Mother Nature offers nothing quite as fascinating as her minerals, fossils and, especially, crystals. The eons it takes to create them, and the realization of how different the world was when they began to form, reminds one of the permanence of the Earth, and how brief our time is by comparison.
Many people also believe crystals have special metaphysical and healing properties.
Michelle and Luke Baburic have experienced this fascination for years, and have been sharing it with people in the Foothills area – initially from the garage at their home in Drake Landing, and since last September at their store, Big Rock Crystals, Minerals & Fossils, on Elizabeth Street next to the Town Hall.
They market to a wide range of customers, from collectors to reiki specialists, who practice the art of tapping into a universal energy that can be channeled from one’s palms to heal certain areas of the body.
Michelle’s personal interest goes back to her childhood. “I’ve always felt very close to nature, and I’ve always loved rocks,” she said. “The Earth has so many different rock formations of all colours, shapes, and sizes. Crystals grow from these minerals. It’s just a matter of pressure and time.”
Originally, rock collecting was only a hobby. But as the pieces they purchased began to get bigger and more expensive, Luke and Michelle began buying and selling them from their garage. Eventually, they even outgrew that.
Like a lot of the small businesspeople in the Okotoks area, the Baburics have found that their best source of promotion is social media. “We’re on Instagram, Tik Tok and Facebook,” Luke said. “We also have a website – bigrockcrystalsmineralsfossils.com.
“The folks in Okotoks are so supportive,” added Michelle. “They’ve been behind us 100 per cent.”
One of the challenges they face is that their storefront is a little bit recessed, and the entrance is sometimes hard to see. However, once you enter, the first thing you notice is how calm the space is. That is very important to Michelle. “It was my biggest challenge,” she said. “Some people actually feel vibrations when they’re here, so I couldn’t have it chaotic. I wanted people to come in, slow down and be able to enjoy it.”
Children are particularly fascinated by fossils. “We have a fossilized crocodile head on display,” said Luke. “When kids look at it, and you see the expression on their faces, it’s just priceless.”
Big Rock Crystals, Minerals & Fossils has only been open a few months, but the word is spreading quickly. As a family business in a small community, it’s had the chance to get to know its customers. It’s amazing how many of them the owners know by name.
Over the spring and summer, Luke and Michelle expect to promote the store at trade and hobbyist shows across Alberta and B.C., beginning with the Calgary Rock and Lapidary Club show which will be held next month at the Vivo Centre in northeast Calgary.
