ZRS Fossils and Gifts

Open for extra shopping hours today - Monday, Dec 19 from 10am - 6pm! Great Storewide SALE today as well. We have A LOT of new and unique carvings, like this pyrite skull cutie. 😮

ZRS Fossils and Gifts

Don't miss our big ZRS Storewide SALE going on throughout this coming week -- Sunday through Saturday! Enjoy 20% OFF any items throughout the store individually priced from $20 - $399 -- and 25% OFF any items throughout the store individually priced from $400 and up! Perfect time to shop for crystals, carvings, fossils, jewelry, home decor and great gift items for your loved ones or treasures for yourself as well.

ZRS Fossils and Gifts ZRS Fossils offers the Twin Cities' largest selection of fossils, crystals, minerals and related items -- Unique Treasures from the Earth! Also leads Guided Fieldtrips around the US, England, Australia & Morocco - Lapidary & Crystal Energy Classes

Happy Holidays! ZRS will be open Sunday and Monday this coming week (December 18th & 19th) to provide additional shopping opportunities for our customers. We have also temporarily extended our daily shopping hours - now opening at 10AM and closing at 6PM / closing at 4PM on Christmas Eve.

There's something very exceptional about crystals for the holidays!

How about a round of Indonesian petrified wood reconfigured into an unusual votive holder??☺

ZRS Gift Certificates are available in any amount. Pick them up in person or give us a call to have them sent in the mail!🎄

Holiday Gift Ideas from ZRS Fossils and Gifts -
Light up someone's life with Selenite Lamps and Votives -- both in natural crystalline form as well as a variety of hand-carved and polished designs - spirals, hearts, yin-yangs, stars, squares, rounds, triplets and more. Prices start at $20. As nature's fiber optic material, the light magically travels up the fine, elongated crystalline fibers of this unique natural stone. Find them at ZRS Fossils and Gifts / 3018 Lyndale Ave South in Minneapolis! 612.824.1068

So many unique carvings - big and small in a wide variety of stones!

Looking for something special from Minnesota? There are lots of great Maclurites and other Ordovician fossils on the shelves at ZRS Fossils and Gifts!

The weather outside is frightful ... with lots of slipping and sliding going on.
We've closed the store for the rest of the day and will be open again tomorrow from noon to 6pm. ❄❄

ZRS wishes a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday to our families and friends. We are forever grateful for all of the special relationships that have developed and grown within our ZRS community and beyond throughout our many years in business - and for all of the amazing treasures of the earth that have continued to unite and delight us, as well. We SO appreciate you and all of the support that you have provided. THANK YOU!🍂

ZRS Fossils and Gifts

Don't miss our special ZRS STOREWIDE SALE this week, when nearly every item over $15 is discounted by 20%. Come early for the best selection and great deals on our fossils, crystals, jewelry, sculptures, rough rock, books and much more! We're currently open from Noon to 6pm on Tuesdays through Saturdays.

(Sale exclusions include consignment pieces, ZRS Gift Certificates, Studio-Lab Classes, special orders and a few red/orange-tagged items around the store.)

ZRS Fossils and Gifts ZRS Fossils offers the Twin Cities' largest selection of fossils, crystals, minerals and related items -- Unique Treasures from the Earth! Also leads Guided Fieldtrips around the US, England, Australia & Morocco - Lapidary & Crystal Energy Classes

New material gracing our cases for October ... pumpkins, ghosts, witches, jack-o-lanterns, acorns, ravens, moons & skulls carved from a huge variety of fantastic stones! 👻

We have come to love these vibrant, captivating colors of Ammolite, excavated from the Bearpaw Formation of the St. Mary River in Alberta, Canada.

"Thank You" to our many fun & fabulous volunteers who worked with us at our Minnesota State Fair booth this year - you were amazing!! And we SO appreciate all of our new and repeat customers who made this season our most successful ever. Kiitos!! 💖💖

It's the last day of the big 2022 Minnesota State Fair today! Stop by to see us in the lower level of the Grandstand Building -- down aisle #4. Lots of sweet deals happening until 8pm today!

One of our prettiest amethyst cathedrals - 45 inches tall! 💖💖

Looking for spontaneous FUN this weekend?? ZRS is offering an exciting fossil collecting daytrip adventure for any age, but this is a perfect opportunity for families with younger children! Collect marine fossils alongside of our ZRS Paleontologist, who will personally assist you throughout your day's collecting experience. Enjoy a Fossil ID session over lunch!

