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The Mystery & the History Jet of The Black, Black Stone
Jet is one unusual stone. Used as lapidary material for millennia, it gets no respect in mineralogical circles. Among ten common rock and mineral guidebooks, seven don't even list jet in the index. The others? One has a picture with a one-sentence caption. Another offers only a brief paragraph.
The Hope Diamond Cursed... OR NOT?
Diamonds are known traditionally as symbols of wealth, beauty and love, with one notable exception-a large, unusually colored stone that is widely believed to be cursed. Many of those who have owned or simply touched this stone have met tragedy by going insane, suffering serious illnesses, committing suicide, or losing their fortunes-even being executed by guillotine.
Diamonds
What has always surprised me is the emphasis and value we put on diamonds. Though relatively abundant, they are vigorously mined and have been promoted in a tightly controlled market to keep their value high.
ARIZONA'S METEOR CRATER
Some 50,000 years ago, an asteroid sped through space at 30,000 miles per hour, headed straight for planet Earth.
Citizen Scientists UNCOVER Thousands of Microfossils
A Portal to Earth's Past Emerges in a Remote Corner of the World
ROCK THE CAFÉ Oklahoma Sandstone Created this Route 66 Pop Culture Icon
Oklahoma is the birthplace of Route 66, and Cyrus Avery, of Tulsa, is known as the \"Father various of Route 66.\" Avery served on road-associated commissions. And in 1925, he nabbed a seat on the committee of highway officials who were creating a proposed national highway system, as well as a numbering scheme to go with the map.
PLACODERMS Armor-Plated Fish of the Devonian
As a young boy growing up in fossil-rich western New York, I would spend untold hours walking the rocky outcrops of the Niagara Escarpment, the shore of an ancient Silurian Sea, collecting hundreds of marine fossils including Brachiopods and Crinoids.
SHIELD OF THE HEART DESIGN
Learning to facet gemstones can be rewarding and fascinating. The best way to get started is by taking faceting lessons, using current reference materials, having a mentor and dedicating the time necessary to practice the skills needed to master the art.
ANOTHER LOOK AT GLASS BUTTE OBSIDIAN
Many people who make cabochons avoid working with obsidian because it is soft and fractures easily. It is a struggle to get the scratches out in the sanding steps and it can be difficult to polish. It took me a while to find the solutions to these problems.
RUBBED RIGHT: Moissanite & Silicon Carbide
When a popular artisan who has worked in lapidary since the 1950s suggests taking a closer look at their \"grit of W choice, it's at least worth checking out.
Caring for CRYSTAL PARK: Preserving this One-of-a-kind Experience for Future Generations
Sometimes after a hard rain, the glint of crystals sparkles as they emerge to the soil surface after spending millions of years deep in the earth. Visitors to Crystal Park in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in Montana stand upon a treasure that amazes rock enthusiasts from around the world.
Labradorite The Northern Lights in a Gemstone
The northern lights, those glowing curtains of cyan, green, gold and magenta that brighten the night skies in the northern latitudes, are among nature's most stunning displays of color.
ALL ABOARD!
Colorado's Tourist Trains for the Geologist
BEACHES: NOT JUST SUN AND SURF
For many of us, the word \"beach\" evokes pleasant images of summers spent enjoying sun, sand and surf. But for geologists this word has a more specific meaning, referring to waterborne accumulations of sand that sometimes host economic concentrations of gemstones and other valuable minerals.
8 Fun MICHIGAN BEACH Finds
Plus Tips for the Great Lakes State Rockhounding
WHEN A NEW DESIGN MATERIAL FAILS
I love working with milky chalcedony because it is an uncommon lapidary material that has a wonderful internal glow when the project is finished.
SUPER STAR GEMSTONE DESIGN
The Super Star gemstone design by Andrew Brown is a little misleading upon initial review.
MEXICAN LATTICE AGATE
Mexican lattice agate, a stone that has no color hues, can quickly remind you of a snow-covered pine tree, or the feathers of a swan.
GHOST CRABS OF BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA
Rare Fossil Finds Follow Florida Storms
Pink Sand BEACHES & BEYOND
Naturally Blushing Beauty
POTOMAC RIVER BEACH Fossils
Finding Fossil Shark Teeth & Turritella at Purse Beach
Carpinteria STATE BEACH
Visitors Love it Tar and All!
OF CAPTAINS AND KINGS: The Rich History Behind Cape May Diamonds
Trip Advisor has rated America’s oldest seaside resort, Cape May, New Jersey, among the top 25 beaches in the country, and for generations, it has not only charmed visitors with its hospitality and Victorian architecture but drawn beachcombers and rock hunters to the sparkle of the quartz pebbles and beloved keepsakes known as Cape May diamonds.
Abel Buell
Abel Buell (1742-1822) was a Connecticut Yankee from the town of Killingsworth, now Clinton
THE REAL STORY OF TURQUOISE-IN-SILVER JEWELRY
First-time travelers visiting the American Southwest are often awed by the availability and sheer abundance of beautiful turquoise-in-silver jewelry
Playing WITH LIGHT
Faceting to Make a Gemstone Sparkle
BROOCHES, Stick Pins & Hat Pins OH MY!
Get to Know Costume Jewelry and the Science Behind It
KAL-TOH
Kim Lembke’s design, Kal-toh, is based on the Star Trek magnetic jumble rod game of strategy played by Tuvok
GOLDSTONE
Although goldstone might not be a real stone, it’s rich in character and history
ROCK & GEM FIELD GUIDE: From Mine to Mine!
Hematite is one of the most important sources of iron because of its high iron content wide distribution and abundance. Hematite derives its name from the blood-red color of its powder. It was used as a paint pigment since prehistoric times