Ready to Rock

Utica shop is a real gem for learning more about rocks and minerals

Christy Donahue knows the potential market for her shop, The Rock and Soul, is huge. After all, the shop, located at 229 S. Clark Street in Utica, sells items that everyone has touched at some point in their lives – rocks, minerals, and gems.

“If it was pretty, they picked it up,” she said.

A long-time rockhound, Donahue has been a regular attendee at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in Tucson, Arizona, a world-renowned annual show that draws up- wards of 65,000 attendees. She’s attended that show for 30 years now and loves to chat with rock enthusiasts, whether they’re serious collectors or novices. Donahue realized there was a market for this type of store in the Illinois Valley and decided to take a leap of faith, opening the shop in 2018.

Owning The Rock and Soul allows her to be around her favorite hobby and chat with others who share her passion. Educating those who walk through the shop’s doors is fulfilling to her, and she loves to use ultraviolet lights to show her customers how the lighting makes patterns and colors show up in certain minerals.

“There is more than meets the eyes,” she said when noting how the UV light makes a gem or mineral look completely different. “I get so excited about it.”

In addition to rocks, gems, and minerals, her shop features meditation supplies and

See ROCK page 9

Christy Donahue loves showing off how ultraviolet lights can make crystals glow and reveal colors you wouldn’t notice without the light.

FROM PAGE 7 other unique items. The shop offers commonly found rocks and gems, but also some rarer ones. Some are on display only, and others are available for purchase. There’s so much to look at that customers tend to stay awhile.

“People don’t come here for a minute,” Donahue said.

With its beautiful and carefully constructed displays, the whole shop has a calming vibe to it.

“The spirit is good here. That’s what people say when they walk in,” Donahue said. “I’m so proud of how it looks.”

To make her shop more of a family destination experience, she added a cool-looking sluice box in front of the building. The sluice is open from May 1 to Oct. 31 and can fit 20 people at a time. She sells bags of materials to use in the sluice box, so kids and adults can have the experience of washing away the dirt and seeing what rocks or gems they can spot.

Behind the shop, she created and decorated a sanctuary area. She’s offered small classes there, ranging from yoga to mandala painting and meditation. In addition, the property offers two Airbnbs that people can rent to take full advantage of her prime location in downtown Utica.

This year, Donahue is looking forward to some new developments for her shop. The LaSalle County schools will be visiting historical spots throughout LaSalle County during the school year.

“One of the options this year is to come here,” Donahue said.

She’ll explain to the students about the geological history of the area, and they can try their hand at sluicing. She’s excited about the prospect of sharing her knowledge with local children, just as she does her customers.

“I love our customers that come in here,” she said, adding that she gets joy from seeing someone connect with an item they love. “If it only takes one little rock to make someone feel happy, here you go.”