In this issue

Rock&Gem; Magazine December 2022 Issue

Using Deep Learning to View the Rich Data of Seismology

Seismology is a data-rich science. Vast arrays employing thousands of sensors continuously sample and monitor for seismic waves and motion. Sampling rates can involve 100 points per second.

1 min

“THE SPANISH STONEHENGE” RESURFACES And a New One Is Found!

The Iberian Peninsula is in severe drought, drier than it's been for 1,200 years. Although that is bad news, it has been a boon for scientists. As a reservoir has shrunk to record low levels, a prehistoric monument of about 100 rocks has resurfaced, rocks arranged in a stone circle not so different from England's famed Stonehenge.

1 min

Did Dinos Die From a One-Two-Three Punch?

It has been widely accepted that a giant asteroid from space struck the area of Chicxulub on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and unleashed worldwide chaos that ultimately doomed the nonavian dinosaurs to extinction. Now it appears that asteroid had a sister-or two.

1 min

Earth’s Crust and the Milky Way

In attempting to explain earthly phenomena, geologists tend to look downward at Earth itself. It now appears they need to shift their gaze skyward.

1 min

Want a Dino? Search Your Own Backyard!

When a man in Monte Agudo, Pombal in Portugal dug into his backyard garden in 2017, he found much more than a soup bone buried by the dog. He stumbled across giant ribs of what is believed to be a brachiosaurid.

1 min

AFRICA’S OLDEST DINO

The skeleton is nearly complete and, depending on the report, it's been described as the size of a collie dog, an emu, or a Shetland pony at about three feet tall and six feet long. Say hello to Africa's oldest dinosaur, Mbiresaurus raathi!

1 min

Detecting Earthquakes from Above Both Here - and on Venus?

When we think of earthquake monitoring, we think of ground-based networks of seismometers, ground-hugging fiber-optic cables, and similar ground-based systems. After all, if trying to detect rumblings within the ground, shouldn't we hug the ground? Well, not necessarily per an article in Geophysical Research Letters.

1 min

Whither the Koh-i-Noor Diamond?

It's the stuff of legend! The 105-carat Koh-i-Noor is an oval diamond so big and brilliant its Persian name translates as \"Mountain of Light.\"

1 min

When Did We Become Warm-Blooded?

A New Technique Explores the Question

1 min

A New Member of the Human Family Tree?

Although beginning with a common ancestor, humans and chimps parted ways long ago, with humans walking upright and chimps remaining as knuckle-walkers.

1 min

The Webb Space Telescope It's Not Just for the Stars!

Fanfare surrounding the new Webb Space Telescope focuses on spectacular images from the far reaches of the universe. But Webb also has provided revealing looks at the sister planets within our own solar system.

1 min

The Chimeric Dream to Forecast Volcanic Eruptions

It has been a dream to accurately forecast a violent volcanic eruption long in advance. To some, it's a chimeric dream that will never produce concrete results.

1 min

ULTIMATE Gift Guide FOR ROCKHOUNDS

What to Buy for the Rock Lover in Your Life

8 mins

The Pleasures and Perils of Competitive Exhibiting

Competitive exhibiting offers lots of opportunities to earn awards through venues like club shows, county fairs, trade shows and Federation shows. Since 1995, I've been involved in competitive exhibiting from three perspectives: administering, judging and exhibiting. Here are my suggestions for best practices.

5 mins

RV Rockhounding

ON THE ROAD WITH THAT CAMPING COUPLE

4 mins

PAIL Treasures!

From Gems to Fossils, Dig Them at Home

4 mins

NIPOMO MARCASITE

Many of the digging locations for this marcasite are on private property. It was allowed at one point to collect with the owner's permission, but a few rockhounds ruined it for the rest by trespassing, trampling newly-grown crops, and opening and closing gates not allowing cattle to get to their water sources. As a result, this material hasn’t been dug for a few decades.”

3 mins

CURVED RIDGES SHAPED TIPS

Complex carving with curved ridges and shaped tips can be daunting.

1 min

The Silver of POTOSI

Triumph, Tragedy & El Tío

6 mins

COLOR-THERAPY Gemstones

Designing Jewelry Based on the Healing Properties of Colors

3 mins

THE MAGIC OF MARBLE

Sculptors and architects have an abundance of natural stone materials to choose from alabaster, travertine, granite, limestone and soapstone to name a few. But one medium has always stood out - marble. For the last 2,500 years, marble has been chosen for many of the greatest works of sculpture and architecture, from the Parthenon of Classical Greece to Michelangelo's Pietà and Washington D.C.'s Lincoln Memorial.

3 mins

Volcanoes and Emeralds

I've had the privilege to give lectures worldwide at shows, club meetings and retreats. I've also done videos and DVDs including Russian Gem Treasures, shot in Russia and another associated with the Smithsonian about American gem mines.

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.