Childhood hobby of collecting minerals turns into growing business

Stormsong Hollow Minerals celebrates opening day on Main Street in Albion

Photos by Tom Rivers: Chris Atwell and Trish Marciszewski celebrate the opening of their business, Stormsong Hollow Minerals, in downtown Albion today. Marciszewski has been collecting minerals since she was a kid when she won a chance to go to the Herkimer Diamond Mines and found a diamond. She has turned her passion for minerals into a new business.

ALBION – Trish Marciszewski jokingly blames her earth science teacher Steve McKenna for her passion for minerals.

When she was a student at Albion, she won a contest and a chance to go to the Herkimer Mines. She went and was the only one to find a diamond that day.

It kicked off a passion and deep appreciation for minerals, and their many colors and textures.

“I’ve been on fire for it ever since,” Marciszewski said today at her business, Stormsong Hollow Minerals.

Stormsong has many different minerals available, including Chalcopyrite “Peacock Ore” from Zacatecas, Mexico at left, and Amethyst from Veracruz, Mexico at right.

She celebrated opening day today for the business at 49 North Main St. Marciszewski, a former public safety dispatcher for the county for 10 years, outgrew the space at her garage and home. The business has grown since she started a TikTok page last November. She has 2,100 followers on TikTok for stormhollowminerals with live shows every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Marciszewski runs the business with Chris Atwell, who worked as a local EMT for 16 years. The TikTok customers will order some of the minerals in the videos and they are packaged and shipped by Marciszewski and Atwell.

They also have attended many local shows to build up the business. The demand has grown, overwhelming their home. They welcomed the chance to move the business to Main Street in Albion, where there is more space and gives them a chance to give the downtown district a boost.

“There’s a lot of really good businesses down here working hard to make it work,” she said.

Village of Albion Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley, right, presents a certificate of recognition to Chris Atwell and Trish Marciszewski during opening day for Stormsong Hollow Minerals.

Marciszewski said McKenna, her former earth science teacher, shared a love for minerals. He said each crystal or mineral is born in a storm within the earth.

Marciszewski said she has been passionate about minerals for the past 34 years.

“I’m just fascinated by science and that the earth makes these things,” she said.

None of the Crystal Buddies are exactly alike.

Marciszewski has amassed her own collection, and loves to help other people discover minerals. She said the popularity has grown as people embrace minerals for healing properties,  energy, good luck or simply to beautify a mantel.

Stormsong Hollow sells crystals and minerals in raw and polished forms. They are available in necklaces, pendants and bracelets, and as “Crystal Buddies.” Those buddies have faces, with eyes of Obsidian volcanic glass.

Storm Hollow has relationships with suppliers all over the world. The minerals have cards telling where they are from. Marciszewski and Atwell work with suppliers and miners all over the United States, and from China, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, France, Peru, Russia, Bolivia, India, South Africa, Egypt and other countries.

Marciszewski said mineral collecting used to be primarily for science buffs, but it has become far more mainstream. The internet has helped people learn about minerals. Storm Hollow is happy to help connect them to their favorites.

Storm Hollow is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.

Furious Robinson, Trish Marciszewski’s son, holds some of the Crystal Buddies for $10 that are very popular with customers.