In this issue

Rock&Gem; Magazine May 2024 issues

MORGAN HILL POPPY JASPER

In California, there are very few places to collect semi-precious stones. Many locations from the past have been either exhausted of the material or the land has been developed.

3 mins

THE ACORN

The briolette gemstone has the same design attributes of a regular gemstone, however, the pavilion is elongated and the crown is usually domed. This is perfect for an elegant pendant, earrings or a pendulum.

2 mins

HOW TO PUT A PROTECTIVE CAP ON A CAB

To protect a specimen cab, often a cap is needed. In my case, I had a slab with the because of the color of the background and the pattern. This background had a more silicified consistency than most sandstones. It had no graininess like most sandstone, so I'm inclined to compare it to a jasper. The pattern was typical of a dendrite.

2 mins

The Resilient Revival of Anne Brontë & Her Stones

For the first time, the Anne Brontë rock collection underwent complete description and identification, and along with Professor Hazel Hutchison of Leeds University and Dr. Enrique Lozano Diz at ELODIZ (a company specializing in spectroscopy analysis), an analysis of that collaboration, Anne Brontë and Geology: A Study of her Collection of Stones, was published in April 2022 in Volume 47, Issue 2 of the peer-reviewed journal, Brontë Studies & Gazette.\"

6 mins

Amazing Women with Rock-Solid Careers

Explorers, Geologists, Educators & Jewelry Makers...

7 mins

The Case of the Bleeding Glacier

It's a gory sight called Blood Falls. Ever since British geologist Thomas Griffith Taylor first noted it in 1911, it has been a mystery.

1 min

Asteroid Samples Are Said to Hold Invaluable Secrets

If Only Scientists Can Pop the Lid!

1 min

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.

1 min

Need a Map of the Ocean Floor?

Call in the Seals!

1 min

A Step Closer to Hydrogen, the "Climate-Friendly Fuel"

As I reported last June, the world is racing to find sustainably renewable, nonpolluting sources of energy to replace our carbon-based reserves of coal, oil and gas.

1 min

Subduction Goes Back-Way, Way Back!

Long in the making, the concept of plate tectonics coalesced in the 1960s. The Earth's squishy mantle churns. Above it rides immense crustal plates-some oceanic, others continental.

1 min

Embracing AI for Earthquake Prediction

Seismologists Swap Conventional Methods for \"Deep-Learning\" Models

1 min

Earth, the Desert Planet

Things Look Grim 250 Million Years From Now!

1 min

The Planet Lurking within our Planet

When Theia Kissed Earth

1 min

Volcanoes or Asteroids?

The Debates on Dino Doom Never End!

1 min

Early Birds Emerge All Around

Australia Provides the Latest Example

1 min

Ice Moons Beckon

Compounds Hint of Conditions for Life Elsewhere in our Solar System

1 min

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.

3 mins

ARGENTINA'S INCA ROSE

Red roses are a big part of the culture of Argentina. Since European immigrants introduced the flowers in the early 1800s, they have evolved into the beloved, however unofficial, national symbol of love, beauty and strength. The famed rose gardens of Buenos Aires are one of that capitol city's major attractions. Red roses also figure prominently in Argentinian art and festivals; they are even an economic factor as the nation's third largest export.

3 mins

The Many Facets Jocelyn Zimmer

The First Female President in Five Generations of Zimmer Brothers Jewelers is Set to Sparkle

5 mins

6 Steps for Forming - and Maintaining - a Vibrant Youth Group

Approximately 600 clubs belong to the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS). While most include kids under age 18 within their ranks, only a fraction boasts a full-scale youth group with deliberate programming aimed right at kids.

7 mins

THE ROCHESTER SHALE: A SNAPSHOT OF ANCIENT LIFE

425 million years ago, New York was a warm, shallow saltwater tropical sea. Exotic creatures lived, thrived and died in the lagoons. The formation of coral reefs was just beginning.

3 mins

The Irish Legend of Finn McCool & the Giant's Causeway

Ireland, the emerald isle, is known for its lush green hillsides, the cliffs of Mohr and on its northern Antrim coast, a stairway of basalt columns that stretches into the sea all the way to Scotland.

6 mins

8 Green Rocks to Collect & Enjoy

The color green is often associated with good luck, money and health. In the gem world, green-hued stones vary in rarity, cost, durability and shine. Whether you wear green gemstones to honor your Irish heritage, celebrate springtime or to enjoy some of Mother Nature's finest work, there's a green-colored stone for you. Experts weigh in on what their favorites are and why you should be envious if they're not in your collection yet.

6 mins

Arsenic: The "King of Poisons"

Few things are saddled with darker connotations than arsenic. Used throughout much of history as a human poison, arsenic has become inexorably linked with death.

4 mins

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.

4 mins

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.\"

2 mins

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.

2 mins

ANT HILL GARNETS

Tiny Miners Find Big Treasures

3 mins

The Formation of Quake Lake

When the Earth Shakes and the Mountain Falls

7 mins

Read all stories from Rock&Gem Magazine

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.