
Although marcasite is found all over the world, Nipomo is most famous for its flowery patterns of shiny metallic gold-colored marcasite floating in chalcedony.
WHERE IS NIPOMO?
Nipomo is a small rural suburban town on the central coast of California, a favorite rockhounding spot for years. Today, many of the stones from this region have become exceedingly scarce. Many of the digging locations for this marcasite are on private property. It was allowed at one point to collect with the owner's permission, but a few rockhounds ruined it for the rest by trespassing, trampling newly-grown crops, and opening and closing gates not allowing cattle to get to their water sources. As a result, this material hasn't been dug for a few decades.
CHARACTERISTICS
Nipomo marcasite has many agate characteristics, the favorites are the golden plumes in clear agate. The agate can also be milky to white and have translucent reds to browns.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 2022 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 December 2022 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.