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THE ACORN

The briolette gemstone has the same design attributes of a regular gemstone, however, the pavilion is elongated and the crown is usually domed. This is perfect for an elegant pendant, earrings or a pendulum.

HOW TO PUT A PROTECTIVE CAP ON A CAB

To protect a specimen cab, often a cap is needed. In my case, I had a slab with the because of the color of the background and the pattern. This background had a more silicified consistency than most sandstones. It had no graininess like most sandstone, so I'm inclined to compare it to a jasper. The pattern was typical of a dendrite.

The Resilient Revival of Anne Brontë & Her Stones

For the first time, the Anne Brontë rock collection underwent complete description and identification, and along with Professor Hazel Hutchison of Leeds University and Dr. Enrique Lozano Diz at ELODIZ (a company specializing in spectroscopy analysis), an analysis of that collaboration, Anne Brontë and Geology: A Study of her Collection of Stones, was published in April 2022 in Volume 47, Issue 2 of the peer-reviewed journal, Brontë Studies & Gazette.\"

Amazing Women with Rock-Solid Careers

Explorers, Geologists, Educators & Jewelry Makers...

The Case of the Bleeding Glacier

It's a gory sight called Blood Falls. Ever since British geologist Thomas Griffith Taylor first noted it in 1911, it has been a mystery.

Asteroid Samples Are Said to Hold Invaluable Secrets

If Only Scientists Can Pop the Lid!

Paleontologists Embrace a New Method for Seeing Fossils within Rock

Fossil bone can be delicate. Attempts to remove it from a hard rock matrix by picking and scratching or etching with acids can be time-consuming and/or may end up obliterating that which you hope to study.

Need a Map of the Ocean Floor?

Call in the Seals!

A Step Closer to Hydrogen, the "Climate-Friendly Fuel"

As I reported last June, the world is racing to find sustainably renewable, nonpolluting sources of energy to replace our carbon-based reserves of coal, oil and gas.

Subduction Goes Back-Way, Way Back!

Long in the making, the concept of plate tectonics coalesced in the 1960s. The Earth's squishy mantle churns. Above it rides immense crustal plates-some oceanic, others continental.

Embracing AI for Earthquake Prediction

Seismologists Swap Conventional Methods for \"Deep-Learning\" Models

Earth, the Desert Planet

Things Look Grim 250 Million Years From Now!

The Planet Lurking within our Planet

When Theia Kissed Earth

Volcanoes or Asteroids?

The Debates on Dino Doom Never End!

Early Birds Emerge All Around

Australia Provides the Latest Example

Ice Moons Beckon

Compounds Hint of Conditions for Life Elsewhere in our Solar System

Beyond Minerals

I hope mineral collectors realize the acquisition of mineral specimens is just one facet of our hobby. If you look beyond the specimens in your collection, you discover a vast and fascinating world of people and history.

ARGENTINA'S INCA ROSE

Red roses are a big part of the culture of Argentina. Since European immigrants introduced the flowers in the early 1800s, they have evolved into the beloved, however unofficial, national symbol of love, beauty and strength. The famed rose gardens of Buenos Aires are one of that capitol city's major attractions. Red roses also figure prominently in Argentinian art and festivals; they are even an economic factor as the nation's third largest export.

The Many Facets Jocelyn Zimmer

The First Female President in Five Generations of Zimmer Brothers Jewelers is Set to Sparkle

6 Steps for Forming - and Maintaining - a Vibrant Youth Group

Approximately 600 clubs belong to the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS). While most include kids under age 18 within their ranks, only a fraction boasts a full-scale youth group with deliberate programming aimed right at kids.

THE ROCHESTER SHALE: A SNAPSHOT OF ANCIENT LIFE

425 million years ago, New York was a warm, shallow saltwater tropical sea. Exotic creatures lived, thrived and died in the lagoons. The formation of coral reefs was just beginning.

The Irish Legend of Finn McCool & the Giant's Causeway

Ireland, the emerald isle, is known for its lush green hillsides, the cliffs of Mohr and on its northern Antrim coast, a stairway of basalt columns that stretches into the sea all the way to Scotland.

8 Green Rocks to Collect & Enjoy

The color green is often associated with good luck, money and health. In the gem world, green-hued stones vary in rarity, cost, durability and shine. Whether you wear green gemstones to honor your Irish heritage, celebrate springtime or to enjoy some of Mother Nature's finest work, there's a green-colored stone for you. Experts weigh in on what their favorites are and why you should be envious if they're not in your collection yet.

Arsenic: The "King of Poisons"

Few things are saddled with darker connotations than arsenic. Used throughout much of history as a human poison, arsenic has become inexorably linked with death.

Consider Museum Gifts

As collectors, we all should agree that mineral displays in museums are important. Museums have fine minerals, minerals with a history and mineral oddities. The better museum displays offer people information and provide some mineral education we seek.

ROWLEY MINE CHRYSOCOLLA

This mix of copper minerals is reminiscent of the Inspiration Mine chrysocolla. Much of what has been dug out has a beautiful color array of blues, greens, reds and yellow, plus a really nice strata pattern.\"

OPAQUE GEMSTONES

The faceting of an opaque gemstone presents a much more elegant look than a cabochon. The shape of the design is reminiscent of a cabochon, but it is faceted. It provides distinctive flashes from the facet faces.

ANT HILL GARNETS

Tiny Miners Find Big Treasures

The Formation of Quake Lake

When the Earth Shakes and the Mountain Falls

PIRATE GLASS: Castaways WORTH SAVING

Beach and lake glass, sometimes called \"mermaid's tears,\" make wonderful souvenirs not only for the naturally tumbled beauty of such pieces but also for the stories they can tell.