Many of these books appeared as this new heyday was dawning, and today barely a month goes by without some major new find or journal article.
Much of this activity has been thanks to remarkable finds in China of exquisitely preserved feathered dinosaurs, dinosaur-like birds, bird-like dinosaurs, and early birds themselves. The October 2, 2020 airing of NPR’s Science Friday radio program featured young Jingmai O’Connor, described by some as “the punk rock paleontologist.” Working with the Field Museum of Chicago and the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, Jingmai is in the center of the action when it comes to bird ancestors and ancient birds.
During her Science Friday interview, she noted how the field has benefited because paleontology is still a relatively new discipline in China and thus has generated much excitement and—consequently— much more funding compared to what comes out of the U.S. Treasury. New finds are made on an especially frequent basis as more eyes look to the ground among poor Chinese farmers seeking to supplement incomes with dramatic new fossils.
And all science is benefiting as ancient birds take flight from the stony pages of time!
PULLING TO KEEP GLOWING TREASURES GLOWING
The neighboring towns of Ogdensburg and Franklin, New Jersey, straddle the Franklin-Sterling Hill mining district. The district is world famous both for the economic wealth it once produced (33 million tons of high-grade zinc ore) and for its variety of collectible minerals (357 species). What really put it on the mineral collector’s map was the 91 fluorescent minerals that glow beautifully. Thanks to these and many rare mineral species, it’s been said to be one of the top ten mineral localities in the world!
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Filling an Empty Space and Enhancing a Cabochon
I often look for a special feature within a slab when choosing the shape to cut into a cab.
Pterodactyls No Longer Birds of a Feather?
For a couple of decades now, feathered dinosaurs have been all the rage.
The Saga of COLORADO GOLD - 53 Million Troy Ounces and Counting
Colorado has been mining gold even before the region became a territory and is still mining it today.
SPECTACULAR NATIVE SILVER - Rarer Than Gold in Specimen Form
When it comes to naturally occurring precious metal specimens on Earth, finding native silver is not as easy as finding native gold.
PEARL OF THE PACIFIC - San Diego's Pacific Rim Park
Did you know, the Pearl of the Pacific was created in 1998 as a symbol of friendship and unity between the United States, Mexico, China and Russia?
POPULAR PSEUDOMORPHS - More Common Varieties Enhance Any Collection
In part one of this two-part series, which appeared in the December 2020 issue of Rock & Gem, we explained pseudomorphs as minerals whose normal form has changed, so they may look like the original but are now another mineral.
New Era Gems - CARVING A PATH AND CREATING A LEGACY
Think back to your 20th birthday; what were you doing? How did you celebrate?
DIAMONDS - A Luxury Gem Steeped in Fact & Fable
The diamond is one fabled gemstone! For example, google “Hope Diamond” to see all the legends associated with just this one stone said to bring misfortune to its owners.
Cleaning Without Chemicals
Do you have specimens like desert roses, quartz crystal clusters, or geode halves that sat for eons in the open before being collected?
Black Ilmenite and “Titanium White”
The bright-white color that we see in everything from highway lines, donut icing, and tooth-paste to paint, paper, plastics, and ceramics comes mostly from titanium dioxide, the world’s most widely used pigment.
