About The Oklahoma Rose Rock Gallery
This website was created out of a love and passion for Oklahoma's baryte rose minerals.
Rose Rocks are a valuable part of Oklahoma's natural resources, history, and culture, but they've been unjustly underappreciated. The Oklahoma Rose Rock Gallery is an on-going project that aims to bring attention to these unique minerals by providing a full-spectrum educational resource, and by sharing their beauty with the world. It's important to help protect the rural areas where the barite roses are found so that future generations can experience the joy of finding their own Rose Rock in the red dirt of Oklahoma.
About the Curator
My journey with Rose Rocks began during an extremely difficult time in my life. I was struggling with anxiety and depression, I had lost both of my parents, my kids, and my home. Life seemed so dark, and the only thing that took my mind off of it was nature. On one of my walks I found my first baryte rose, sitting in the red sand almost like it was placed there for me. I became immediately infatuated with it. Suddenly, my days weren't spent in the dark place in my mind, I was beginning to emotionally heal as I searched for more roses. I wanted to understand what they were, why they were so different than other rocks, how they formed - I wanted to know everything. I began looking for information about them, but there wasn't much to find. It seemed like hardly anyone outside of Oklahoma knew about our baryte roses, and the majority of people in Oklahoma didn't seem to care about them! I was surprised, disappointed, and then, inspired.
I wanted the baryte roses to have the recognition that they deserved, so I embarked on a mission to educate and inspire. I've spent countless hours collecting, studying, documenting, networking, and sharing what I've learned with others. Now that the main areas where Oklahoma's Rose Rocks are found are under threat because of a turnpike, I've been passionately advocating for their preservation. It's my hope that by raising awareness, we can protect these amazing minerals from being destroyed by land development, turnpikes, and city expansions. My journey with Rose Rocks has enriched my life in so many ways. I'm dedicated to help ensure future generations also have the opportunity to experience a meaningful connection to Oklahoma's iconic baryte roses.
I'm extremely thankful for the opportunity to provide this website, and to all those that visit. Thank you for your interest, your support, and for being a part of my journey!
