazing finds .staff is amazing as always and was so happy to see my favorite store still going on strong .I hope it will be here for a long time read more

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The staff is nice. We spent an hour in the store, purchased 16 stones/items. It was such a treat because the prices are so reasonable. Love that the tabs showed price, item, and origins. read more

Stories In Stones - Stones, petrified wood - Jewelry Near Me - Angels Camp, California

I LOVE this store. Have been going there for many years. I was so sad when Russ passed. But it has remained open, and everyone is amazing and carrying on his legacy. read more

Only wish I had my 7 year old dgtr with me the day we passed through town and stopped in! This store had such an extraordinary display of history and countless unique and special items. Each one is clearly labeled and marked with the background/identifiers/price (when applicable)/ where it was collected. We could have spent more time if we had it. read more

I am from the next county over and I just found this gem of a store about two weeks ago. And I think I visit once a week just because I love it so much. The owners are super sweet and helpful. I love that I can go in and buy stones and crystals in bulk for my handmade keychains. If you are ever in the area stop by and support this small business read more

While in Angels Camp after going to Mercer Caverns, we stumbled into Stories in Stone, WOW what and experience!!! The inventory was wonderful with geodes, fossils, minerals, shells , gems and just great geological stuff!!!! While the Queen, Princesses and I wandered about we met Russ Shoemaker the proprietor of the place...what a wonderful teacher and knowledgeable man. Russ not only explained to us about his inventory, he taught us about the earth and ourselves. My princesses, the Queen and I along with five other patrons were enthralled with his lecture as we toured the wholesale half of the store and we followed him into the classroom he has in the back. Russ is an expert in Paleontology and has dedicated his life to learning about the ancient beasts that used to room our world, he has a personal dig outside of Bakersfield, CA that has provided him with plenty of samples to display in his classroom. We could have spent many hours with Russ, but we had to leave. Please stop by and check out Stories in Stone you will not regret the time. read more

This store deserves 10 stars. It's fabulous! It's not just a store but a museum as well as a classroom. Don't get sidetracked by the front retail store. Start in either the back rooms (classrooms) or the collection room and then work your way to the front. It's plays out better that way and is simply amazing. They have so much! Not just rocks but fossils, bones, pictures. We bought a few pieces. Will go back when I'm in the area, for sure. Talk to the couple who owns the store. They were both there earlier this week. They are very knowledgeable and so willing to share! read more

Purchased a few things there during my visit to this humble little town more than four or five years ago. One day I'm moving there for my retirement :-) Loved that little store. Will keep visiting every time I'm in town. :-) read more

I LOVE this place! Fantastic selection, great prices & incredibly helpful & friendly owners.

The classroom is amazing! I learn something new with each visit and always leave with new treasures. This is my main reason for visiting Angels Camp. Also, thank you for NOT selling 'goldstone'(which is a glass!!!) as a semi-precious stone. This alone is a testament of the integrity of the business! read more

This is an amazing store and the owners are the real gems!!! They are extremely knowledgeable and have such great stories to share!

I just read that the owner Russ has died, his wife survives, pray for her and the family.

Wow! Only now seeing the reviews after walking into this shop on a whim, and I'm glad to see my enthusiasm for this place is shared by many others. My kids are complete nuts about rocks, and my wife loves collecting agates, so you could imagine how incredibly excited we were to discover this isn't your typical "pretty rock" reseller, but instead is a vast mecca in terms of diverse collections and absolute knowledge about everything you find in the ground. You know you're in the right place when you find the owners happily answering your questions at length. Along the wall you'll see pictures of the owners during their trips into the mines of South America. There are so many fossils, rocks, shells, etc, you won't have time to see them all in one visit. On top of it all, the prices are very reasonable and it is difficult to walk out of the store without purchasing something to remember the trip by. Highly, highly recommended. read more

We stop in every time we are in Angels Camp, the best selection of stones and fossils, and great prices! Hours of fun here looking for treasure! read more

Stories In Stones - Jewelry Near Me - Angels Camp, California

Truly a gem, this store is wonderful! From exceptionally knowledgeable and honest staff to an extensive inventory and breath taking specimens, you're in for a real treat! The lecture hall is impressive with awesome visual aids. Be ready to learn more than expected at this shop like the detailed descriptions of the composition of specimens and what conditions render the final product. This shop rocks! read more

We head up to Stories as often as we have time. They have an amazing array of items the whole family loves to wander through and explore and I love the fact that they have an education center for the kids! Their depth of knowledge is unparalleled as well when it comes to anything stone... read more

I love this place my mom took me as we were waiting to meet my dad for lunch.. the pricing is great nothing was to outrageous expensive. Each stone and crystal had a fact by them and were very detailed to where it was from and what it was called my kids loved the back rooms and all the shark items... deff will be coming back read more

Overall a great place! I was hoping for more of a selection in small tumbled stones. Wholesale area is fun!!!

