“Manufactured sapphire — a material that’s used as transparent armor on military vehicles—could become cheap enough to replace the glass display covers on mobile phones.” Quoted from the MIT press release.
This short video by John Dyer explains the characteristics of well-cut and poorly-cut faceted gemstones. Beautiful faceted stones are a combination of great mineralogy and great craftsmanship.
Several factors work together to determine the annual value of Australia’s diamond production. The output of mining operations, the quality of the stones, world diamond prices, and the relative strength of the Australian Dollar against other currencies are major factors in the annual value.
Spinel is a gemstone that has been confused with ruby and sapphire for over 1000 years. Several of the most spectacular spinels ever discovered have been mounted in “crown jewels” and other “jewelry of significance” under the assumption that they were rubies or sapphires.
This fact sheet by the North Dakota Geological Survey describes the possibility of kimberlites in North Dakota and a 2010 exploration program conducted by Kennecott.
This video provides an overview of the 2013 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show – one of many mineral shows that will be held in Tucson in January and February. The VisitTucson.com website had a large listing of shows.
Charles Fipke and Stewart Blusson discovered the diamond deposit that was developed into Canada’s famous Ekati Mine. Now BHP Billiton wants to sell and the geologists have first refusal rights.
Did you know that the Hope Diamond, the world second-largest blue diamond, may have been recut from a diamond known as the “French Blue” that was stolen during the French Revolution?
In the 1940′s colored stones dominated the gemstone market, then marketing genius launched diamonds far into the lead. Now, colored stone producers are planning a come-back.
The-Vug.com has a large collection of photographs of interesting specimens that were on display at the 2012 Denver Gem and Mineral Show. The pink calcite specimen at right attracted a lot of attention. Check them out.
The-Vug.com is “the go to place on the web” for mineral collectors.
The-Vug.com has a large list of mineral shows that are scheduled this fall in all parts of the United States. You can probably find one within reasonable driving distance from your home.
The-Vug.com has lots of information about mineral specimens, mineral collecting and links to mineralogy websites.
Cabinet ministers in Afghanistan are debating potential mineral resource legislation. They want the economic benefits of allowing foreign companies to explore and develop their resources but they are concerned about being taken advantage of.
An article in the Gemological Institute of America Insider newsletter tells how Vincent Pardieu, supervisor of field gemology for GIA, searches for gemstones in Afghanistan.
Undisclosed synthetic diamonds and color treatments are a huge problem in the diamond trade. The Gemological Institute of America now has a low cost method to screen and document the nature of small diamonds.
The United States Geological Survey has published, Circular 1368, Development of Industrial Minerals in Colorado. This publication provides information on clay and shale, sand and gravel, silica sand, crushed stone, limestone, gypsum, lightweight aggregates, dimension stone, feldspar and mica, sulfur, barite, gemstones, fluorspar, nahcolite, titanium and zeolite.
ABC News has a video about recently found emeralds at the North American EmeraldMine near Hiddenite, North Carolina. This is a “pay-to-dig” mine where anyone can search for a fee.
Most people don’t realize that some amazing emeralds have been found in North Carolina. The North Carolina Museum of Natural History just received a gift of four emeralds found in Alexander County in 2011 that are worth millions of dollars.
Investing in diamonds and the stocks of diamond companies requires a lot of specialized knowledge. A diamond exchange-traded fund is proposed that will attempt to track the public market for diamonds.
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Homeowners Insurance usually does not cover damage caused by floods, landslides, earthquakes and other geohazards.
Frac Sand is a high-purity silica sand used in hydraulic fracturing to enhance the flow of oil and gas from tight rock units.
Diamonds from Coal? Diamonds form under a variety of conditions that rarely involve coal as a source of carbon.
Fluorescent Minerals glow with spectacular colors when illuminated in the dark with an ultraviolet lamp.
Helium is a byproduct of the natural gas industry. Its most important use is in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines.
Canada Diamond Mines: Canada is the third largest producer of gem-quality diamonds in the world.
Utica Shale: New wells in eastern Ohio prove that the Utica Shale will be a major source of natural gas and natural gas liquids.
Spectacular Fossils of the Green River Formation. Some of the world's best-preserved fossil fish from an intermountain lake.
Opals: Gem quality opal is one of the most spectacular gemstones. A single stone can flash with every color of the spectrum.
