Happy weekend, everyone! Hope you’re all staying warm- at least it’s not as cold here in Louisiana as it is in Iowa or Alaska.
My family and friends keep posting pictures on social media of the lakes in Shalalth, BC, and the sea and Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Obviously, I long to go to those places, and hope to make that happen. The pics are also REALLY making me miss the mountains and beaches of California. Jerry and I never thought we’d find anything in Cali that we like more than the scenery, beaches, and In-N-Out (lol), until we visited Nevada Mineral & Book Company in Orange.
Our entire family, Jerry, me, and his son and daughter-in-law, all have a “thing” for rocks. Growing up in Iowa, there were geodes all over the place, and most of us took them for granted. While we were on a visit to Cali a few months ago, Jerry looked up stores where we could find rocks and minerals. There were a lot of metaphysical shops that carried crystals, etc., but we got most excited about a store owned by an actual geologist.
Walter Lombardo is a geologist and owner of Nevada Mineral & Book Company, which used to be in Nevada, hence the name. It’s now located on South Tustin in Orange. Don’t let the relatively small storefront deceive you- I don’t think it would be possible to count the number of books and treasures inside this place. There are lighted shelves full of crystals, big wooden chests with endless drawers full of fossils, crystals, rocks, shells, any kind of specimen you may desire. They even have meteorites and tektites, and a substantial jewelry section.
Walt is absolutely amazing- he’s super friendly, easy-going, and extremely helpful to customers. He’s willing to answer any questions you may have, and he actually KNOWS what he’s taking about because he’s an actual geologist, not just a “rock dealer.” A somewhat “odd” phenomenon about this place is that we’ve discovered “rock people” are quite nice! Every time we’ve encountered another customer there, which there are quite a few…lol, they’re very friendly. Perhaps the common interest?
Of course you can purchase specimens online, and new age and metaphysical stores sell a few crystals, but when you purchase from an actual geologist, you KNOW what you’re getting, and you can find out a plethora of information. Plus, Walt has super reasonable prices- you can spend a couple bucks, or thousands; whatever your budget is, you’ll find something you just can’t take your eyes off of.
Christie, Walt, Pam
Another perk of Nevada Mineral & Book Company is the jewelry section I mentioned above. Walt’s wife, Christie (Golden Touch Jewelers), makes custom jewelry, and her work is stunning. On our last trip, we had the pleasure of getting to meet Christie and her daughter, Pam. Let’s just say Walt’s family is just as welcoming and friendly as he is- the goods for sale may be wonderful treasures, but Walt, Christie, and Pam are true jewels!
Good news for those of you outside California- Nevada Mineral & Book Company ships! So, before you buy online, check them out at minbooks.com. You can also visit them on Facebook and Instagram. If you’re in the LA area, you can visit them at 342 South Tustin in Orange.
Wearing the beautiful necklace Christie gifted me
