Lost Grotto Studio
Born from a tin box of stones.
"I didn't set out to become a gem dealer. I set out to honor my mother."
Halie Rebeccaschild · Founder & Curator
Halie Rebeccaschild
Founder & Curator
The weight of the old cookie tin led me to peek inside, and what I found changed my life.
The tin belonged to my mom, Becky Blain — founder of Extraordinary Stone out of Loveland, Ohio. Unlike her many other collections, this massive trove of colored stones spoke directly to my inner child. I didn't know what to do with them at first. But the more I looked at them, the more I wanted to share them with the world as her legacy.
Her brilliance in patronizing a master facet artist — and her desire to leave them for me — makes me feel deeply loved and grateful. But where was the artist? A collection of this magnitude requires authenticated provenance. My persistence led me to lapidary facet artist and paleontologist Ron Ruschman. Becky met him more than thirty years ago at Ed's Rock Shop in Blue Ash, Ohio. She bought select faceted stones from Ron, amassing a collection of more than sixty gemstones.
When I finally tracked Ron down, he began to fill in the missing pieces. Now he is a friend. He still cuts stones, and he has recently supplied me with rare gems from his network of American Mineral Treasures (AMT) mines — more than 40 recognized gemstone mines in the United States. Now that is provenance.
Today, I run a rock-art experience lounge and jewelry-craft makerspace where I crack geodes, share jewelry-making courses, and build fluorescent rock installations. I work with all-natural, ethically sourced stones with character that sets them apart. My mom called them extraordinary stones — and so they are.
Mom collected what she loved, and I must have inherited that from her. Finding that tin can brought me full circle. So I gave myself permission to do what she did: find beautiful stones and share them with people who love them.
What We Believe
Authenticity over polish
We don't sand the mystery out of a stone. Every crack, inclusion, and imperfection is part of the story.
Curation over volume
Nothing here is mass-produced. Every piece is chosen because it deserves to be seen — and held.
Community over transaction
We built a space where people come to make things, learn things, and find their people.
The reveal matters
The moment a geode opens is the whole point. We built an experience around that feeling — and we never get tired of it.
The Design Team
Ron Ruschman
Lapidary Facet Artist
Paleontologist Ron Ruschman cut gemstones after university, during a period spanning the 1980s and 1990s now known as the Lapidary Renaissance — approximately 60 gems of which comprise the Lost Grotto collection. Becky Blain first met Ron at Ed's Rock Shop in Blue Ash, Ohio, more than thirty years ago, and commissioned him to cut the stones that would eventually become this collection. Although Ruschman does not cut for Lost Grotto at this time, his incredible contribution warrants an honorary position on the LG design team. Today, Ron owns and operates The Muse, a dinosaur fossil museum replete with his personal discoveries, including a baby T-Rex. He continues to supply rare gems from his network of American Mineral Treasures (AMT) mines.
Sindur McRedmond, G.G.
Sindur Fine & Antique Jewelry
As a G.I.A. Graduate Gemologist and jeweler with decades of experience with gems and precious metals, Sindur ensures only the finest setting results in platinum or gold. Inquire about custom settings for any stone in the collection.
Sindur Fine & Antique Jewelry ↗Come find your stone.
Whether you're here to shop, make, crack, or simply wander — you're welcome at Lost Grotto Rocks.
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