No stone unturned: Gold Hill Rock and Gem offers glimpse of nature’s treasure

GOLD HILL — Gem enthusiasts and casual rockers alike have a new outlet for their inquiries.

Gold Hill Rock and Gem has been open for a couple of months now. Owner Brad Setzer turned a lifelong passion into a business venture when he opened the place.

“I started (collecting rocks) as a kid,” Setzer said. “Mom and dad were really good about taking us to the mountains. We would go see a lot of the old mining areas and go dig. This was back in the ’70s when you could still go to a lot of the old places and find something.”

The idea that Gold Hill, a place steeped in mining lore, didn’t have a rock shop, didn’t sit right with Setzer.

“Well, it always seemed odd to me that a town so rich in mining history didn’t have a rock shop,” Setzer said. “I thought, well, what better place to set up and connect with the village itself, and I just felt like it would be a good fit.”

Having set up the shop, Setzer has been encouraged by the visitors.

“I’m amazed by the number of people that we have come in down here that are out of town or even out of state,” he said.

For those visitors that come from out of state or just out of town, he wants to make sure that they leave with something, whether it’s an item or information.

“Most people I find, they come into the store and they like seeing everything,” Setzer said. “They are getting some knowledge. I love to engage people. I educate people on it as much as I can. That is part of the fun.”

Setzer offers everything from rough stones to polished, cut and tumbled. His prices range from $1 to about $300.

“I want something that, you know, if people come in with the kids and the kids want something, they can walk out of here with something for a buck,” Setzer said. “I have got a wide range of anything from decorative rock lamps, a kid can pick up a single tumble stones, and I have necklaces.”

Not only was there not a rock shop in Gold Hill, but Rowan County was lacking in that department, too.

“There is nowhere in Rowan County that has anything like this,” Setzer said. “We have not had a rock shop in Rowan County in some time. There used to be one on East Innes Street when I was growing up. It was actually called The Rock Shop.”

Before opening his rock shop, Setzer used to take his inventory to shows and fairs, but it’s a little tricky now with conflicting hours.

“I don’t right now, it’s kind of hard, with this being such a weekend thing, it’s tough to do a rock show,” Setzer said.

His store is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“That is pretty much the village hours down here,” he said.

He’s planning on building a website in the future so he can publish that inventory online.

“I’m going to,” he said. “I’ve just been taking it slow and steady.”

However, with that, he’s offering an engaging opportunity, as he said, if you come into the shop, “You’re going to see me.”

The experience is rewarding for Setzer, who loves to interact with people of all levels of ages and geological interests.

“I enjoy the kids, but you even have adults who are like, ‘Oh man, I didn’t realize that,’” Setzer said. “I guess part of it is helping inform people about rocks and minerals that they may not know about that I know a whole lot about.”

Sometimes, latent geological knowledge from a long-gone college course surfaces and makes an appearance in conversations at his shop.

“That’s great because, you know, in those situations I might learn something from them, they might learn something from me,” Setzer said. “That’s cool. It’s always enjoyable to tell someone that likes similar things that you like.”

Setzer does source a lot of his inventory from overseas, but he makes sure the businesses that he transacts with are fair trade partners.

“The companies that I do deal with are practicing ethically sourced material,” Setzer said.

While he said it would be enticing to collect stones from his hikes, a lot of places have rules against mineral extraction.

“I like to hike,” Setzer said. “I like to camp. If I’m in the mountains, it’s a good day no matter what’s going on, but that’s one thing you do have to keep in mind. I mean, that’s just like here within the village and park of Gold Hill, you’re not allowed to take anything from the property, so far as you know, right, finding a chunk of gold or anything, you’re not supposed to do any digging or anything like that. So, yeah, you have to follow those rules everywhere.”

To get started on your rock adventure or to write the latest chapter in your own history, visit Setzer’s shop. It’s located at 840 St. Stephen’s Church Road in Gold Hill.

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