JOIN ZRS FOR THE ROCKFORD IOWA FOSSIL FIELDTRIP
SUNDAY - AUGUST 7th, 2022

With paleontologist guidance, you will be collecting marine fossil shells from the Late Devonian Period (375 million years old) Cerro Gordo limestone member of the Lime Creek formation. This area is recognized as one of the most fossiliferous and easy to collect localities in the upper Midwest - with nearly 200 different species of marine invertebrates and micro-fossils described from the area. Our group will visit BOTH a public collecting site, as well as an additional location on private property.

During the Devonian Period, this portion of Iowa was a shallow sea shelf and shelf-margin environment that bordered a deep-water basin in eastern Iowa and central Illinois. A major global extinction event immediately followed the time represented by these interesting Rockford deposits.

ZRS will provide sample specimens, informational handouts and age appropriate details for everyone on this collecting adventure -- along with collecting assistance and specimen identification.

FIELDTRIP REGISTRATION FEE: $25 per participant (No age limits.)
Register in person at the store (OPEN Tues - Sat from 12 to 6pm) -- OR give us a call at 612.824.1068 BEFORE 6pm on Saturday, August 6th. Fee includes a fossil identification guide.

Please note that advance registration is required! Detailed information and participant instructions will be provided for this fieldtrip after registration payment has been made.

IT'S BACK!! Next month we will be celebrating our 16th year of participation with the Minnesota State Fair – an event so many people look forward to every year as a major summer highlight. With endless and unique varieties of food, drink, free entertainment, interesting exhibits and cool things to explore, this fair is a cherished tradition for countless Midwesterners – and we’re no exception there!

We are looking for ZRS Volunteers to help us out at our award-winning booth in the lower-level Grandstand Building. If you enjoy the exciting MN State Fair atmosphere and would like to add to your collection of fossils, crystals and/or fantastic jewelry ... consider joining us as a volunteer at our booth to pick up some "Fossil Bucks" and have a great time as well!

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR? Honest, attentive and fun-loving individuals who enjoy helping people - can work well with others - feel comfortable around large groups - and be available to work a minimum of three days with us for either morning or evening (6 to 8-hour) shifts. You must also be physically able to stand on your feet for a few consecutive hours when we are super-busy! Some knowledge of fossils, crystals, and/or minerals are strong assets, but having a positive attitude and uplifting spirits are essential.

If you have the desire and time available between August 25th and September 5th, please send an email to: [email protected].

BE SURE TO INCLUDE:
- your full name
- your phone number
- your mailing address
- your available dates
- your preference for AM/PM
- total number of days you can work?

Thanks for considering – we look forward to hearing from you soon!

If you are still contemplating joining ZRS for this special fossil collecting adventure on July 30th and 31st in Montana, call 612.824.1068 to get registered asap! Don't miss out on this year's fun.🤩

Happy Father's Day to all of the special Dads out there!
We still have openings for our exciting ZRS Guided Fieldtrips this season. Details >> https://conta.cc/3ixrYli / Call 612.824.1068 for info.

Please note that we will be closing EARLY at 4pm on Saturday - May 28th!!

Do you have any food service experience? We are looking for a couple of people to help us out with a smaller, but very special personal event on Saturday, May 28th from 3pm to 7pm at an off-site event center in South Minneapolis. This would involve setting up chafing dishes with food; refilling as needed; plate removal from tables; and basic clean up after the meal is finished. It will be a fun atmosphere with Hawaiian entertainment, great dinner (included) and decent compensation for the right individuals. If interested, please send an email with your phone number ASAP to [email protected]. THANKS!

ZRS is looking for someone with decent Lapidary skills -- maybe a previous participant in our Lapidary Class ... to work on polishing agates and stones in our Studio-Lab for a couple of days each week. We have a ton of great agates and stones to cut and polish from our Moroccan adventures. So, if you have some time available and a good skill set, give us a call to see if we might work something out. You can reach us at the store by calling 612.824.1068.

We're so excited to be back from Morocco - and eager to start cutting and polishing the amazing agates we collected. This banded dazzler from Aouli is about 4" X 3". Quite the beauty, huh?

