Our Journey

Adam's journey began in 2014 as a gem cutter and jeweler, participating in local craft and trade shows. In 2017, production commenced in India, where his factory was established a year later. The first Rubble Rock and Gem storefront opened its doors in 2018, occupying a modest 550 sq ft space. The success of this location led to the opening of a larger one on Marine Dr in Vancouver in 2022. Following this expansion, Rubble Rock and Gem's owner, Adam, undertook the exclusive distribution of BC Jade under the subsidiary "The Jade Guys". In 2024, Rubble Studios, the teaching studio, was established, utilizing space within the original Rubble Rock and Gem brick and mortar establishment.

Global Sourcing

We proudly source our gemstones globally, attending renowned events like the Tucson, Denver, Quartzsite, Munich, Prineville, and Madras Powwow gem shows, among many others. Over the past decade, our extensive networking as both buyers and sellers at these shows has enabled us to cultivate a valuable network of suppliers with whom we engage year-round. On average, we import an impressive 2000lbs of gemstones weekly from around the world.

Owner's Expertise

Our owner, Adam, boasts a wealth of experience, having personally visited over 300 mines and dig sites across North America. Additionally, he diligently seeks out large estates as a secondary means of stocking our store, ensuring a diverse and captivating selection for our customers.

We offer five private customer parking stalls located at the rear by our loading bay. Additionally, parking stalls along the laneway on the west side of the building are available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis.

Yes, we have a whole services page dedicated to this. Click Here.

Courses and Events for Kids

While we love sharing knowledge and hosting events for children, our storefront isn't always the ideal setting due to the delicate and valuable items on display. However, Rubble Studios is the perfect venue for educational opportunities and events tailored for kids.

We're committed to offering engaging courses and experiences for children while ensuring the safety and preservation of our showroom. Therefore, we typically limit classes in the retail section to instances where there are enough chaperones to maintain order and ensure the children treat our specimens with care.

Rubble Studios was specifically designed to provide a dedicated space for educational programs, allowing us to offer enriching experiences for kids while respecting the value and fragility of our showroom.

Regarding Stone Sourcing

While we appreciate your interest, we regret to inform you that we do not offer stone sourcing services. Our past experiences have shown that only about 1 out of 10 customers finalize transactions after sourcing efforts. Not only does this process consume considerable time, but it also impacts our credibility when transactions are abandoned after reaching advanced stages with our suppliers. This affects our future sourcing capabilities.

Stay Updated

To keep abreast of our latest inventory additions, we encourage you to join our email list. We send out updates every couple of months, detailing all the new products available in-store.

Special Consideration

While custom sourcing isn't our standard service, we may still consider it for industry professionals or with an initial, non-refundable service fee.

Availability of Stones

If you don't find a specific stone on our website, it's likely that we still have it in our inventory. Our website showcases only about seven percent of our in-store stock. Many of our unique, one-of-a-kind pieces are yet to be listed, as we've prioritized featuring our commercial-grade inventory first. For the widest selection and the best experience, we highly recommend visiting our store in person. We're actively working to expand our online selection, but for now, visiting us in-store provides access to our full range of offerings.

Custom Projects Availability

At Rubble Rock, Adam, the owner, is the sole individual who undertakes commission projects. Specializing in lapidary and metalwork projects, particularly in jewelry scale, Adam's expertise knows no bounds. However, due to his extensive commitments, including managing the storefront, overseeing operations at our overseas factory, distributing jade, and managing multiple art studios, Adam is currently unable to take on additional projects.

Considerations

Should Adam consider taking on a project, please note that his fees will reflect his current workload and the value of his time, based on an hourly rate comparable to the projects he will need to temporarily pause to accommodate new commissions. While his availability is limited, the upside is that his skills enable him to bring to life virtually any project you can imagine.

Consignment Policy

At Rubble Rock, we do not operate on a consignment basis. We own all our products outright. We carefully select items for our store that we believe will resonate with our customers, and we invest in these products ourselves. If we believe a product will sell well in our store, we take the initiative to stock it ourselves.

