Entry No. 19 — the San Diego file — filed under: witchy
The Cave of Wonders
A "shop of curiosities" opened in 2014 by graduate gemologist David "Scotty" Chatfield on North Park's gallery-lined Ray Street — raw coral necklaces, turquoise cuffs, ethically-harvested butterfly-wing earrings, tarot and oracle decks, and antiques crowd the small space, open 10am-7pm daily.
The story
When graduate gemologist David "Scotty" Chatfield opened The Cave of Wonders on Ray Street back in 2014, he didn't set out to build another sterile, pastel wellness store. He carved out an old-school mineral and metaphysical den right on North Park’s art-gallery strip, grounding occult curiosities in genuine geology.
Walk inside and you're immediately flanked by glass display cases packed with raw coral necklaces, heavy turquoise cuffs, and ethically harvested butterfly-wing earrings. Antiques, tarot cards, and oracle decks crowd whatever surface area remains. Because the shop was built around a trained gemologist's eye, the raw minerals and metalwork carry real weight rather than acting as cheap, polished filler.
What it's like
The shop is compact, so expect to shuffle around other browsers creeping down the narrow aisle between display cases. It's quiet, intimate, and packed dense—you can easily lose forty minutes peering into a single case of unrefined stones or inspecting deck artwork. Hit it early in the afternoon if you want space to linger before the rest of Ray Street gets busy.
The move: Pull a tarot or oracle card together, then hunt the case for matching stone jewelry before finishing the Ray Street gallery row.
- 📍 North Park
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 3819 Ray Street, San Diego, CA 92104
Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- The Gold Dust Collective — Walk down the block to trade gem cases and tarot decks for taxidermy mounts and Victorian tooth jewelry.
- Datura — Head 0.3 miles over to browse bulk apothecary jars holding over 350 dried roots, barks, and herbs.
- Botanica Mama Roots — Take a quick drive north into Normal Heights to visit San Diego's oldest operating botanica, open since 1989.
Good to know
What kind of jewelry and stones do they carry?
Expect custom turquoise cuffs, raw coral necklaces, ethically harvested butterfly-wing earrings, and raw geological specimens hand-curated by a graduate gemologist.
Do they carry tarot and oracle decks?
Yes, they keep a wide selection of tarot and oracle decks stocked alongside their antiques and mineral cases.
Where is the shop located?
You'll find it at 3819 Ray Street in San Diego's North Park neighborhood, right along the gallery strip.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · sandiegoreader.com · sdvoyager.com
last checked: 2026-07-19