Shining light in the Silver Valley

The Johnson family is bringing modern-day treasure hunting to life in historic Wallace, Idaho.

Dealers in spectacular gems, minerals, collectibles and other rare finds; they pride themselves on having a store – Johnson's Gems and Collectibles - only 48 steps from the center of the universe.

According to a 2004 proclamation by a former Wallace mayor, the famous mining town is indeed the center of the universe.

"You can't prove it isn't," laughed co-owner Brenda Johnson about the location. "The proclamation says that it's based on that fact, therefore; it is."

Not only is the business close to the universe's center, but the store's Galaxy Room feels like it’s in another dimension. Its fantastical fluorescent light show features vibrant hues from rocks and minerals under ultraviolet light.

“We have calcites, willemites, agates and rubies,” said Brenda. "We have fluorites from all over the world. It's cool."

The Galaxy Room is only a tiny part of the family's extensive offerings. Two floors are packed with unique items and merchandise, with some of it dating back generations.

Rows of glass cases boast the largest selection of museum-quality rocks, minerals and gemstones in the inland northwest.

Other unique items include what Brenda believes is the store's biggest attraction: a Michael Jordan collection with a rare basketball jersey from the Chicago Bulls.

"We were just going to have a rock shop, but it grew from our collections," said Brenda. "Things seem to come to us. We've had one collection come out of Africa and another New Hampshire. We've been fortunate."

Johnson Gems started when Brenda’s husband, Eddie, and son, Fred, mined deep purple Idaho star garnets to craft custom jewelry in a small shed on their property.

Business grew quickly and they opened their downtown Wallace store in 2015.

"You don't expect to find someone in the middle of Idaho that can design jewelry," said Brenda. "Fred is fast and very creative. Sometimes it only takes minutes because we have the materials on hand."

Fred transforms the precious stones into one-of-a-kind custom pieces to match each customer's specifications. All the work is done onsite.

Eddie is a third-generation silver miner. He started at Bunker Hill, once the largest smelting facility in the world, and later worked at the Lucky Friday mine until he retired three years ago. Eddie applies his understanding of the industry and the historic Silver Valley to help the business grow.

"We've built this amazing store that draws people from around the region," said Brenda. "Every day they come in and say, 'It's the coolest store. I’m coming back.'"

In 2024, Johnson’s Gems and Collectibles moved across the street into a three-story, more than 4,000-square-foot building, which allowed them to expand their inventory.

"It was built in the 1800s and was originally a JC Penney store," said Brenda.

Before setting up shop, they renovated the basement and two levels of the historic building.

Avista's Small Business Direct-Install Lighting Program helped make the upgrades a reality.

The program covered the entire $42,652 project. In just two days, 63 old light fixtures were replaced with energy-saving LED fixtures equipped with occupancy controls, so they’ll only turn on when people are in the room.

"The lighting has made a huge difference, especially with displaying our jewelry and minerals," said Brenda. "It's like a totally new building with the bright lights. We're super excited about it."

Avista small business customers in Washington and Idaho can easily qualify for lighting upgrades like this. Plus, Avista typically covers 100% of the project costs.