By Andy Furman
NKyTribune reporter
There is no need to fear – it is perfectly safe. Do not let the name fool you.
The Dimitridon Studios Rock Shop – 714 Madison Avenue in Covington – was born out of a love of geology. (“Dimetrodon” is often mistaken for a dinosaur, or as a contemporary of dinosaurs in popular culture, but it became extinct some 40 million years before the advent of dinosaurs. Although reptile-like in appearance and physiology, “Dimetrodon” is much more closely related to mammals than to reptiles, though it is not a direct ancestor of mammals. But that’s not what we’re talking about.)
Now that we got that out of the way, Dimitridon Studios is a family-run business offering mineral specimens from around the world. The Studios offers fossils and works with artisans in Michigan – where two other stores are located –and in Covington to bring jewelry and home goods.
“Our owners live in Michigan,” Covington store manager Ashley Sifford told the Northern Kentucky Tribune. “They’re from Kalamazoo and have two locations of the Rock Shop – one in South Haven and one in Ludington.”
As for Sifford – a former Missouri high school teacher – she lives in Alexandria and says she moved here to be closer to family. And to run the Covington Dimitridon Studios Rock Shop.
“I really didn’t plan on getting a job when I moved here,” she said. “I just stumbled on Rock Shop. It is a great place to work, and I can sell my art here, too.”
For Sifford, it must be a great place – she is always there. The Rock Shop is open seven-days-a-week – and Sifford can be found there most of the time.
“We have everything that’s made from rocks,” she said. “In fact, we just returned from the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show.”
Some 1,000 vendors were at the Arizona show, she said, “and we were able to handpick items.”
Those items include: minerals, jewelry, crystals – everything made from rocks – and tarot cards. “We also have tarot readings,” Sifford said.
Tarot readings serve as mirrors, she says, reflecting hidden aspects of situations and offering propound insights. They shed light on choices and possibilities, empowering individuals to make informed decisions.
“Through the cards,” she said, “readers tap into the collective unconscious, accessing information beyond the conscious mind.”
Sifford clarified; she is not much of a believer of the readings – they are like a fortune teller.
“We get to know what’s popular and what items are trending,” she said. “Sometimes, customers may even ask for an alien skull.”
The most popular items, she says, are the sterling silver rings with a stone set in them.
“The tumble stones are a bit less expensive,” she said, “and kids love them. They all have a meaning in them.
“We sell fossils, too. One of the sons of our owners has a collection.”
And, did we fail to mention – that man’s name is Dimitri. The original Dimitridon Studios Rock Shop – in Michigan – is six years old. The Covington shop turns two in May. As for competition Sifford mentions — without names – of similar shops in Main Strasse and one in Cincinnati and another in Milford.
Some 10,000 items easily rest and are on display in Covington.
“We’ll get really busy from about April on,” Sifford said, “and we’re always involved with the local festivals, like the Pride Festival in Covington.”
So how does a Missouri school teacher get involved with a Rock Shop? “My husband and I used to collect rocks by the river,” she said. “We learned an awful lot.”
Ashley Sifford is learning even more.
“I’m working on my GIA,” she said.
Established in 1931, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is the world’s foremost authority on diamonds, colored stones, and pearls. GIA is the leading source of knowledge, standards and education in gems and jewelry.
Rock on, Ashley.