With the New Year came opportunities for new, family-owned businesses and other small businesses to open their doors. And, some people were there to take advantage of it. At the beginning of January, mother Sam Gay and her daughter, freshman Julia Gay launched a new shop for crystals; Cottage House Crystals.

“Originally, it was my daughter,” father Brad Gay said. “She was getting into all the crystals and gemstones… and we noticed Dawson didn’t have [any stores]. So we thought it may be a good time to open one up in Dawson.”

Mostly, it was between Sam Gay and Julia Gay, and they organized the name, the overall mood and the stock of crystals. Now, they are trying to get the word out and obtain more support for the store.

“No real major issues,” Brad Gay stated. “[The] biggest thing was finding the retail spot we wanted, but the space became available. After that, it was just finding wholesalers and vendors to buy stuff from, and that wasn’t difficult. The biggest thing now is [spreading] awareness that we exist and getting the word out.”

After they get awareness and foot traffic, Cottage House Crystals plan to go online and open up a website for those that want to purchase gems from home.

Of said gems, the more popular ones are ‘Orange Citrine,’ ‘Malachite,’ ‘Bumblebee Jasper’ and ‘Crazy Lace.’

With a purchase, Cottage House Crystals allows you to “dig” for smaller gemstones to add to your purchase. Whatever you can fit on the shovel is yours to take home. Altogether, it’s a pleasant experience shopping at this family-owned business, run by some of our very own. If you ever wanted to check out crystals or need a gift for someone else, stop by and give them a visit. They are right off GA 400, in the small shopping center next to Publix.

Follow Cottage House Crystals on their socials: Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.