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Rocks and Minerals

Sliding Rocks - Racetrack Playa How these rocks slide across a dry lake bed is a mystery. Photo © iStockphoto / Stephan Hoerold

Spectacular Yosemite Rockfall: A photo sequence of rockfall and debris avalanche by Herb Dunn.

Herkimer Diamonds: Learn how to find these doubly terminated quartz crystals at Herkimer, NY.

Mineral Rights / Surface Rights
Who owns the minerals under your land? Have they been sold?

What are "Blood Diamonds"?
Have you seen the movie? Learn what "blood diamond" means.

United States Gemstones: Opal, diamond, tourmaline, beryl, ruby, sapphire, peridot, beryl, agate.

Free Guide to Rock Tumbling:
Step-by-step guide to tumble polishing rocks into gemstones.

The Many Uses of Gold: Learn how the unique properties of gold make it extremely useful.

If it is not grown, it is mined.

Igneous Rocks: Photos and facts about intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks.

Metamorphic Rocks: Photos and facts about foliated and non-foliated metamorphic rocks.

Sedimentary Rocks: Photos and facts about clastic, chemical and organic sedimentary rocks.

Mineral Identification Chart Printable mineral ID chart by Art Crossman in MS Excel format.

Mineral Articles
Calcite Corundum Diamond Kyanite	Magnetite Quartz Topaz

Calcite: Calcite is one of the most useful minerals.

Corundum: Almost as hard as diamond, corundum is used as an abrasive. It is also the mineral of rubies and sapphires.

Kyanite: Used to make spark plugs, high temperature bricks and stunning blue gemstones.

Higley Coppers: A story behind the first coins minted in North America. By John Carter.

Oil is found first in the mind.

Topaz: A popular gem. Most topaz has been color-enhanced by heating or irradiation.

Coal Through a Microscope: Coal is more than a black rock. It's THE most interesting rock.

Uses of Granite: The rock used everywhere from the kitchen to the facing stone of skyscrapers.

Tucson Gem & Mineral Show: Some photos of interesting things that we saw at the show.

Colored Glass: A number of elements are used to produce the beautiful colors in stained and colored glass.

The present is the key to the past.

Ametrine: The bi-color gem that is a blend of golden citrine and purple amethyst.

Indium: The metal used in liquid crystal displays (LCDs), coatings on specialty glass and even as an aircraft window defogger.

Gemstone Cabochons: Many minerals are cut into rounded stones called "cabochons".

Denver Gem and Mineral Show A photo report from Geoffrey Notkin of Aerolite Meteorites.

Getting Gold: A practical treatise for prospectors, miners and students. Written by J.C.F. Johnson in 1898.

Barnett Shale! Unconventional natural gas boom in Texas.

Geology underlies it all.