Cori Craciun has chased stones over several continents, and her Sticks and Stones gallery shows the results of that love affair in its creations. There are undulating polished sculptures of stones not often seen here. Wood furniture exploits the natural lines of the tree or its roots. Sometimes it’s a double thrill: Craciun adds rivers or pools of stone to the recesses of the wood.
This store is Craciun’s reward for toughing out the early years as a Romanian immigrant in the U.S., cleaning Kmarts, selling real estate. Even when she found a spots in Naples for her dream rock shop, within days of signing a contract, she got a call from her sister, Daniela: She was coming to America. Would Cori help her open a restaurant?