In this issue

Rock&Gem; Magazine September 2023 Issues

ALL ABOARD!

Colorado's Tourist Trains for the Geologist

5 mins

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.

6 mins

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.

7 mins

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.

6 mins

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.

2 mins

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.

2 mins

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.

3 mins

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.

6 mins

Citizen Scientists UNCOVER Thousands of Microfossils

A Portal to Earth's Past Emerges in a Remote Corner of the World

6 mins

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.

4 mins

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Rock&Gem Magazine Description:

Rock & Gem has been the leading magazine for the lapidary and mineral hobbyist. Not a trade journal and not a scientific dissertation, it speaks to the average rock hound, providing just the right blend of entertainment and satisfying information. Armchair hobbyists and diehard diggers alike will find something to enjoy in each issue.

Lifetime hobbyist and Carnegie Award winner Bob Jones heads up a group of experienced and knowledgeable contributors. Bob’s light - hearted style brings readability to in-depth articles on minerals, classic deposits, and collecting trends. His Frugal Collector series helps collectors learn to identify mineral bargains, and his affiliation with the Tucson Gem & Mineral Society provides a behind-the-scenes look at the year’s biggest and best mineral show and sneak previews of the show’s theme and featured exhibits.