I work with Pam and Russ for wholesale supplies and have been more than pleased with their service. They are truly kind folks who have a real appreciation for what they're selling and for their customers. There might be opportunities out there to get the "same" product for less, but you'll never match Stories In Stones quality, service, and value. Someday I hope to be able to visit in person! read more

Love this place :) The store is filled with an amazing variety of crystals, fossils and shells at a reasonable price. When I walked into the store, I was truly surprised. I can't wait to come back to this great shop :) read more

This shop and owners are beyond compare. They have an extensive collection of fossils, gems & minerals from commonly available to more unique. I was looking for some small items for a grandson and was shown the specimens boys his age choose for themselves. I can't wait to see his expression when he opens the fossilized poop and sharks tooth! We also went to the State Museum in Mariposa and this ranks right up there. If you can only visit one, don't miss this shop and save yourselves a long windy drive. read more

This gem is an experience. When you walk in it seems the stones are greeting you with their smells, sights, uniqueness, sizes small and large. While being adorned with beautiful crystals and gemstones swimming among them in the form of beautiful handmade pieces..... Then just beyond lies the history of the rocks, gems and minerals of calaveras in the forms of pictures from antiquity, tales (both written and word) and treasures! If you have a chance to visit this enchanting place you won't forget it. read more

We were spending a little time in Angel's Camp while exploring the larger Gold Country, and happened upon this amazing store/museum. It you are a natural history appreciator, this place is a marvel and a delight. Stones, both common and rare, fossils, shells, a bit of taxidermy here and there, all labeled and priced. Imagine going to your favorite museum and everything was for sale. That's kind of what this was like. We came back later in our trip, and then one more time before returning home. On that last visit we purchased a lovely slab of sandstone that evokes a desert sunset (at least to me it does). read more

This is a must see spot if you are anywhere near. There are no stores like this anywhere.... It's actually not just a store, it's more like a museum where most things are for sale. Russ and Pam are geologists and and gracious hosts, they love explaining Earth's history. Wonderful place for kids too. read more

You MUST go here!! Put it on your bucket list -- trust me! I went to Moaning Cavern with my daughter and bought a beautiful rock at their shop, but when I discovered this store (I had lunch at Sidewingers and this was right across it - great place for lunch by the way), I realized that the rock I bought and other rocks were more expensive than the equivalent rocks here. My daughter and I spent a good hour in the store and their wholesale shop in the back. We were simply in awe of what we were seeing. The owner (Russ) was simply walking around, picking rocks, and greeting customers. What a sweet man. I asked him how one can possibly have such a collection. And his response was that he's been collecting for many years (time was by his side, cuz he told me he was 80-somethin), plus his mother had a rock store and his wife collected as well. I mean, the variety and beauty of everything they had was simply breathtaking. There's uniques things for anyones liking. This is the place for buying gifts for others and yourself :) read more

Amazing little store that if you drive bye your going to miss tones of cool gems to fossils to butterfly even bats. They have shark teeth to make necklaces at home from low end 1 to 10 dollar price range to 50 and up. Bought my sister a grouping of butterflys. Even offered to wrap present free of charge!! Great owners that care about product they go and actually seek items out worth a stop guarantee you will be in there more then 5 min looking at cool things read more

A must stop by if you are traveling through Angel's Camp! They have so many interesting fossils and mineral classification displays in the shop and in the back teaching room. Be sure to check out all of the amazing shark tooth fossils in the back. Great prices for rocks and minerals and gifts. My daughter loves her miniature bear made out of a nice looking rock. My son loves his magnetic rocks for 50 cents a piece. read more

Walking down Main Street in Angels Camp we went into what looked like a rock/mining store. This place is amazing - everything is displayed beautifully. I think this is the best rock and mineral collection I have ever seen - the store goes on forever. They even have dinosaur fossils and Mastodon Fossils. Very unique and it is obvious that whoever runs this store is incredibly knowledgable. Prices are very reasonable for some very unusual things. read more

One of the coolest Rock Shops EVER! I love all of the knowledge in this place. There is so much information on Minerals, Fossils, gems, shells and lots of shiny things....... Save your money on a Gem class and come hang here for an afternoon..... You will learn something...... It really is like going to a Geo Museum..... And they are really nice too...... read more

Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic place. Well worth the drive, besides the area is just incredible. Make sure you go on a day when Sylvia is there. If I lived in that town I would be dropping in to visit with her every day. I went on a quest for some assorted and particular rocks and gems, and came home with them all. Hubby wasn't horribly happy about the bill, but i was the happiest camper in the world. read more

The Shoemakers, Pam and Russ, make this wonderful store their home. To simply call it a "rock shop" would be a major dis-service. They have beautiful jewelry, amazing fossils, and the extensive knowledge to explore all the many varied and colorful gems in the location. Stories in Stones is actually a history lesson and shopping experience wrapped in one. We've been going since they were up in Murphy's across from the Murphy's Hotel, where they were located for many years. Now in Angels Camp, the legend continues. Russ is pretty much like a real Indiana Jones, he KNOWS his minerals. Well worth the stop, and bring some $$. We always leave with some gold. Really. (As other posters have said, check out the back room, they've got some Amethyst that'll blow you away . . and you'll need a truck to get 'em home, too) read more

Beautiful store and such wonderful employees! There is a gigantic selection of stones, fossils ect for you to purchase and a great learning center too. Will definitely be visiting again next time I Visit angels camp! read more

This is the most impressive store I have ever seen. The owner's passion, knowledge and lifes' work is felt in every inch of this establishment. And above all, he loves to answer every question to the fullest. A Scholar and true Wizard in his past life! Thank you. read more