Where Every Stone Has a Story
Our journey into gemstones began on the corner of Congress and Twiggs in Old Town San Diego, where we met Romney, a jeweler with a shop full of color, mystery, and stories from mines around the world.
He didn’t just show us stones. He opened them like books.
From pink tourmaline and old mining maps to our first dusty trip into East County, every gemstone became more than something beautiful. It became a discovery — shaped by place, memory, risk, wonder, and the people who carried its story forward.
From the Corner to the Mines
Romney would tell us about searching for gemstones, about the Pala mines, and about the hidden deposits scattered through San Diego’s backcountry. We listened, learned, and eventually went looking ourselves.
Our first mining trip ended quickly when a rattlesnake reminded us that nature writes the rules. We ran, laughed later, and never forgot it.
Romney would often begin our conversations with:
"Every stone has a story. You just have to know where to look."
Before long, we discovered exactly what he meant.
The First Discovery
One day, Romney pulled out a map of San Diego County and began pointing to places where tourmaline and other gemstones had once been found. The idea that hidden treasures might still exist just beyond the city fascinated us.
Not long after, we headed into East County to explore for ourselves. Armed with little more than curiosity and a sense of adventure, we followed old leads and searched the landscape.
We didn't find a fortune that day. Instead, we found something better—a connection to the stories behind the stones.
We found a lizard, the one pictured, we also found a rattlesnake.
The snake won the encounter, and we set a personal speed record running back to the truck and didnt have time to snap a photo. But from that moment on, gemstone hunting became part discovery, part adventure, and part respect for the wild places where these treasures are found.
As we learned more, we discovered that San Diego County has one of the richest gemstone histories in the United States. The famous Pala mining district produced world-renowned tourmaline, kunzite, and other remarkable gemstones that attracted miners, collectors, and gem enthusiasts from around the world.
Why Mystical Gemstones
At La Esquinas, every gemstone reminds us of that first lesson Romney taught us: that stones carry stories. Some are stories of ancient geology. Some are stories of discovery and adventure. Some become part of the stories we create ourselves.
That's why we continue searching, learning, and sharing these remarkable treasures with others.
Each piece in the Mystical Gemstones Collection carries a little of that spirit.
Explore the Mystical Gemstones Collection