Rock & Gem magazine

01/25/2025

We're having fun on Opposite Day Rock & Gem style! While volcanoes and glaciers are opposites (❄🔥) they both shape Earth's topography and influence its climate. Enjoy these two stories by clicking the links below...

https://www.rockngem.com/yellowstone-volcano-is-it-going-to-blow/
https://www.rockngem.com/black-sand-beaches-in-iceland/

01/25/2025

A sneak peek from our March 2025 article...Fascinating Fluorite. 🧐 This specimen is fluorite and baryte from the Blanchard Mine in New Mexico. (Kevin Brown Collection)

01/24/2025

The Rock Cafe, Oklahoma, is a mom-and-pop spot that's fun to visit and rockhound. Its claim to fame is being the inspiration for "Cars," the hit Pixar movie.

01/23/2025

Are you heading to Michigan's Upper Peninsula this year? Here's an overview of the area's minerals and mines, as well as museums to visit.

Michigan minerals, mines and museums in the Upper Peninsula have a long history. Here are a few that are often associated with native copper and iron deposits.

01/22/2025

If you're heading to Tucson's gem and mineral shows in February, here are 12 tips to help you make the most of your visit.

Tucson's Gem and Mineral shows in February are a mega-hub for gems, rocks, minerals and fossils. Here are 12 tips to help you make the most of your visit.

01/21/2025

National Cheese Lovers Day Rockhound Style! 🧀 Teredo petrified wood is a peculiar petrified wood that resembles Swiss cheese with its many holes and is the state fossil of North Dakota. (📸: Jim Brace-Thompson)

01/20/2025

At Hallelujah Junction Mine, quartz is king featuring abundant pockets of smokey quartz, amethyst and citrine, which are often found as large scepters.

01/19/2025

Silicon dioxide is a term often used interchangeably with quartz. While much of the vast amount of silicon dioxide within the Earth’s crust is quartz, not all of it falls into that category.

What is silicon dioxide? The term is used interchangeably with quartz. But while most of the silicon dioxide in the Earth’s crust is quartz, not all of it is.

01/18/2025

Beautiful ruby in calcite from Mogok, Burma.
❤️❤️❤️
📸 via Arkenstone, irocks.com

01/17/2025

✨ Quartz crystals come in every size imaginable! From massive, forklift-required giants 🏗️ to microscopic masterpieces 🧬 so perfect they need magnification to be appreciated. Uncover the science behind quartz. 💎 There’s so much more to discover!

Quartz varieties are numerous forming hexagonal prisms that are attractive and common. We use it for everything from making concrete to creating fine jewelry.

01/16/2025

Love these reader shares! To share your adventures, tag us at .
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📸 from ... "Rockhounding trip to the Red Hill Mine in Johnson Valley."

01/15/2025

Are you visiting Quartzsite this year? Maybe it's a bucket list item?

During the winter months, the quiet Arizona town of Quartzsite explodes in population and becomes a destination for many rockhounds and lapidaries from every corner of the world.

01/14/2025

Mineral Monday!!! ✨ An unusual quartz growth in the center cavity makes this Las Choyas geode stand out. The black crystals are manganese oxide. 📸 by Richard Gross

01/13/2025

The Geode Guys is a business with a love for rocks, minerals and the magic they hold. They remind us of the thrill of a cracked geode and a family legacy.

The Geode Guys is abusiness with a love for rocks, minerals and the magic they hold. They remind us of the thrill of a cracked geode and a family legacy.

01/12/2025

Las Choyas geodes are popular, attainable and collectible geodes for enthusiasts. Known as “Mexican Coconuts," they are found north and east of Chihuahua City.

01/11/2025

FLUORESCENT FRIDAY!!! 🌈🌈 Aragonite in short-wave UV light via .

01/10/2025

Trancas geodes AKA "Chihuahua geodes," were discovered in 1971. Their druzy quartz centers make them a beautiful addition to a collection.

Trancas geodes also known as "Chihuahua geodes" were discovered in 1971. Their druzy quartz centers make them a beautiful addition to a collection.

01/09/2025

Clear quartz and a stunning blue druzy quartz formation with a smoky quartz background create an outstanding Trancas geode.
📸 by Richard Gross