Edelstein Treasures mixes jewelry, nature and learning

AMANAS - As a child, Ithiel Catiri got hooked on rocks the moment he and his friends broke a geode open.

'It was filled with crystals,” he recalled. 'We thought we'd found diamonds, and I had never been that excited before.”

Growing up a country boy, the Iowa native began a rock collection that would bring him full circle when he met his future wife, Jenise. She'd grown up similarly, having accumulated an arrowhead collection from her own hunting excursions.

In 2008, they opened Edelstein Treasures in the Amanas. Named to fit in with the German colony theme, the store carries collectible rocks, fossils, gemstones, jewelry and crystals from all over the world.

'We have things from every continent except Antarctica,” Catiri said. 'There are interesting things that come out of formations all over the planet.”

The Catiris make many trips out west to South Dakota to collect dinosaur bones, something that younger children love when they come into the shop. A fossilized turtle greets visitors with a sign that actually says, 'Please touch.”

'It gives kids the chance to really touch something that is 30 million years old - or older,” Catiri said.

Catiri pointed out that it is an ongoing, evolutionary process to keep the business going forward.

'You are constantly trying to adapt to what your customers want, and in the end, you end up with different focuses,” he said. 'I have customers who want only the very finest things, and yet I always try to have a very kid-friendly area with interesting stuff and accessible minerals in sections that are under five dollars.”

There are also Catiri's esoteric customers who want raw natural materials such as crystals and healing stones.

Jewelry plays a big part in the business, and magnetic jewelry has become particularly popularity, Catiri said. Magnetic necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings are used for relieving stress, nerve pain, arthritis and improving circulation.

At the heart of it all, however, is the Catiris' love for being in the outdoors and searching for things for their shop.

'You might find something interesting to bring back,” Catiri said. 'But if you find nothing but peace of mind, you've still had a successful trip.”

l Know a company in business for more than a year that would make an ideal My Biz? Contact Chelsea Keenan at chelsea.keenan@thegazette.com

AT A GLANCE

l Owners: Ithiel and Jenise Catiri

l Business: Edelstein Treasures/The Noble Stone

l Address: 4510 220th Trail Amana, IA

l Phone: (319) 622-3018

l Website: www.edelsteintreasures.com