FARGO — Cindy and Ron Schmitz left no stone unturned while trying to rejuvenate their once-thriving business, Crystal Rock Healing, LLC, over the last year or so.
But factors like tariffs and sagging profits, along with the Schmitzes’ non-stop work schedule, finally proved too heavy a lift.
And so on Wednesday, Jan. 21, the Schmitzes announced on Crystal Rock’s Facebook page that they would close the business Jan. 31.
The announcement sparked an avalanche of customers to their main distribution center at 2421 Great Northern Drive N., in Fargo.
Rows of vehicles were parked along the 6,500-square-foot building as both retail and wholesale customers rushed inside to snatch up stress-reducing crystals, healing stones, holistic books, incense, jewelry, herbal teas, smudging materials and other products for half price.
Meanwhile, orders poured into their online store — as much as 80 orders in one night.
The next week promises to be just as hectic, as the Schmitzes work to liquidate over $1 million in stock by the end of the month.
Even so, Schmitz seems reasonably calm as she talked about the business that was prompted by her own battle with Lyme disease 19 years ago.
“There’s new opportunities coming,” Schmitz says. “The biggest thing is that Ron and I work 17 hours a day, seven days a week. But we’ve had a few intuitives reach out (since they decided to close) and say, ‘You guys feel so much better.’”
Carnelian Agate is one of the many types of stone for sale at Crystal Rock Healing Products in north Fargo.
David Samson / The Forum
Which isn’t to say the Schmitzes won’t miss what has consumed their lives for the past 13 years. They know people who own mines all over the world — from South Dakota and Oklahoma to Morocco and Brazil. They’ve met and befriended authors, practitioners and proponents of other alternative wellness practices like herbalism, essential oils and Reiki — of which Schmitz is a master practitioner. They’ve also gained so much expertise in the energy benefits of different minerals and crystals that Schmitz is writing a book.
“We have amazing people that are gifted and work with us. We have amazing staff and amazing customers. You get used to seeing them every week,” Schmitz says.
One employee who will miss it is Ari Reinoehl, who likes the job so much that she commutes from Enderlin, N.D., to work there.
“This is probably the least toxic place I’ve ever worked,” the young woman says. “I think I’ve healed a lot while working here.”
Tick bite triggers new path
Schmitz’s own healing started in 2007, when she contracted Lyme disease. Symptoms included a roaming, bilateral stiffness and pain in her joints, fatigue and a constant body temperature of 102 degrees.
As a veterinary nurse, she knew the symptoms, but had trouble getting medical doctors to test for the tick-borne illness. A physician finally did and prescribed treatment, which immediately improved her health. But he didn’t prescribe it for long enough so she soon relapsed.
By this time, the Lyme had caused rheumatoid arthritis, so she was sent to a specialist. “He put me on a ton of medication and just nothing worked,” she says.
Desperate for answers, Schmitz turned to see an “intuitive friend,” who recommended Reiki, a Japanese form of energy healing, along with natural products like essential oils.
“And so I think it was God’s way of putting me on my path,” Schmitz says.
Restored to health, Schmitz started selling oils, rocks and other natural products at farmers’ markets in the Minneapolis area. She also met Ron, who lived in Bismarck at the time. In 2015, life got busy: She and Ron got married; they opened their first store in Bismarck, and they later opened a second store at 4950 13th Ave. S., in Fargo, after buying out the inventory from the old
Cindy Schmitz talks about rose quartz items for sale at Crystal Rock Healing Products in north Fargo. These items come from a South Dakota mine.
David Samson / The Forum
They later added stores in White Bear Lake, Minn., Sioux Falls, S.D., and Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
“All of our stores were pretty big. They were 3,000 to 5,000 square feet. But we had awesome spots,” Schmitz says.
The period from 2019 to 2022 was so busy that they could barely keep up. “Ron and I weren’t even in the stores, because we were so busy making product and pricing and stuff,” she says.
The couple had started making and selling anti-inflammatory tea mixes, soothing bath blends and anti-inflammatory jewelry with healing gems, crystals and stones.
“We were very busy,” she says.
But in the year and a half, their sales slumped dramatically. “It seems people’s buying patterns have changed to be more about experiences,” Schmitz says. “So this year has been really slow for everybody. And when you’re a big store, it boils fast.”
They started by closing stores outside of Fargo. In July 2024, they moved the Fargo store to their distribution center at Great Northern Drive.
Necklaces containing beneficial crystals or rocks are displayed at Crystal Rock Healing Products in north Fargo.
David Samson / The Forum
More recently, they were hit by tariffs on items from other countries. “If it’s coming out of Brazil, we paid the tariffs to get it out of that country,” she says.
Schmitz says they sold a singing bowl from India, which was so popular they had a list of 30 customers wanting one. But the supplier stopped importing them because of the tariffs.
With every purchase made, Cindy Schmitz and sales staff at Crystal Rock Healing Products, Fargo, place items inside a “singing bowl” to be cleared of energy. They run a mallet around the rim of the bowl to create powerful sound vibrations that they believe disrupt stagnant or negative energy and help shift the item back to a neutral state.
David Samson / The Forum
“We thought, ‘Hey, it’s not worth continuing and losing money.’ And it’s too bad, especially since we have like over a million dollars worth of inventory,” she says.
Anything left after Jan. 31 will likely be handled by an auction house that specializes in going-out-of-business auctions. They’ve also been approached by several wholesalers who wish to buy items that don’t sell.
February will be devoted to getting rid of leftover stock and selling shelves and fixtures on platforms like Marketplace.
So what’s next for them? Schmitz is listening to her intuition. She already feels like a positive new chapter is ahead.
“I had a dream the other night about a baby carrier that had ladybugs on it,” she says. “So a baby carrier means something new and the ladybugs symbolize prosperity.”
She’ll continue doing Reiki. Customers have been making inquiries about her crystals/minerals book, so she feels this is the time to complete and launch it.
And she’ll rest easy knowing she made a difference for others. “We’ve just had a lot of people reach out … and they’ll say how we helped in our journey, their spiritual path,” she says. “So it warms the heart.”
Crystal Rock Healing is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. next week.