Crystal Clear Success
Sticks & Stones Curiosity Shop Opens in Knox
Writer / Lois Tomaszewski
Photographer / Jubilee Edgell
For Dawn Powell, the opening of her store, Sticks & Stones, is multifaceted. A childhood fascination with rocks and crystals, her career as a nurse, and the desire to own a business of her own have merged in the former Studio Printers building on South Heaton Street in Knox.
The old building is painted purple – one of Powells aesthetic choices. The color, she says, provides a way to direct people to her business.
Its the only purple building in town, she says. This is a high-vibrancy color. It lightens the mood and the spirit.
It took some time to renovate the building. Powell says the interior had to be gutted and rebuilt after years of being closed and unused. It took three years to complete the renovation, and the shop opened on November 11.
The location for the store is close to home, she says. Powell moved to Knox about 30 years ago. As a Hoosier native, she likes living in the area and being close to the lake.
Powells inventory includes rocks, crystals and wooden pieces made by her boyfriend. These items specifically inspired the name of the store – wood-crafted pieces being the sticks, and crystals being the stones.
I carry the basic crystals that people look for, but I specialize in crystal carvings and unique pieces, Powell explains. People like pieces that speak to their character and to their fun side. Some pieces are elegant and deeply spiritual, and others are just for fun. I look for new products all the time. I love finding unique items.
Her inventory goes well beyond these types of pieces, and beyond the confines of the county, the state and even the U.S.
The store carries carved wood pieces from Indonesia, thuya wood pieces from a conifer tree in Africa, handblown glass from Germany, handcrafted lamps from Turkey, and rocks from all over the world including the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, Africa, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and more.
That childhood passion Powell had as a 7-year-old with a rock collection resurfaced about seven years ago. She started selling crystals and other items related to spirituality at local festivals and craft shows.
Her business at that point was called Moonlight Dreams. During the pandemic she opened an online store under the same name. A brick-and-mortar store, however, was always the goal, she says.
There was also a void in the marketplace for stones and crystals. When she began her own spiritual journey, Powell says she could not find a local source for the crystals and stones she found beneficial on her journey.
There was nothing here, she says. I decided to open in Knox because its where I live, and we need more businesses here.
She also recognized that many people, like her, find a spiritual and healing connection to stones and crystals. This fit in with her own path as a nurse who often works with people struggling with addiction and other issues. Powell notes that many people look at stones and crystals as healing items.
The customers who visit Sticks & Stones search for many different items and stop in for many different reasons. Some look at collecting crystals and stones as a hobby. Others are driven toward the idea that these natural elements add positivity and healing to their lives. Still others simply enjoy shopping for the fun and unique products in Powells shop.
Sticks & Stones is not just a rock shop. Powell offers her customers a variety to choose from. It is diverse enough to appeal to various personalities and interests, or simply to have fun.
I think I am just a big kid at heart, Powell says. We all have that inner child.
Sticks & Stones is located at 1202 South Heaton Street in Knox. For more information, follow them on Facebook @dawnsmoonlightdreams, or text Powell at 574-806-0798.
