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Nestled in the heart of Leiper’s Fork is a sweet little log cabin adorned wall to wall with vintage silver and turquoise treasures.
This is Tennessee Turquoise Company, a jewelry and collectible shop like none other. Inspired by founder Morgane Stapleton’s love of all things turquoise, the shop, which is run by an all- female team, is more than just a place to purchase amazing pieces—it’s a love letter to both the stone itself and the community it represents.
“I fell in love with turquoise when I fell in love with being out West,” she says. “It’s such a part of the aesthetic out there. And it’s such a part of the communities and the people and the artists. It sort of weaves itself into the fabric of all of that landscape.”
Stapleton—wife and performing partner of country artist Chris Stapleton—found herself especially captivated on one fateful trip.
“I had never been out that way until we started touring some. In 2013 I bought my husband Chris a Jeep and we ended up driving it back across the country. We spent a lot of time out there and we would stop along the way in little shops and different communities. It just sort of hooked me good. And it hasn’t let up.”
Stapleton’s personal collection began to grow, and she knew she had to find a way to share her Western finds with her Tennessee neighbors. Luckily, she knew exactly where to set up shop.
“There’s this little cabin in Leiper’s Fork—it’s the cutest little spot—and it used to be White’s Mercantile. A tiny little miniature White’s. It was always in the back of my head for some reason that turquoise would look so good on the walls in there,” she says.
With a new baby (their fifth) and some time off the road, Stapleton knew this was her opportunity. She took over the empty space and set to work. The first order of business was the inventory, and luckily Stapleton didn’t have to look far for that.
“My collection got a little overwhelming for my closet. It just was spilling out. So, a lot of what is in the shop is my personal stuff,” she explains. “It’s hard to say goodbye to some of 29 them, and there are a few pieces that I don’t think I will ever be able to part with, but there’s something about not having a place like this and turquoise not being so accessible in this part of the country like is out West, and I want it to be. I want it to feel like it does out West. I want people to walk in and be transported in a way.”
She says knowing the pieces are going to people who truly love them—a shared passion for the age-old stone that echoes that in the communities out West—makes parting with them a little easier. “I feel OK about letting go of some things, knowing that they’re going to good homes with people would have otherwise not been able to find them.” As for the rest of the rotating inventory, Stapleton and her team work with artisans and communities out West to bring in the perfect pieces.
“I handpick everything that goes in the shop, so it’s become a real passion for me,” she says. “It’s exactly what I wanted it to be: I get to buy turquoise. It’s my dream come true!”
She is also glad to bring more education about the stone and its heritage to Tennessee—and find other ways to support the community from which it comes. In fact, all of the profits from Tennessee Turquoise go directly to the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, which seeks to end gender-based violence in Indigenous communities.
“It was important to me that it all go back to the NIWRC,” she says. “Everything we do needs to flow back into where it comes from and honor that. It’s just really important to honor the people in the communities who have given us these treasures.”
At press time, the shop is open by appointment only. Check website for opening details.
(4152 Old Hillsboro Rd., Franklin, 615-977-8682; tennesseeturquoisecompany.com)