For unique items, shop Carson City

Jason Brown spent a recent afternoon shopping at Rocking and Rolling in downtown Carson City. He bought an old-spoon necklace and some blue-lace agate and smoky quartz for his children’s rock collection.

“She has all the cool ones, and she polishes them herself,” Brown said.

He said he stops in every couple of weeks to see what new items owner Jeanette Champagne has in the store — a variety of jewelry she makes herself, along with crafts and artwork from other Nevada artists.

“She’s got a good eye,” Brown said. “She’s a good filter. She picks out all the best stuff.”

Champagne said many of her customers return frequently.

“I have the best customers in the world,” she said. “Usually, when they start talking to each other, they find they have something in common.”

Whether it’s interacting with storeowners and customers or finding a one-of-a kind gift, there are many reasons to do your shopping in Carson City.

You deserve it

“Everybody deserves to have an original, one-of-a-kind hanging in their home,” said Jeffery Pace, owner of the Artsy Fartsy Art Gallery, 220 W. Telegraph St.

“With artwork starting off at $40 to $50, there’s really no reason to go to another store and buy something made in another country.”

Pace’s gallery features work from 65 Northern Nevada artists, many of whom are among the finest in the region.

“We really have amazing artists in Northern Nevada,” he said. “It’s all about the artists and the artwork.”

He also offers layaway.

“Artwork isn’t just for the upper class,” he said. “It’s for everybody who loves it.”

MADE IN NEVADA

Jeanette Champagne offers a wide selection of Nevada artists in her Rocking and Rolling shop, 402 N. Curry St., along with her own work.

“I’m really big on made in Nevada,” she said. “I like keeping the money in the community and letting the artists have a voice.”

It’s economical

Michelle Popejoy owns the Jewelry Bench, 209 S. Curry St., which specializes in custom pieces.

“I try really hard to beat the Internet on diamond prices,” she said. “If I can do it, I will.”

It’s original

From digging the stone — often in Nevada — to cutting and setting it, Tobin Rupert, owner of Rupert’s Precision Gemcutting, 2800 S. Curry St., offers unique and top-quality jewelry.

“We custom cut all our gemstones,” Rupert said. “A precision cut maximizes the sparkle and luster of a gemstone. They’re cut mathematically perfect, so when light goes in all it can do is bounce around and come back out the top.”

He’s even designed his own signature cuts.

“I let the stone talk to me,” he said. “It wants to be cut the way it wants to be cut. You just have to listen.”

It’s fun

“We love whimsical and eclectic,” said Sue Jones, who owns the Purple Avocado, 904 N. Curry St., with her husband, Stan. “We definitely buy with that in mind. We have something different for everyone.”

Julie Grady, owner of Due Sorella (Two Sisters), 202 N. Curry St., offers a combination of new, repurposed, vintage and antique items.

“It’s everything I love,” she said. “People tell me, ‘I feel better after I come into your store.’ It reminds you, there’s no place like home.”

During the holiday season, the Greenhouse Garden Center, 2450 S. Curry St., transforms into a winter wonderland, with each tree decorated in its own theme, like sports, music, shoes and purses.

“When we traveled overseas, these colorful ornaments and balls were things we were able to collect,” said owner David Ruf. “It reminds us when we put up our trees of the memories we have. That’s what we’re trying to do here.”