Since he was 5 years old and picked up his first agate on the beach, Rick Williams has been a self-diagnosed rockhound.

Opening R&T Crystals last month was just a stepping stone in the decades-long adventure of digging and collecting gemstones.

After participating in 34 shows and exhibitions last year, Williams and his wife, Terri, decided it was time to slow down the pace. Unwilling to give up their rock steady passion for jewels and stones but wanting to spend less time on the road, they decided to open a retail business and share what they love most in the world with the community they call home.

Traveling all over the world, the Williamses dug many of the stones on their store shelves themselves. Crystals are their favorite treasures to find.

"They have a lot of energy," Rick Williams said about crystals.

"If you get into a good pocket of crystals, you dream vivid dreams about crystals for about two nights."

Rick Williams makes most of the jewelry customers see, an art he taught himself by reading books - several of which are available at the store.

The store sells a variety of collectible gemstones including aura crystal clusters, moldavite from Czechoslovakia, copper, moss agate, fluorite and Oregon sunstone. Magnetic jewelry, wire-wrapped pendants, earrings, candle holders, spheres, gemstone skulls and mineral specimens also are available.

Some people call him a "rock guru," but Rick Williams insists he's simply a man who loves gemstones.

Ashley Miller can be reached at ashleyo@sequimgazette.com.