Art Chowder July | August 2021 Issue No. 34 Issue 34 | Page 39

These interests can lead to other things like making jewelry , becoming an avid gem hunter or amateur geologist filing mineral claims , and more .
Liz and Dave have a giant rock collection of their own and enjoy spending down time digging around in it . The also stay busy working on building a ghost town in their private “ rock yard ,” however , there are some popular places to go to find cool stuff . A well-known spot is the Emerald Creek garnet dig in St . Maries , Idaho . It is famous for star garnets . This is a garnet with special optical characteristics . There is also a place to dig for fossils in Republic , Washington . There are around a dozen places to find various cool rocks within Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho alone . A favorite of hobbyists and tourists alike is sapphire mining in Montana . For Liz and Dave , there are so many different artistic things you can do with rock . Over the years they have enjoyed all the creativity they have witnessed in the field .
At the end of the day , they both confess that they LOVE rocks , so it is easy for them to enjoy their jobs . “ We are excited for , and thrilled to see , people young and old light up with interest over the idea of a rock-hounding trip to find gems or learning how to polish and identify rocks . Rocks are one of life ’ s simple pleasures and can be enjoyed by anyone pretty much anywhere .“ We are happy to be a resource to help people navigate their interests and see new possibilities .”
Irv ’ s Jewelry , Rocks and Gifts ( 509 ) 924-5464 11907 E . Trent Spokane Valley , WA 99206 www . irvsshop . com
Scan the QR Code to visit www . irvsshop . com
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