Maine Mineral History: Tribute to Sonny & Priscilla

If you were a rockhound in Maine, you probably knew Priscilla and Sonny.

Being a lifelong gem and minerals enthusiast, Priscilla was fondly known as the Queen of Maine Tourmaline and was the founder of the Kennebec Rocks and Minerals Club.  She first opened her own shop - “The Stone House” - in her parents’ home and then again in 1958 in the basement of the home she shared with husband Stearns J. Bryant (1918-1973), eventually moving it to Route 202 in Winthrop.  Priscilla continued to operate the Winthrop Mineral Shop after Mr. Bryant’s death in 1973.  

After meeting in 1976, Priscilla introduced Sonny to a newfound passion for gems and minerals. Together, he and Priscilla operated the Winthrop Gem and Mineral Shop in East Winthrop for 34 years. Sonny and Priscilla were both active members of the Kennebec Mineral Club.  Sonny opened Sonny’s Museum & Rock Shop in 2011 in Augusta, Maine, honoring his late wife’s love of rocks, fossils and related items by decorating the shop with pictures and articles of her. To preserve her legacy in Maine Mineral History

After Sonny’s passing in late 2016, Gina and Michael purchased the shop and held a Grand Re-Opening in April 2017, paying their own special tribute with a memory wall which honors both Sonny and Priscilla.