May 2013 Chrysocolla and palm wood cabochons “I always look for new ways to make cabochons. I started cutting rocks in the late 1970s, stopped for many years, then started up again in 2009. I love, love, love rocks and jewelry! The templates I used earlier were the ‘standard’ ones: circles, ovals, squares, rectangles,...
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Rock & Gem Kids is a monthly feature that offers articles, puzzles, and a quiz with prizes for junior rockhounds. The Quiz 1. In a penetration twin, two crystals are intergrown. 2. Two famous international locations for choice fluorite are the Swiss Alps and Weardale, England. 3. A flux helps lower the melting point of...
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April 2013 Faceted stone necklaces “A wedding inspired this project. My daughter, Danielle, thought of a wonderful present for her bridesmaids: necklaces, each with a specially cut faceted stone. Since each bridesmaid was an individual, she decided, the gemstones in their presents should be fitting for each of them. “Sky blue would go with...
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Rock & Gem Kids is a monthly feature that offers articles, puzzles, and a quiz with prizes for junior rockhounds. The Quiz 1. Granite has a characteristic coarse-grained texture because of slow cooling . 2. The primary mineral components of granite are quartz, feldspar, mica and hornblende . 3. The mammoth’s central nasal cavity is probably what...
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Rock & Gem Kids is a monthly feature that offers articles, puzzles, and a quiz with prizes for junior rockhounds The Quiz 1. Chrysocolla is sometimes considered a “mineraloid”, rather than a “true mineral”. 2. An “oxidation zone” is created when oxygen-rich groundwater seeps into rocks containing copper. 3. Chrysocolla becomes “agatized” when it is...
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March 2013 Lapis/agate/jasper picture pendant “After going through end pieces and leftover scraps, I found that a combination of denim lapis, blue lace agate, and picture jasper would create a beach scene of sand, waves and sky. “First, I cut the three pieces to similar sizes. Some stones are likely...
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Rock & Gem Kids is a monthly feature that offers articles, puzzles, and a quiz with prizes for junior rockhounds. QUIZ ANSWERS 1. The mineral gypsum is softer than your fingernail. 2. “Hourglass” selenite can only be found in Oklahoma. 3. Temperatures between 129°F and 136°F are required for selenite crystals to form. 4. The beryl...
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Rock & Gem Kids is a monthly feature that offers articles, puzzles, and a quiz with prizes for junior rockhounds. QUIZ ANSWERS 1. Beryl and tourmaline are members of the cyclosilicate group of minerals. 2. Pink beryl is known by the varietal name morganite. 3. Blue and yellow beryl get their color from iron ions. 4....
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February 2013 Lost wax bola “When I first joined the Vallejo Gem & Mineral Society, I finished many types and sizes of stones, and then I began to look for different ways to mount them. Fortunately, our club has a silver casting area using the lost wax casting...
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January 2013 Earth Materials: Introduction to Mineralogy and Petrology, by Cornelius Klein (Professor Emeritus) and Anthony Philpotts (Professor Emeritus) Cambridge University Press, 100 Brook Hill Dr., West Nyack, NY 10994-2133; www.cambridge.org February 2013 Genesis and...
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