The Gem at the center of the universe

This article is part of the Shoshone News-Press Then and Now special section that appeared in the Friday, July 30 print edition. Copies of this edition can be purchased at the News-Press office in Osburn.

WALLACE — Just a few feet from the Center of the Universe in Wallace, you will find the largest gem and mineral store in the Inland Northwest. Since opening in 2015, Johnson's Gems and Collectibles has become a staple of the Wallace community.

Johnson’s Gems began when Eddie and his son Fred decided to start digging for Idaho Star Garnets and creating jewelry out of them. This hobby grew very quickly and soon they met with a jeweler and started discussing the possibility of opening a store to get the Star Garnet out there. The Johnson’s worked out of their shed until it got cold outside. They opened Johnson’s Gems in 2015 and started selling all of their rocks and minerals. Brenda Johnson said, “We thought, you know what? This is right and it seems absolutely right that we’re back in that location where all of the kids remember it as a rock shop… We do definitely appreciate that history that is set in Wallace for us.”

In 2017, when the Lucky Friday strike began, Eddie was a full-time employee at Lucky Friday and Brenda was a full-time employee in Coeur d’Alene. “We just knew that it was a blessing for us to have had this store already for a couple of years. We just really learned how to make it as a family dynamic, as a family business and just to count on each other to do what we have to do. It’s not always easy but it's worth it.” The Johnson’s and their business are huge supporters of local miners and their families. They are still well-connected with the mining community and know many of the area’s current and retired miners.

The Johnson’s are a mining family and they know their rocks and minerals inside and out. They are incredibly knowledgeable about rocks and minerals and have firsthand experience in the field that sets them apart from other rock and mineral stores. Johnson’s Gems and Collectibles is best known for their custom jewelry that they can make on the fly. They have created pieces for people all over the country. They also perform jewelry repairs. “People will say, ‘Fred fixed my bracelet for me and I’ve got another one for him, but I’ll have to mail it in.” They have repeat customers from all over.

The Galaxy Room is another interesting feature in Johnson’s Gems. It features all of their fluorescent rocks and minerals under a black light. It is an out of this world experience! They have many different collectibles, books, and a variety of other items. There is definitely something for everyone. They also created the “Gem of the Valley Treasure Hunts To Go,” which are perfect for families.

The Johnson family is also very dedicated to Wallace and helping their community and fellow business owners whenever they can. Fred Johnson was awarded the Volunteer of the Year this year by the Wallace Chamber of Commerce. Every day that Fred is at the store he cleans the area around the Center of the Universe, up and down the sidewalks, cleans for the museums and other businesses, and makes sure the entire block is looking great. He also makes sure to paint the Center of the Universe manhole cover and takes care of all of the maintenance for it. Brenda said, “He takes a lot of pride in that and he’s gotten a lot of people stopping by and saying thank you for doing that… When his kids are in town he also takes them and they help him clean. Our granddaughter’s starting young!”

One of their favorite things about being a part of the Wallace community is the people that they have met and having the blessing of meeting new people every day from all over the world. Only a small portion of their visitors sign the guest book at the store and they are still able to fill a guest book with more than 1,400 signatures around every five weeks. They also enjoy being partners with all of the other business owners in Wallace and working with them. When asked about Wallace, Brenda stated, “We love being a part of the Wallace community and we hope that we are a positive piece of it.”

There have been changes over the years at Johnson’s Gems. In the beginning it was mostly Fred running everything. Over the three years of the Lucky Friday strike it really turned into a place where they could all work together as a team. It’s a different dynamic than it was in the beginning and it has been great for their family. In the future, they would like to continue growing in a manner where they can all feel successful and not feel too much pressure, as well as leave something for their son and their grandkids.

It is obvious when speaking with any of the Johnson’s that they are incredibly passionate about their work, rock, gems, minerals and the Wallace community. They have enough rocks and minerals they could almost double as a museum. On your next trip to Wallace make sure you set aside some time to stop and visit Johnson’s Gems and Collectibles and say hi!