Rocking and Rolling
Rocks, crystals, jewelry, books, and Made in Nevada products mingle with sparkling owner at Carson City shop.

BY MEGG MUELLER
Jeanette Champagne is aptly named. Whether you happen upon her humble shop in the historic district of Carson City or you are one of the many who hear of Rocking and Rolling from someone else, you will leave feeling elevated, almost giddy. It’s as if you had too much champagne, but as we all know, you can’t really have too much champagne. The same is true for Jeanette.

Her love of gems, geology, and crystals—basically anything made of rock—started at birth, Jeanette says. She started her career with an English degree, teaching and working in children’s theater, but when a friend noticed all of her classrooms had rocks and crystals in them, she decided to make a change.

“My friend patted me on the hand and said ‘I think you missed your calling,’ ” Jeanette says. “I’ve always loved Mother Nature doing what she does best.”

She got a second degree in geology, and has never looked back. She moved to Nevada from Alaska the week of Sept. 11, 2001, a compromise with family that lived in Arizona. Jeanette knew she needed a place with clean air, mountains, and clean water; looking at a map, she was drawn to the Carson Valley area.

Jeanette bought the shop in 2010, after watching the property for two years. She started with just a small section; another shop was located in the house at first, but after a little more than four years, Jeanette owned the whole building and has created a larger space for Rocking and Rolling. She closes the shop occasionally to head out and rock hunt. After collecting her stones, she creates jewelry or tchotchkes, and most impressively, can tell you where she found almost every piece in her shop.

Her shelves are lined with Nevada treasures; from sandstone to turquoise, her pieces have a connection to the place she now calls home. The Western room of the shop is a tribute to Nevada, and includes fun, decorative, and commemorative pieces, including signs created by Jim Hill, Jeanette’s partner. Jim works the shop just one day a month, stating “this is all Jeanette.” His clever signs, however, fill the Western room with a hearty, friendly feel, and Jim is responsible for the shop pets: Dusty the cat and Buck the deer. When you meet them, you’ll understand Jim’s sly sense of humor.

“I want my customers to feel welcome, and I want them to remember their visit to Carson,” she says. “If they have an interest in the area and in rocks, I try to show them where they are. I just want them to have a sense of the place.”

Grounded in earth, but alight with effervescence, Jeanette’s sense of place—Rocking and Rolling—is a shop you return to again and again. One sip of her intoxicating blend of friendliness, beautiful and creative items, and incredible spirit, and you’ll be back for more.


Rocking and Rolling

402 N. Curry St.
Carson City, NV 89703
775-315-7403
Open Thursday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday by appointment

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