CATEGORIES

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.

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.

Asteroid Samples Are Said to Hold Invaluable Secrets

If Only Scientists Can Pop the Lid!

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.

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.

The Formation of Quake Lake

When the Earth Shakes and the Mountain Falls

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.

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.\"

ANT HILL GARNETS

Tiny Miners Find Big Treasures

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.

Grizzly Electric Sawmill

As a sawmill owner, I cut lumber for a variety of outlets. Most, I cut for myself

Tools 101 Calling all Dust Extractors

We take a look at eight dust extractors to see which ones stand out and which ones suck the most

Woodworking Techniques Restoring an Antique Rocking Chair

Bring new life to a tired antique. Here are my steps to restoring an old rocking chair

CRAFTING MAGIC: Making a Drawer Box

One of magic's oldest box tricks.

Laminated Coping Saw

This project brings together a diverse set of skills including epoxy work, bent lamination, metalworking, turning, and riveting

SawStop Compact Table Saw

Most woodworkers are familiar now with the SawStop line of table saws

Mid-Century Media Console

This Mid-Century table is a great way to blend woodworking with modern materials

MUST-HAVE TOOLS FOR ACCURATE MEASURING

Achieving spot-on precision doesn't require a collection of expensive devices. In our shop, a simple few handle the majority of what we do.

SMALL-PARTS TABLESAW SLED

With customizable hold-downs, this smallparts tablesaw sled lets you safely trim even miniature workpieces with ease and accuracy.

UPGRADE YOUR TABLESAW WITH AROUTER TABLE

Maximize your shop space by turning your tablesaw into a dual-purpose cutting and shaping center.

PORTABLE PUZZLE TRAY

This expandable assembly station provides dedicated space for your jigsaw masterpieces, plus it stores the puzzle and its pieces between sessions.

PISTON-FIT DRAWERS

Create snug-fitting, smooth-sliding drawers for your fine project builds.

ALL ABOARD!

Colorado's Tourist Trains for the Geologist

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.

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.

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.

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.