A Seed Is Sown.

As a child just 8 years old, while taking a walk with her father, he looked down and found a peculiar stone. The rock had a hole through it and he suggested she wear it as a necklace. He said to her, this is the only one of its kind in the whole world, just like you. She wore that rock around her neck on a string and spent countless hours with her nose to the ground searching country roads near her home for more beautiful rocks... maybe she thought, she would find yet another that she could make a necklace with.

The Vision Is Born.

Over a period of time and pulling together quite a collection of rocks, she had named and categorized them according to their looks. There was the 'Honey' Collections the 'Salts' the 'Caramels'... it was now time to take them to the next level. In the Sears catalog, there was a rock polisher that she knew she just had to have. All that lacked was the consent to make the purchase. And thus, it did not come to pass.

Time Goes On.

35 years later she’s telling the story to her husband, of the day she took a walk with her dad, hand-in-hand looking down at the ground and of this rock he had found and of the rock polisher she still wanted as a child and did not get. The story is told with joy, sorrow, and a depth of gratitude beyond words for having had that moment in time with her father. For you see, the girl lost her dad and brother both when she was 18 to a car accident. This memory is one of her most cherished moments in time. To her it speaks to the gentle yet strong soul that her dad was.

The Other Gentle Soul In Her Life.

In his way, Gentle a matter of fact, her husband after a brief contemplation said; “We can get a rock tumbler!” He proceeded to tell her that as a young boy, there was this old man just down the gravel road from him who had a lapidary shop and collection of rocks and stones of all shapes and creations that he had made on display in his home. He would frequently make the trip to see the collection in wonder and amazement of their uniqueness and natural beauty. As a grown man, a tool and die maker by trade, cutting tools, equipment and polishing techniques are all second nature to him. It would seem a perfect match to her vision.

And So It Begins.

The tumbler arrives, stones are collected, and a trip to Duluth in search of Superior Agates and other ‘JemStones’ ensues. Gravel roads, gravel pits, lake shores are all hot beds for rocks just waiting to become the next Ann Manning JemStone.

With Love...

These two go on every hunt together, spend hours hand-picking hundreds of pounds of rock. Two peas in a pod they are, enjoying every moment together. It is with love and affection, that each rock is born a JemStone. Patricia Ann & Shawn Manning hope you will love these JemStones as they love bringing them to life.

Just The Beginning.

It didn't stop at making handmade necklaces at home. The husband and wife decided to open a boutique Downtown, in the heart of Alexandria Minnesota. Patricia has always had a passion for fashion. Trend & Couture carries a wide variety of styles and sizes of the most current trends. In addition, many different unique accesories. Fast forward a few years to current day, the boutique has grown and carries womens fashion and accesories, mens accesories, home decor, art made by local artists, pop culture merchandise such as Marvel Comics, and much much more!