CATEGORIES
Diane's Oval
One of the many benefits of being a lapidary artist is the opportunity to spend time doing something you love to create one-of-a-kind art and jewelry to sell to someone who finds it enchanting or to give as a gift to someone special. It’s a win-win, whatever the reason or result.
Bluebird Chrysocolla
Bluebird Chrysocolla comes from an old copper mine in Gila County, Arizona.
Palatki Red Cliffs Ancient Painters' Palette
In the shadow of the famous red cliffs of Sedona, the ancient ruins of Palatki remain silent for nearly 700 years. The Palatki Red Cliffs is a designated World Heritage archaeological site that contains cliff dwellings, pictographs, and petroglyphs created by the Sinagua people of the Ancestral Puebloans.
Turning to the “Other” Tourmaline Crystals
COMPLEX, PLENTIFUL, AND AFFORDABLE
What New Things Are You Learning?
For many within the rockhounding community, the answer to our headline could be a combination of several technological applications. During a conversation with a reader recently, the kind gentleman from Tennessee shared with me details about his experience setting up a virtual meeting for his mineral club, and how at the young age of 74, he was selected to “figure it out,” because he was a former teacher. As he said to me, “Teaching is one thing. Technology is something altogether different.”
Something New at Biggs Junction
EXPLORING A NEW DEPOSIT DISCOVERY IN NORTH CENTRAL OREGON
Mexican Purple Passion Agate
Mexico has long been a source of brilliant colored banded and lace agates, but, for the last couple of years, one agate, in particular, has generated a lot of attention: Purple Passion!
NEVADA'S CARLIN TREND
AMERICA’S GREATEST GOLD-MINING DISTRICT
Claim to Copper Fame
BUTTE, MONTANA’S COLORFUL HISTORY OF BECOMING “THE RICHEST HILL ON EARTH”
CASTANEA CORALS
Finding Fossils from a Silurian Coral Reef
CAPTIVATING FIND AT THE CARVER AGATE FIELD
GEOLOGICAL MYSTERY DRAWS INTEREST
Pennsylvania's Pequea Silver Mines
Lancaster County’s Hub of Geological History and Modern Recreation
Removing a Bezel Set Stone
On numerous forums, I frequently see questions about how to remove a stone from a bezel setting.
Staying Connected and Inspired
In its July-August newsletter, Flatirons Facets, the Flatirons Mineral Club of Boulder County, Colorado, shared examples of how their club members are staying connected and enjoying their shared rockhounding and lapidary interests in today’s socially distant world.
SYNTHETIC DIAMONDS
Evolution of a Laboratory Produced and Highly Debated Gemstone
THE LYMAN MUSEUM
Taking in the Splendor and Intriguing History of One of the Top 10 Best Mineral Collections
Rock Walk Uncovers Agate With a Unique Face
I have been retired for several years and since I moved from Iowa to Minnesota, I have enjoyed searching the gravel roads and rocky farm fields for agates and interesting rocks.
Nisyros' Volcanic Caldera
The Greek island of Nisyros lies in the middle of the Aegean Sea.
GEOLOGY 101 - The “Sailing Stones” of Death Valley: How a Mystery was Resolved
It was a mystery long in resolving, namely, the “sailing stones” of California’s Death Valley National Park. Sometimes called “walking rocks,” these are boulders as heavy as 100 pounds with one as large as 700 pounds. So, what was the mystery?
GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY GOODNESS
The Lake Havasu Gem & Mineral Society (LHGMS) is one of those fortunate clubs across the country that recently passed the 50-year threshold of servicing its local rockhounding, lapidary, gem and jewelry-loving community. It takes a lot of dedication and commitment by a lot of members and energetic and visionary leadership over many years, to ensure the continuing success of a gem and mineral society.
Cutting Edge Supply Co.
CATCHING UP WITH A NEW ARRIVAL
SPOTLIGHT ON JUNIORS - Trent Meyers and His Glowing Fascination
Figuratively speaking, some of us “glow” about our rockhounding interests, whether they involve gems, minerals, fossils, field trips, prospecting, or lapidary arts.
NORTHERN EUROPE'S Amber Rush
SOARING PRICES AMIDST A MINING BOOM
Sunspots and Activity Under Mauna Kea Volcano Keep Scientists Busy
Sunspots and Activity Under Mauna Kea Volcano Keep Scientists Busy
Persevering in Trying Times
With the entire country still in a form of shutting down, practicing social distancing, and observing various restrictions, there are no mineral shows, no in-person club meetings, no group mineral activities, and even club field trips.
The Puzzle of Mineral Names
DISCOVERING THE LOGIC BY UNDERSTANDING THE PROGRESSION
Visiting with DiWolf
Wolfgang and Diana Mueller, known by their company name DiWolf, is a dynamic couple, with lots of knowledge and years of experience in lapidary and jewelry artwork.
Reliving Field Trips and Thinking Forward
In the event you are craving a club-sponsored rockhounding field trip, you are not alone. With that being the case, we thought we could at least live vicariously through a report detailing club-hosted field trips that took place just before the formation of restrictions in response to COVID-19, and news of field trip planning underway.
Hypnotized By Inverell Blue
Discovering New Sapphire Appreciation “Down Under”
ENCHANTING HERKIMER DIAMOND HUNTS
COLLECTING DOUBLY TERMINATED QUARTZ CRYSTALS AND MAKING MEMORIES