Hidden Gem of Vantage: The Gingko Gem Shop
If you’ve ever wandered through the Gingko Petrified Forest State Park and wished you could take a little piece of it home, you’ve probably found your way next door to one of Vantage’s most enduring treasures—the Gingko Gem Shop.
Family owned and operated for more than 50 years by the Rose family (Bill and Dee Rose, and their children William and Debbie), the shop itself was first built in 1965 by its original owner, Fred Shaw. Bill began working there as a summer job while attending Central Washington University in Ellensburg—and it quickly became a lifelong passion. “I was hooked,” Bill recalls. “The lady who owned it said, ‘I’m going to sell this place to you someday.’” By 1973, that statement came true when Bill purchased the shop after the owners decided to move to Page, Arizona, to open another rock shop.
Back in the late 60s or early 70s
Bill’s fascination with rocks actually began much earlier. Growing up in Seattle, he discovered pieces of petrified wood when he was just three or four years old. After working summers on Boeing’s assembly line during high school, then serving in the Navy and completing college, Bill returned to Central Washington and began shaping what would become a Vantage landmark.
Over the decades, the Gingko Gem Shop has grown from a modest store that sold only petrified wood into an array of rocks, fossils, and minerals from around the world. But what makes it truly special is that much of the petrified wood still comes from the Rose family’s own property right here in the area. Every slab of petrified wood in the shop is cut and polished by Bill’s son, William. “He does the most beautiful work,” Bill says proudly.
Unlike his dad, William’s love of rocks wasn’t instant. “I worked here as a kid and hated rocks,” he laughs. That didn’t last long—he’s now been happily working with fossils for over 25 years. William is a master lapidary artist whose work is found in collections around the world. “There are maybe five people in the world who do what I do,” he says. “Four in the U.S. and one in France.” The mirror finish he’s known for on his slabs and tabletops is second to none—the kind of artistry that looks effortless but takes decades of experience (and his own custom-built equipment) to achieve. Every year, William shows his work at the Fossil Mineral Marketplace at the world-famous Tucson Gem & Mineral Show, carrying on the family’s long tradition there. Bill, who’s well known in the Tucson scene, has been attending for the past 50 years.
Inside the shop, you’ll find polished slabs, minerals, geodes, crystals, tumbled stones, and jewelry. Outside, the fenced rock yard is filled with “rough” fossils in all shapes and sizes from both Washington and Arizona, as well as obsidian and other minerals.
Out front, you can’t miss the massive stumps of petrified fir trees that William dug out from solid basalt, estimated to be about 15 million years old. Interestingly, the Gingko Petrified Forest State Park wasn’t named because it was once full of Gingko trees—it was named for their rarity. Only five Gingko logs were ever found here, which is the largest concentration discovered anywhere in the world. In all, 35 tree species were found in the area, with Sequoia, Fir, Elm, and Oak being the most dominant.
To help visitors identify the many local species, the Rose family created a handy booklet that explains how to tell them apart by their growth patterns—fir trees with wide rings, sequoias with tight grain, and so on. This informative little guide sells for $10 in the shop.
And if you’ve ever noticed the four dinosaurs standing guard out front—yes, those are part of the fun too! They’ve been greeting visitors for about 16 years and came all the way from Holbrook, Arizona. “A client we used to do work for had them at his shop,” William says. “When he retired, we thought, since Vantage never had any real dinosaurs, why not bring some here for people to enjoy?” It’s a playful nod to the prehistoric world that helped make this area famous.
The Gingko Gem Shop is truly a family affair. William’s sister, Debbie, takes care of the display layout, the flow of the shop, and runs the store on weekends and during the summer. The family cat, Missy—once a local stray—loves customers and keeps everyone entertained. Visitors range from curious parkgoers to serious collectors, with some traveling from as far as Canada or the East Coast to add a unique piece to their collection.
If you haven’t stopped by yet, make it part of your next Vantage adventure. Whether you leave with a polished slab or just a deeper appreciation for the ancient trees beneath our feet, you’ll walk away understanding why this little roadside shop has become such a beloved piece of Vantage history.
You can visit the Ginkgo Gem Shop at: 330 Ginkgo Ave, Vantage, WA 98950 and on their Facebook page
