Around the World in One Store: Earth Lore Offers One-Of-A-Kind Gifts for That Special Someone

Love. Is there another word in the English lexicon that conjures up such warm and fuzzy emotion? (Alright, maybe food, but with Super Bowl behind us and Valentine’s Day around the corner, I’m sticking with love.)

It was love, in fact, that led me to wander into Earth Lore a few weeks ago, albeit not romantic love, but a pure, organic love nonetheless: maternal love. On New Year’s Eve my husband, Scott, and I learned we are expecting our first child. When I sought a bunch of dried sage to burn in our now-empty nursery (it clears unwanted energy), Earth Lore was the first place that came to mind that would have it. (They did -- two kinds.)

But there’s something for your significant other at Earth Lore, too. Which brings us back to that aforementioned day known for Russell Stover and over-priced roses.

When you enter Earth Lore, you may not know where to go first, but yours truly gravitated toward the back right corner where there are – literally – rows of incense. I’m fond of lemon and amber scents, myself, but at Earth Lore you’ll find much, much more. Incense is not just about patchouli anymore – although it is still quite popular, as they were almost all out. But you’ll also find eucalyptus, geranium, fruit punch (how random, right? But I must say, it smelled quite good), coconut, banana, and aloe vera, which I bought.

But before you get to the incense, you’ll find a large round table – complete with two tiers – boasting over 77 types of crystals and gemstones, most of which cost only one dollar each. In addition to being gorgeous products of Mother Earth, each signifies a particular meaning. Lemon Quartz signifies creativity, organization, optimism and well-being; Rhodonite soothes the nervous system, and it has been said that simply holding this gemstone promotes relaxation; and Fire Agate has a deep calming energy that brings security and safety.

“Giving a piece of Rose Quartz or a stone that’s meant to offer love to somebody or open the heart is very meaningful,” said Earth Lore General Manager Grant Higgins, who began selling beads and crystals along with his mother over twenty years ago.

And if you profess to be a big spender (read: really big), there’s always the Rolls Royce of stones: The natural quartz crystal cluster from Brazil which weighs in at a whopping 204.6 pounds and costs and eye-popping $14,000. While it’s not everyday that someone saunters into Earth Lore and springs for a fourteen-thousand-dollar rock, Higgins said it’s not unheard of for patrons to pay what many may consider to be high prices for items that can’t be found elsewhere. (I witnessed a gentleman spend several hundred dollars during his most recent trip to Earth Lore.)

“We have a big variety of pieces – on average, people spend about twenty dollars, depending on the season,” said Higgins. “We also have a lot of larger pieces here, and a lot of local people come here for unusual things because a lot of things we have here, you can’t find anywhere, frankly. If people like to have unusual things in their homes, they come here.”

But back to Valentine’s Day, and if you want to keep your spending at a reasonable level at Earth Lore, rest assured it can be done. Their crimson-hued Valentine’s Day display is stocked with all kinds of unique goodies like Kama Sutra playing cards, jars of French vanilla crème body soufflé, and aromatherapy candles – the plumeria is to die for.

“Anything you give somebody – sincerely – is a gift of love,” said Higgins. “It doesn’t matter who they are – and it doesn’t have to be Valentine’s Day. But if you’re looking for specifically Valentine’s Day items, [we’ve got] body oils, massage oils, chocolate-flavored body paint – that’s always very exciting. It goes from the very explicit to the subtle.”

Earth Lore also has an impressive collection of spiritual books and world music, everything from Ravi and Anoushka Shankar to Krishna Das to Enya.

I encourage you to experience Earth Lore for yourself – and if you must, use your honey as an excuse. Regardless of what tickles your fancy, you’re sure to find one thing: superb customer service. Higgins says that is because he is particular about who works at Earth Lore.

“The employees we have here represent the business,” said Higgins. “We have to have people who are willing to talk to people, who are willing to discuss things with people, and also who are willing to listen to people…but as far as the love products go, it’s really anything in the store that would connect with people. It’s all about connection.”        

That is always a lovely notion, indeed.