Bluebird Chrysocolla

Bluebird Chrysocolla comes from an old copper mine in Gila County, Arizona.

Palatki Red Cliffs Ancient Painters' Palette

In the shadow of the famous red cliffs of Sedona, the ancient ruins of Palatki remain silent for nearly 700 years. The Palatki Red Cliffs is a designated World Heritage archaeological site that contains cliff dwellings, pictographs, and petroglyphs created by the Sinagua people of the Ancestral Puebloans.

Turning to the “Other” Tourmaline Crystals

COMPLEX, PLENTIFUL, AND AFFORDABLE

What New Things Are You Learning?

For many within the rockhounding community, the answer to our headline could be a combination of several technological applications. During a conversation with a reader recently, the kind gentleman from Tennessee shared with me details about his experience setting up a virtual meeting for his mineral club, and how at the young age of 74, he was selected to “figure it out,” because he was a former teacher. As he said to me, “Teaching is one thing. Technology is something altogether different.”

Something New at Biggs Junction

EXPLORING A NEW DEPOSIT DISCOVERY IN NORTH CENTRAL OREGON

Mexican Purple Passion Agate

Mexico has long been a source of brilliant colored banded and lace agates, but, for the last couple of years, one agate, in particular, has generated a lot of attention: Purple Passion!

NEVADA'S CARLIN TREND

AMERICA’S GREATEST GOLD-MINING DISTRICT

Claim to Copper Fame

BUTTE, MONTANA’S COLORFUL HISTORY OF BECOMING “THE RICHEST HILL ON EARTH”

CASTANEA CORALS

Finding Fossils from a Silurian Coral Reef

CAPTIVATING FIND AT THE CARVER AGATE FIELD

GEOLOGICAL MYSTERY DRAWS INTEREST

Pennsylvania's Pequea Silver Mines

Lancaster County’s Hub of Geological History and Modern Recreation

Removing a Bezel Set Stone

On numerous forums, I frequently see questions about how to remove a stone from a bezel setting.

Staying Connected and Inspired

In its July-August newsletter, Flatirons Facets, the Flatirons Mineral Club of Boulder County, Colorado, shared examples of how their club members are staying connected and enjoying their shared rockhounding and lapidary interests in today’s socially distant world.

SYNTHETIC DIAMONDS

Evolution of a Laboratory Produced and Highly Debated Gemstone

THE LYMAN MUSEUM

Taking in the Splendor and Intriguing History of One of the Top 10 Best Mineral Collections

Rock Walk Uncovers Agate With a Unique Face

I have been retired for several years and since I moved from Iowa to Minnesota, I have enjoyed searching the gravel roads and rocky farm fields for agates and interesting rocks.

Nisyros' Volcanic Caldera

The Greek island of Nisyros lies in the middle of the Aegean Sea.

GEOLOGY 101 - The “Sailing Stones” of Death Valley: How a Mystery was Resolved

It was a mystery long in resolving, namely, the “sailing stones” of California’s Death Valley National Park. Sometimes called “walking rocks,” these are boulders as heavy as 100 pounds with one as large as 700 pounds. So, what was the mystery?

GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY GOODNESS

The Lake Havasu Gem & Mineral Society (LHGMS) is one of those fortunate clubs across the country that recently passed the 50-year threshold of servicing its local rockhounding, lapidary, gem and jewelry-loving community. It takes a lot of dedication and commitment by a lot of members and energetic and visionary leadership over many years, to ensure the continuing success of a gem and mineral society.

Cutting Edge Supply Co.

CATCHING UP WITH A NEW ARRIVAL

SPOTLIGHT ON JUNIORS - Trent Meyers and His Glowing Fascination

Figuratively speaking, some of us “glow” about our rockhounding interests, whether they involve gems, minerals, fossils, field trips, prospecting, or lapidary arts.

NORTHERN EUROPE'S Amber Rush

SOARING PRICES AMIDST A MINING BOOM

Sunspots and Activity Under Mauna Kea Volcano Keep Scientists Busy

Sunspots and Activity Under Mauna Kea Volcano Keep Scientists Busy

Persevering in Trying Times

With the entire country still in a form of shutting down, practicing social distancing, and observing various restrictions, there are no mineral shows, no in-person club meetings, no group mineral activities, and even club field trips.

The Puzzle of Mineral Names

DISCOVERING THE LOGIC BY UNDERSTANDING THE PROGRESSION

Visiting with DiWolf

Wolfgang and Diana Mueller, known by their company name DiWolf, is a dynamic couple, with lots of knowledge and years of experience in lapidary and jewelry artwork.

Reliving Field Trips and Thinking Forward

In the event you are craving a club-sponsored rockhounding field trip, you are not alone. With that being the case, we thought we could at least live vicariously through a report detailing club-hosted field trips that took place just before the formation of restrictions in response to COVID-19, and news of field trip planning underway.

Hypnotized By Inverell Blue

Discovering New Sapphire Appreciation “Down Under”

ENCHANTING HERKIMER DIAMOND HUNTS

COLLECTING DOUBLY TERMINATED QUARTZ CRYSTALS AND MAKING MEMORIES

BUYING NATURAL GEMSTONE ROUGH FOR FACETING

TIPS FOR SAVING TIME AND MONEY AND AVOIDING AGGRAVATION