Rock & Gem magazine

02/14/2025

Heart-shaped stones are a universal symbol of love, popular at gem shows and in display cases. Here’s how the heart shape came to be a pictogram of love.

02/14/2025

A fun look at crystals for 💞 love...

Crystals for love are fun; some believe they can grow feelings and strengthen connections. Here’s a list of gems to attract romance and express feelings.

02/13/2025

A great gift for your rockhounding Valentine!
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02/13/2025

Pink danburite may just be the new "girl’s best friend" as this gemstone is far rarer than any diamond with a hardness suitable for unrestricted jewelry wear.

02/12/2025

In time for Valentine's Day... "I'm sending along a pic I took this past summer in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Our tour guide stopped by her home to get some postcards for our group to purchase. Along with her dwarfed daffodil flower garden, she has a rock garden of heart-shaped rocks and whale bones she found on the shores of Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian islands of Alaska." - Sue Eyre

02/10/2025

Onyx usually refers to a black-and-white banded variety of agate but it has also been applied to monochromatic agates with dark and light parallel bands.

02/09/2025

"It will strike anyone who thinks they can take lava rocks out of their Hawai`i home... Just ask the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park or the Hilo Post Office. Both have become accustomed to receiving thousands of apologetic packages each year from tourists who regretted taking lava rocks from the Hawaiian Islands." - LA Berry

Pele's curse is a legend likened to pop culture when the Brady Bunch went to Hawai`i. It is said to strike anyone who takes lava rocks out of their island home.

02/08/2025

Olivine is known as a Hawaiian diamond. Learn more about this 🌋 volcanic mineral...

Hawaiian gemstones lists are topped by olivine, also known as a Hawaiian diamond. Learn more about this volcanic mineral; how it forms and gets its green color.

02/07/2025

Gypsum from Naica, Mexico
Fluorescent 🌈 Friday 📸 by The Arkenstone Gallery of Fine Minerals, irocks.com

02/06/2025

Stunning quartz on blue topaz from and our beautiful Parting Shots.

02/05/2025

Lake County diamonds exhibit dazzling color effects akin to real diamonds. Formed in fiery eruptions, these gems inspire awe as they catch the sunlight.

Lake County diamonds display color effects similar to genuine diamonds. These are objects borne of violent eruptions that people hold up to the sun in wonder.

02/04/2025

BEFORE & AFTER! A fun Mineral Monday look at a malachite rough specimen versus polished malachite cabochon. 📸 by Richard Gross

02/03/2025

Obsidian is a volcanic glass formed when molten felsic lava cools suddenly. Is it a mineral? The answer lies in how it’s formed.

Obsidian is a volcanic glass formed when molten felsic lava cools suddenly. Is it a mineral? The answer lies in how it’s formed. Explore obsidian and its types.

02/02/2025

Are you a rockhound? Click to find out!

What is a rockhound? Not sure if you're one or not? There are all types! Learn more about what makes a rockhound and answer that question for yourself.

02/01/2025

Fluorescent Hyalite Opal from the Tarcal Zemplen Mountains in Hungary
📸: Arkenstone, iRocks.com

01/31/2025

Mines staked in the late 1800s under the “1872 Mining Law" have names that provide a telling glimpse into life in the frontier mining regions. Here's a look...

01/30/2025

Considering the winter weather most of us have been experiencing, this seems like a timely question. ❄❄❄

Is ice a mineral? It’s transparent to translucent, has a vitreous luster, variable hardness and low specific gravity. It occurs in massive and crystalline form.

01/29/2025

Quartz, sphalerite and pyrite from Hauron, Peru.
📸 by Richard Gross