CATEGORIES

The Minerals Of Pre-Columbian America

Examining the appeal and prevalence of gold and jade story

MINERALS OF THE MOON

THE ONGOING STORY OF THE APOLLO MOON ROCKS

Rock Shops of Distinction MR. WOOD'S FOSSILS

KEEPING A TRADITION ALIVE

FAMOUS GOLD

EXPLORING THE HARVARD COLLECTION

THE ROAD REPORT

Arizona’s Humboldt Mining District

FACETING FOCUS

Reveling in Fire Engine Garnet

Going a New Direction

For the last few years that I’ve written the Bench Tips column, I’ve focused on lapidary topics and projects.

Tuzigoot: Ancient Inspirations

Tuzigoot is an ancient village built by the Sinagua people between 1125 and 1400 CE.

The Philippines Faces Fiery Volcano Eruption as Year Begins

Shortly after the New Year began, on January 12, the 1,020-foot high Taal Volcano near the Philippine capital of Manila let loose.

Clear Creek Plasma Agate

Clear Creek Plasma agate is one of those very unique materials found only in San Benito County, California, between Hollister and Coalinga in the Clear Creek Recreation Area, BLM Land.

Spreading the Joy of Rockhounding

Submitted by Dr. David Jordan Program Chair, Helena Mineral Society

Cherishing Chert

A MOTHER ROCK FOR THE AGES

Rockhounding Roots Lead to Inventor Status

Do you know what happens when a life-long rockhound — whose professional background involves product development and academia — encounters the problem of finding an affordable and effective display for fluorescent minerals?

A Glowing Example of Geology Education

Transforming a Personal Passion Into An Impactful Community Service

Iron's Uncommon Impact Within Gems

In recent On the Rocks columns, I’ve written about the elements and valence electrons.

For The Love Of Lapis

The saga of Afghan lapis lazuli

SYNTHESIZING THE PRECIOUS METALS

Gold, silver, and platinum.

GUATEMALAN JADE

THE SACRED MAYA STONE BECOMES A MODERN GEMSTONE

Fruita: The Real Jurassic Park

WESTERN COLORADO‘S DINOSAUR FOSSIL FAME

FAMOUS GOLD

THOUSANDS OF OUNCES OF GOLD COME TO LIGHT ‘DOWN UNDER’

Early Tales From TUCSON

REVISITING ODD, FUNNY, AND UNBELIEVABLE EARLY SHOW HISTORY

Enjoying The Hunt For Gold

Using the crevicing technique in river streams

Revelations Within Myanmar Amber And Meteor Showers

Golden-hued amber is often used in the jewelry business to craft wonderful treasures in the forms of earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings.

“Eagles of the Tyrant Collection” To Debut at Long Beach Expo

Once-in-a-lifetime moments have the power to change and enrich minds and lives.

Counterfeit United States Coins Made for Circulation

Coinage exclusive preview of an exciting new book

Knitting with lace, the easy way

There are a few tips and tricks that will make your life a bit easier. It’s a Wrap is a great yarn to start with because it’s on the heavier side of lace, and it has a nice firm twist. If you get a yarn that’s a bit slippery or easily splits, it can be a very technical knit.

Knitting a shrug-yoke top-down seamless tee shirt – part 1

Maybe you’ve never heard of a shrugyoke sweater construction. I’m not sure I’ve heard the name before, but I haven’t seen this type of design before either, so to me this is something new.

Unimaginable drape and comfort in knit designs made with Unity yarn

This 4-fiber yarn is excellent for spring, summer, and fall knits because of the balance it has between wool and plantbased fibers.

Knitting Snowflakes Into A Hat

We talked about stitch definition, it’s only fitting then, to talk about color-work.

It's A Wrap Yarn Enhances Simple Knit And Purl Stitches

When I was originally looking for a pattern to go over,