Efficiency

We value your time and ours, and we see no benefit in engaging in consignment arrangements for products that we may not prioritize stocking. Our approach ensures that we maintain a curated selection of high-quality items that align with our brand and customer preferences.

You can trust what you're buying from us is the real deal. It's crucial for our brand and store reputation to offer genuine items. When customers walk in and ask, "Is this all real?" I want to confidently say, "Yes, everything is real." I don't want to have to qualify my answer with, "This is real, but that isn't."

Selling fake items is too much of a hassle. If it's not authentic, I wouldn't even consider buying it. That's why, if an item in our store is treated or synthetic, we're upfront about it – clear labeling is key. We value transparency because dealing with unhappy customers or negative reviews is something I'd rather avoid. That's why we only offer genuine gemstones, fossils, and minerals.

Certificates of Authenticity

At Rubble Rock, we prioritize transparency and authenticity in all our dealings. We acknowledge that certificates of authenticity can be easily fabricated and may lack credibility. Anyone with Microsoft word or Google docs can make a certificate- They hold no merit. Our experience overseas has shown that the outcome of lab tests can be influenced by the party paying the gemologist. 

Recommendation

To ensure complete confidence in your purchase, we recommend having the stone independently verified at your own expense. This guarantees you receive a credible assessment of its authenticity.

Third-Party Certification

Upon your request, we can arrange for stones to be checked and certified by a third-party laboratory. However, this will be at your own expense. We recommend reputable labs like the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) for certification, especially if you intend to increase the resale value of your stone.

Our Guarantee

We are a well-established business and stand behind the authenticity of our products. If independent tests reveal discrepancies from our declarations, we offer a full refund and more to ensure your satisfaction and trust in our brand.

As the shop owner, I train my employees not to act like pushy salespeople. If you find a rock you love—fantastic! If not, that’s okay too. With our huge selection, you’re bound to find something you like, and there’s no need for us to push one item over another.

I also prioritize honesty. If my staff doesn’t know something about a product, they’re instructed never to make anything up. Instead, they’ll simply tell you they don’t know—and that’s perfectly fine. After years of working with gemstones, even I don’t have all the birthstones memorized! It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. What matters most to my brand is that you get reliable answers—or none at all—rather than false information.

In today’s world, Google is at everyone’s fingertips. If we don’t know an answer, we can look it up together. It’s far better to admit uncertainty than to provide inaccurate information, which can damage trust in our business. I appreciate when my team has the integrity to say, “I don’t know,” because honesty is the foundation of what we do here.

Traveling with Purchases

Yes, you can certainly take your purchases on the plane back home. Customs officers primarily focus on identifying threats such as terrorism, drugs, and weapons, which means that decorative items like gemstones pose no concern.

Precautions with Rough Rocks

If you're carrying rough rocks, it's advisable to clean them of any dirt or debris. This precaution is important, as customs regulations in the United States treat them similarly to fresh fruits and vegetables to prevent the introduction of parasites and pests into agricultural land. Simply inform the customs officer that the specimen has been cleaned and prepared for display, ensuring it poses no agricultural threat. If you've collected rocks during your visit, it's a good practice to wash them thoroughly before packing them for travel.

Stone Purchases Policy

At Rubble Rock, we primarily engage in estate deals when it comes to purchasing stones. If you're a collector looking to declutter your collection, we may consider purchasing your items, but they must be exceptionally priced to align with our bulk purchasing model. Please keep in mind that we typically buy items by the pallet or container, so if you acquired your specimens at retail price, our offer may not meet your expectations.

Local Miner Considerations

We may also entertain purchasing gemstones or minerals from local miners who have obtained claims. However, we are not interested in acquiring river gravel or beach pebbles.

Submitting Items for Consideration

If you have stones to sell, please email us photos (our email can be found in the footer of our website) along with a brief description of the goods. We conduct purchasing appointments by invitation only after reviewing the initial email to save you unnecessary travel time. If we find your items of interest, we will respond accordingly. For estate deals, general overview photos are sufficient.

We appreciate your interest in selling to us and look forward to potentially doing business with you.