Patagonia now has its own rock shop. Earth Space opened on Fall Festival weekend this year. It is located at 275 W McKeown-Suite C, otherwise known as the Ovens Plaza. Hours are Fri 5 to 7 p.m., Sat 10 to 4 p.m., and Sun 12 to 4 p.m. The tiny shop, owned by Caroline (Carrie) Whitehill, a geologist who moved to Patagonia last fall, contains a diverse collection of minerals from smaller, more common specimens to larger and rarer pieces suitable for serious collectors. A rock at Earth Space can cost anywhere from $16 to $3000. Each is quite beautiful, especially to the eyes of a rock hound.
All the specimens currently at Earth Space are from the collection of Peter Megaw, a geologist and world-renowned mineral collector from Tucson, who has been collecting for over 40 years. The oldest specimens are three billion years, give or take 500 million!
Part of the fun at Earth Space is listening to Whitehill talk about the minerals, where they are from, how they are formed, and what makes some so special. She is a teacher and her enthusiasm for these “small precious pieces of our planet” is infectious.
Whitehill plans to expand the offerings in the store and on its website, especially adding more affordable pieces. She looks forward to a shopping spree at Tucson’s 2020 Gem Show and also hopes to become a source of information on places to collect for local and visiting rock hounds.
Earth Space gives Whitehill the opportunity to interact with residents and visitors in her newly adopted community. She does enjoy talking and, as scientist and a teacher, has some interesting information to share. Last December, Whitehill bought a house in Patagonia and is happy to be putting put down a few roots.
Earth Space is only open on weekends, as Whitehill works as Arizona Standard’s project manager at the proposed Sunnyside Exploration Drilling Project in the Patagonia Mountains.
Earth Space has no connection to Arizona Standard.