ZRS Moroccan GeoTour - a day at the phosphate mines of Khouribga.

It's another sunny, beautiful day out on the Sahara.🌞

We are off & running with another GeoTour in Morocco again ... very excited after a nearly three-year covid wait. Heading out to collect marine fossils in the Khouribga phosphate deposits this morning!

FOSSIL FIELDTRIP ADVENTURE TO GLENDIVE, MONTANA
SATURDAY JULY 30th & SUNDAY JULY 31st, 2022

Hunt for fossils in the beautiful Montana badlands
- collect amazing ammonites, mother-of-pearl clams, dinosaur bones/teeth, and gorgeous petrified wood!

This intriguing collecting locale is about a nine-hour drive from the Twin Cities. If possible, it is best to make this adventure a long weekend by planning for an extra travel day on both ends of the trip. On Saturday we will be collecting beautiful ammonites and other marine invertebrate fossils from the Pierre Shale formation of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 80 million-years-old. At that time this part of Montana was a shallow-water, inland sea - and now produces a wide variety of exceptional fossils - including ammonites, nautiloids, snails and clams -- magnificent with their beautiful original mother-of-pearl shell. ZRS provides identification manuals, geological information and collecting guidance. You'll be thrilled with your discoveries from this interesting site!

Sunday we will drive to a private ranch deep into the rolling badlands where we will be collecting dinosaur bones and teeth as well as abundant and beautifully agatized petrified wood. This badlands property produces many dinosaur fossils -- including skeletons of several species from the 70 million-year-old Hell Creek formation of the Cretaceous Period. The ranch owner will take us to a designated area for our day of fossil collecting at this site. Again, ZRS will be there to assist in fossil identification and with collecting guidance. There may be some restrictions on your collecting activities. Depending on weather conditions, the daily itinerary for the weekend may be reversed. Great fossil identification manual included with this fieldtrip.

FIELDTRIP REGISTRATION FEE: $255 Adults / $165 Ages 12 - 18
$50 under 12 years / (Under 12 years old with ZRS special permission only - call to inquire.)

Register in person at the store (OPEN Tues - Sat from Noon to 6pm) -- or give us a call at 612.824.1068. Fee includes a fossil identification manual.

Advance Registration is Required! Detailed information and participant instructions will be provided for this fieldtrip after final payment has been made.

Previous Montana Fieldtrip Photos -
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1416713725056318&type=3

RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW FOR THE ROCKFORD IOWA FOSSIL FIELDTRIP / SUNDAY - JULY 10th, 2022

This is a fun, easy-collecting daytrip adventure for anyone, but especially great for families with younger children! Collect marine fossils alongside of our ZRS Paleontologist, who personally assists you throughout your day's collecting experience. Enjoy a Fossil ID session over lunch!

This is an exciting educational day trip for families with children! With paleontologist guidance, you will be collecting marine fossil shells from the Late Devonian Period (375 million years old) Cerro Gordo limestone member of the Lime Creek formation. This area is recognized as one of the most fossiliferous and easy to collect localities in the upper Midwest - with nearly 200 different species of marine invertebrates and micro-fossils described from the area. Our group will visit BOTH a public collecting site as well as an additional location on private property.

During the Devonian Period, this portion of Iowa was a shallow sea shelf and shelf-margin environment that bordered a deep-water basin in eastern Iowa and central Illinois. A major global extinction event immediately followed the time represented by these interesting Rockford deposits.

ZRS will provide sample specimens, informational handouts and age appropriate details for everyone on this collecting adventure -- along with collecting assistance and specimen identification.

FIELDTRIP REGISTRATION FEE: $25 per participant (No age limits.)
You can register in person at the store (OPEN Tues - Sat from Noon to 6pm) -- or give us a call at 612.824.1068. Fee includes a fossil identification guide sheet.

Advance Registration is Required! Detailed information and participant instructions will be provided for this fieldtrip after final payment has been made.

THE BLACK HILLS & BADLANDS OF SOUTH DAKOTA FIELDTRIP
FRIDAY OCTOBER 21st & SATURDAY OCTOBER 22nd, 2022

We have scheduled this adventure for the Friday & Saturday of Education MN Conference weekend to allow families with kids to fully participate on both fieldtrip days with two travel days available.

