Cooperative Living July 2023 - 13

COOPERATIVE FOCUS
BACK TO THE PASSION
Today his studio/workshop is filled
A pendant made from
a bloodstone mined in
Madison County V ●●
A pendant made from
a bloodstone mined
in Page County V ●●
A bloodstone
from Rockingham
●●●●●● V ●●
A family friend who was an early
mentor showed a young Mercer how
to cut cabochons. A cabochon is a
gemstone that has been cut, shaped
and polished rather than faceted.
Mercer says many stones can be cut
into cabochons; a notable exception
being diamonds, which are rarely cut
as cabochons as their brilliant sparkle
is brought out better via faceting.
Mercer later earned a geology degree
from James Madison University and
took jewelry and metals classes, but says
he is largely self-taught as a goldsmith
and silversmith.
near Richmond, but he has also worked
in the mine himself.
AN EARLY PASSION
Mercer's passion for rocks and
gemstones began as a child. He says
one of his earliest memories is taking
an empty chocolate candy box that his
father gave his mother for Valentine's
Day, and filling it instead with colorful
rocks found in his Cape Cod, Mass.,
hometown.
" There were naturally tumbled rocks
everywhere along the waterfront -
which drew me to them and spoke to
me, " he recalls. " Soon I had a bookcase
filled with rocks instead of books. "
As a very young boy, Mercer says
he often took his rocks to school for
show-and-tell days. When he was a
5th grader, he says his mother gave
him " a cheap rock grinder " that he
still owns to this day.
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LIFE'S INTERRUPTIONS
In the early 1990s after getting
married and having two daughters,
Mercer says his passion for rocks was
forced to the side as he spent 22 years
as a self-employed roofing contractor.
A small home workshop allowed him
to continue creating and selling jewelry
as a sideline, but no more than that.
" I had no seed money to start a [jewelry]
business, " he says of the long journey
to eventually owning his own
Harrisonburg store.
After his two daughters finished
college and left home, Mercer closed
his roofing business and took the plunge,
opening Elk Run Mining Company
in 2013. Located on a side street
adjacent to downtown's Water Street
Parking Deck, his compact store is
surrounded by other small locally
owned businesses.
with colorful creations utilizing polished
cabochons set primarily in sterling silver,
along with a limited number of pieces
set in gold.
Most of his necklaces for sale are
displayed on colorful ribbons; customers
can buy their own sterling or gold chains
to replace the ribbon as desired. His
shop also sells earrings, pendants and
rings, does jewelry repair, and creates
custom items at customers' request,
such as the special necklace he did for
Beth Orebaugh of nearby Keezletown,
a 10-minute drive from Mercer's store.
Orebaugh is also a self-described
" rock hound " whose father introduced
her to rock hunting. She owns several of
Mercer's creations, including a pendant
necklace featuring amazonite on one
side - with her former pet cat's ID
tag on the back.
" Rocks are
the only thing I
collect, " Orebaugh
explains. " For
jewelry, I like
amazonite and
rhodochrosite
from Argentina
and rhodonite,
a pinkish stone
from Fluvanna
County. "
She adds, " I
Beth
collect rocks
because to me they
are a masterpiece of the Almighty's
hand, and no two are alike, so a
collection is never complete. A dream
I have is that when my husband retires,
we can go and hunt for rocks. "
●●●●●●●●
A FAMILY AFFAIR
Mercer admits he still loves rock
hunting as well. He often returns to the
shop from a typical outing armed with
several 5-gallon buckets filled with
(continued on page 12)
July 2023 ● Cooperative Living ●
11
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Cooperative Living July 2023

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