You know that old saying about one man's trash? Ever heard of ant hill garnets? These small, reddish-brown crystals fall under this adage but with one change to say, "One ant's trash..." Found in the mounds of harvester ants, these garnets are fascinating gemstones that have been collected and admired for hundreds of years.
WHAT ARE ANT HILL GARNETS?
Ant hill garnets, also called Arizona rubies, are typically chromium pyrope garnets. One of six main types of garnet, these are the deep red color that most people think of when picturing a garnet. The word pyrope comes from the Greek pyr and ops which mean "fire eye."
FYI - Almandine garnets can also be found around ant hills. The difference between pyrope and almandine is in the dominant mineral they contain. Almandine is iron (Fe) dominant and pyrope is magnesium (Mg) dominant.
Ant hill garnets are typically small, ranging in size from a grain of sand to a pea. They are often rough and irregularly shaped. Ant hill garnets rank between 6.5 and 7.5 on the Mohs scale, making them strong enough to be worn every day. These brilliant gems are small but mighty!
CARNET ANTS
Ants have sometimes been called the world's oldest prospecting tool. These tiny miners give us a glimpse into what's beneath the surface.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 2023 من Rock&Gem Magazine.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 2023 من Rock&Gem Magazine.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Cleaning & Cracking Géodes, Great and Small
Geodes. From their Latin and Greek origins meaning ‘earth-like,’ the cracking and cleaning of these popular stone eggs is no yolk: those unassuming exteriors can belie wonderful clusters of crystals or banded layers of agate within!
GOLD: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE
Has Gold Production Finally Peaked?
The Minerals That Made America
Iron, Copper, Lead & Zinc Transformed the United States Into a Major Industrial Power
THE ORDOVICIAN OCEAN OF ST. LEON, INDIANA
Imagine walking through an area filled with millions of fossils just lying there ready for you to pick up and put in your bucket.
A Ring around the World?
\"Ring around the Rosie, a pocket full of posies. Ashes! Ashes! We all fall down!\" So goes the children's nursery rhyme.
IKONS OF THE MINERAL WORLD
Enjoy the following pages from Ikons of the Mineral World Nature's Finest Art by Wayne A. Thompson, Walter E. Donovan, Robert M. Lavinsky, Wendell E. Wilson and Sandor P. Fuss.
Fascinating Fluorite A Beginner & Collector's Favorite
Should you be found, be it working on your collection or walking around a mineral show, humming the song \"My Favorite Things\" with the mineral name 'Fluorite' worked into the lyrics, many of us collectors would totally understand, and probably join in. If that's not the case, let's see if we can make that happen.
ROMANCING THE RUBY
Few words are as packed with meaning as “ruby.” While the word refers primarily to the legendary red gemstone, it is also the preferred adjective for red colors of extraordinary intensity and purity. Its association with wealth and royalty conjures romantic images of kingdoms that once flourished in such historical ruby sources as Ceylon, Siam, Burma and India.
ROYAL SAHARA JASPER
Royal Sahara Jasper was originally discovered in the early 2000s in Northern Africa in the Sahara Desert. During an excursion to Africa, George and Janet Sechler found a piece of rock on the ground that showed similarities to picture jaspers like Biggs or Deschutes.
CLOUDY DAZE
Cloudy Daze is the Novice Design that was selected for the United States Faceting Guild 2025 gemstone faceting competition.
