The Rock Box: New Morristown business tries to surmount COVID one crystal, and one mask, at a time

On its maiden voyage, The Rock Box in Morristown hit an iceberg: The coronavirus pandemic. Forced to shut her doors just weeks after opening, owner Kelly Christmas went virtual--and also helped fellow businesses with a mask drive. Photo by Jamie Lynn Connors
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By Jamie Lynn Connors

 

Curbside pickups. FaceTimes. Phone calls.

Morristown’s newest hidden gem, The Rock Box, has unearthed the three secrets to promoting a business during the pandemic.

Town native and holistic health coach Kelly Christmas opened The Rock Box on Feb. 10, 2020, on Elm Street.

Holistic- and metaphysical healing are the shop’s themes.  Inside, you can find crystals, crystal grids, smudging supplies and tarot cards.

Hypothetically, that is. Five weeks after opening, The Rock Box closed its doors because of the coronavirus.

Christmas has kept busy building an online store and coordinating mask donations.

Morristown Medical Center nurses don masks gathered by The Rock Box. Photo courtesy of store.

Using social media to broadcast her message, Christmas called on Morristown residents to donate elastic, fabric and sewing skills to mass-produce DIY masks.

Originally meant for donations to Morristown Medical Center, the masks were made available to local businesses.

“I read somewhere that handmade masks were needed, so the next day I used my shop as a platform and location to field donations,” she said.

Mask recipients include Blimpie’s, Cambridge Wines, Chef Fredy’s Table, End of Elm, Green Point Juicery, Macho Nacho, Pierogies House and Tito’s Burritos & Wings.

“The amazing women who have contributed to this project have helped us get hundreds of masks to…essential employees and some families,” Christmas said. “I am proud of our work and grateful to those who donated their time and materials.”

Around 500 masks were donated.

While organizing this project, Christmas transitioned her business to virtual. Now, customers can schedule phone calls and FaceTimes to shop. Products can be picked up curbside, and payments are phone-based to avoid unnecessary contact.

“We are closed to the public, but can provide a local shopping outlet for gift cards and special occasions,” she said.

The Rock Box, pre-pandemic. Slideshow photos by Jamie Lynn Connors:

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Although customers are unable to walk into the shop during the pandemic, they can browse online for featured products, such as crystals.

“Crystals are definitely more of the highlight. There’s so many crystals which have different healing properties and metaphysical properties,” Christmas said. “Each is unique, there’s not another one like it in the world. They’re all definitely from a mine and not touched by too many hands by the time I get it.”

Kelly Christmas, owner of The Rock Box

While she has been attracted to crystals her whole life, she began collecting and using them while living in Maui in the 90’s.  The Morristown High graduate (’88) formerly owned the store Ginger with Love in New Vernon.

The Rock Box offers crystals from tumbled stones to large geodes, and seemingly everything in between. Small rocks are priced by weight, serving as the most affordable buys.

Crystals increase in price by size, with salt lamps selling for about $40. The life-sized amethysts in the walkway of the store carry price tags in the thousands.

“Everybody can afford whatever price range,” Christmas said. “You can always find something that’s really special here.”

The shop also offers a take-home kit, The Owner’s Box. Designed by Christmas, the collection contains an informational guide to manage spiritual healing. It also features a diagram for customers to organize their crystals and increase their usage. It is available online for $260.

This kit aims to show customers how to tap their inner power, “for a personal and a self-guided experience,” according to the store’s website.

Christmas also carries more common gift shop items, such as candles, jewelry, journals, stickers and water bottles. Many of the items are handmade.

Especially during this pandemic, she said, it is important to support local businesses and small businesses.  And who couldn’t use a little holistic healing right now, metaphysically speaking?

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

Editor’s note: A prior headline by me used the word “heal.”  It was meant as a reference to the shop owner’s efforts to address the pandemic’s harm to her business and to the business community. The owner never claimed any cures for the coronavirus. Thank you to readers who shared their concerns. Your beef is with me, not with her or the reporter. We wish The Rock Box success in these challenging times.

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