Within this group of inspiring people, John Sinkankas ranks above all. Dr. John Sinkankas was not only a good friend but a mentor who had the most substantial influence on me in terms of mineral activities. For the science and hobby, John undoubtedly made a more significant contribution to amateur mineral collecting than anyone else I know. He was a skilled writer-teacher whose writings on complex mineral subjects made them understandable to the average rockhound.
Many a mineral collector and lapidary artist can attest to learning a great deal from various books he’s written about minerals, gem cutting, and the lapidary arts. Additionally, he also wrote field guides on mineral collecting and prospecting and a series of catalogs providing data minerals and gem materials. He began his writing career in 1951, with a column about amateur lapidary. Then in 1964, he penned the history-making text, Mineralogy for Amateurs. The book made the science of mineralogy more accessible and understandable, and as such, became a popular choice for college syllabuses everywhere. He followed this with many other books including, Emeralds and Other Beryls, which combined his interest in gems and minerals and his strong interest and investigation of pegmatite deposits.
This story is from the November 2020 edition of Rock&Gem Magazine.
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This story is from the November 2020 edition of Rock&Gem Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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.
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.
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.
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.\"
Amazing Women with Rock-Solid Careers
Explorers, Geologists, Educators & Jewelry Makers...
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.
Asteroid Samples Are Said to Hold Invaluable Secrets
If Only Scientists Can Pop the Lid!
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.
Need a Map of the Ocean Floor?
Call in the Seals!
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.
