Evanston Store Hours
| Sunday: | CLOSED |
|---|---|
| Monday: | 10:30 am - 5:30 pm |
| Tuesday: | 10:30 am - 5:30 pm |
| Wednesday: | CLOSED |
| Thursday: | 10:30 am - 7:00 pm |
| Friday: | 10:30 am - 5:30 pm |
| Saturday: | 10:00 am - 5:00 pm |
Barite is a soft mineral that is hard to find in undamaged condition. There are several locations to find barite, but some of the best crystals can be found in England, Nevada, Poland, and China. It is composed of barium sulfate, and gets its name from the Greek word ‘barys’, which means heavy. It is used in industrial settings, as it is used to make drilling mud (used in oil well drilling).
After collecting fossils as a hobby for many years growing up, Dave Douglass opened Dave's Down to Earth Rock Shop in 1970 at the age of 20 (with the help of his parents) at 1312 Chicago Avenue in Evanston, Illinois. The shop contained minerals and fossils, mostly self-collected by the Douglass family.