Contact ZRS to register for this unique opportunity to spend cooler weather days exploring these gorgeous South Dakota back-country areas collecting fossils and minerals! Day one will include guided opportunities to collect fossil mammal bones, skulls and teeth on privately owned badlands near Hot Springs, South Dakota. This area also produces superb fossil turtles. The fossils are found in the Brule Formation of the Oligocene Epoch - 25 to 40 million-years-old. At that time this portion of South Dakota was a subtropical flood plain for several major rivers. We will spend the day collecting surface finds and specimens still in the soft rock matrix. To remove the latter requires patience and some skill. ZRS will provide orientation background on the geological details of this badlands area, information regarding what material you can expect to find, collecting instructions, identification manuals -- in addition to individual guidance to help you remove any specimens you discover. Our group has collected multiple turtles, along with various skulls from this site and numerous teeth, jaws, shell and misc. bones.

The second day we will travel through some of the scenic Black Hills back country to explore three or four of our favorite abandoned mines and collect a wide variety of crystals, minerals and rocks. The mines are relatively safe, but may require hard rock techniques. Again, ZRS will be there to provide geological background information, along with mineral identification and collecting guidance.

This is a fantastic experience where you will collect beautiful specimens of rose quartz, tourmalines, feldspar, apatite, muscovite, tantalum, mica and spodumene crystals -- all the while enjoying the peacefully spectacular environs and wildlife viewing opportunities. This trip (coinciding with MEA weekend) is purposely scheduled later in the year to avoid the heavy tourist traffic and challenging temperatures that occur in this area during the summer months. Early fall adventures also ensure superb nature and wildlife experiences as well. Great fossil identification manual is included with this fieldtrip. Stop by the store in person to reserve your spaces for this great fall adventure (OPEN Tues through Sat from Noon to 6pm) -- or give us a call at 612.824.1068.

FIELDTRIP REGISTRATION FEE: $255 Adults & 17/18 Years Old
$95 Ages 12 - 16 (Under 12 years old with ZRS special permission only - call to inquire.)

Advance Registration is Required! Detailed information and participant instructions will be provided for this fieldtrip after registration has been completed.

Mookaite Memories ...
One of our favorite treasures from the earth is Mookaite -- a gorgeous, vividly colored jasper named after the Mooka Creek situated in the Kennedy Range near Gascoyne Junction, about 100 miles inland from the coastal town of Carnarvon in Western Australia. Our ZRS Australian GeoTour was thrilled to visit this fantastic site -- such a surreal experience to see these massive quarries filled with the lively variations of cranberry, mustard, cream & olive tones. Everyone shipped back a respectable amount of fabulous Mookaite specimens from this unique locality -- and enjoyed a day long to be remembered. ❤️🧡💛🤎

Thinking of our many wonderful ZRS Friends - wishing you a beautiful day! We're closed today (Monday), but will be open again Tuesday - Saturday from Noon to 6pm. See you soon! 💘

Valentine's Day is almost here -- LOVE these Petrified Wood hearts!!
ZRS is open Tuesdays through Saturdays - Noon to 6pm

So many treasures from the earth to be discovered! ZRS is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from Noon to 6pm. Stop by to check us out - you'll be glad you did! 😊

JEWELRY SALE TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY, JANUARY 22nd
- OPEN Noon to 6pm

NOW is your opportunity to pick up those one-of-a-kind natural stone jewelry items that you've been thinking about -- all at a special bargain price! Our huge array of rings, pendants, necklaces, earrings and bracelets are reduced in price for our ZRS Facebook friends - this week only. Simply make your selections - then present this ZRS FB post on your phone when you check out - and receive your discounts of 20% - 30% OFF any of our amazing jewelry items regularly priced over $15! (Please note that consignment items are excluded from this sale.) HURRY IN for the best selection ... (pssst, remember that Valentine's Day is just around the corner)! 💖🥰💖

ZRS Fossils and Gifts

The counting is done and our inventory has been completed - YAY! So our doors will open once again at Noon tomorrow - Friday, January 7th. We will be waiting with bells on to greet you when you visit us! Please stay warm everyone ... 😊

ZRS Fossils and Gifts ZRS Fossils offers the Twin Cities' largest selection of fossils, crystals, minerals and related items -- Unique Treasures from the Earth! Also leads Guided Fieldtrips around the US, England, Australia & Morocco - Lapidary & Crystal Energy Classes