He rocks!

A Magical Place

Just steps away from where France’s other most famous rock star, Serge Gainsbourg, used to live, there lives and works a different kind of rock star named Claude. I happened upon his shop quite by accident one day recently, as I was strolling along one of my favorite streets in Paris, just steps away from the famous cafes in St. Germain des Pres. I walked by his modest little shop, tucked in with all the fancy new art galleries and antique stores, and immediately back tracked to take a second look. What were these intriguingly beautiful little paintings that looked like miniature Christian Nepo landscapes, and what were they doing there?

Mysterious Seascape

Magical Sea

Imagine my surprise when , upon further examination, I discovered that these are not paintings at all, but in fact Mother Nature imitating art! These little jewels are actually Florentine marble slabs made up of a certain kind of limestone called Eocene that is found just below the surface of certain quarries in Tuscany.

Eocene in the raw

Over the centuries, water carrying iron and manganese oxides has trickled through these blocks, gradually coloring them at random. The end result is astonishing: They look like miniature seascapes or cities, in the most beautiful shades of blue, brown and beige. They evoke a magical sense of mystery, depth and beauty all blended together and weathered with time. And yet they are rocks -- aged and colored in a beautiful patina that only Mother Nature could create.

The finished product…Rocky Mystery

I was delighted to meet the rock star owner, a “man of certain age” who is charming and modest , and loves to talk about everything from literature to art. In fact I liked him so much, I went back to visit him three times, each time buying more of his rocks.

Monsieur Claude

Over time, Claude told me how he had become involved in his art. His father was a chemistry professor at the Sorbonne in Paris who naturally expected his son to follow in his footsteps. Claude decided to specialize in mineralogy and went to study at the University of Pisa, in Italy, which is apparently renowned for its program. It turns out he was bored out of his mind and wanted to get away from it all. One day, killing time before his return to Paris, he went on an archeological dig outside of Pisa and discovered these rock formations buried in the soil. This was his Aha! Moment and he knew that that day would change his life forever.

Paysage Mysterieux

Au Bout du Monde

Paris

I had my own little Aha! moment when I walked by his store, and my guess is that our clients will feel the same way. So lucky for me, I plan to go back over and over again, to visit my new rock star friend and see what other little jewels he has unearthed from the ground.

Tata!

A.