Welcome to Rock & Gem!

Since 1971, Rock & Gem has been the leading magazine for the lapidary and mineral hobbyist. Not a trade journal and not a scientific dissertation, it speaks to the average rockhound, providing just the right blend of entertainment and satisfying information. Armchair hobbyists and diehard diggers alike will find something to enjoy in each issue.

Steve Decker photo
Lifetime hobbyist and Carnegie Award winner Bob Jones heads up a group of experienced and knowledgeable contributors. Bob's light-hearted style brings readability to in-depth articles on minerals, classic deposits, and collecting trends. His Frugal Collector series helps collectors learn to identify mineral bargains, and his affiliation with the Tucson Gem & Mineral Society provides a behind-the-scenes look at the year's biggest and best mineral show and sneak previews of the show's theme and featured exhibits.

Robert Beard and Kenneth H. Rohn are among our regular field trip writers. They ferret out the collecting spots that deliver the goods and give you clear directions to an enjoyable outing. Field trips range from day-long family-friendly outings to extended-stay adventures in the great American wilderness.

Diane Prokop and others contribute fun and challenging projects for lapidaries of all skill levels. Not sure what to do with the gems from your last field trip? Step-by-step directions will soon have you tumbling, polishing, faceting, and making jewelry like a pro.

Regular columnists William A. Kappele, Steve Voynick, and Jim Perkins share their insights on everything from lapidary techniques to the science of minerals.

We know that our youth are the key to continued growth in the hobby. Our monthly children's feature, Rock & Gem Kids, is designed to appeal to a younger generation with short, interest-catching articles, kid-sized projects, puzzles, and a chance to win a prize.

You don't have to stop at just reading Rock & Gem. There are plenty of opportunities to contribute, as well. Share your faceting knowledge by submitting a design to our Many Facets column, show off your lapidary skills by entering our Craftsman of the Month contest, or share your comments through our Field Notes section. Our readers are also our writers, contributing full-length features and project articles. Click on the Writers' Guidelines button to get started on your own submission.

Once you start reading about all the exciting things rockhounds are doing these days, you can't help but join in. Jump into the hobby with Rock & Gem!

CRAFTSMAN OF THE MONTH
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	Current Issue

May 2008 Vol.38 Num.5

FEATURES:

Milpillas Azurite and Malachite
Mexico's amazing new mineral deposit
by Bob Jones
Gem Buyer Beware
Synthetics, simulants and natural gemstones in Asia
by Jordan Clary
Carbon's Minerals
Enjoy these collectible carbonate species
by Bob Jones
Rock & Gem Kids
Informative fun for young rockhounds
Mr. Fluorite, Ben E. Clement
A museum commemorates the man and the mineral
by Lori Lamb
The King of Jaspers
Morrisonite's colors and patterns rule the lapidary world
by Kathleen Fink
More... CLICK HERE

EDITORIAL CORRECTIONSApril 2008: Barbara L. Miller, author of "The Life of a Lapidary" (p. 28), misidentified the specimens in the photo on the top left of page 29 as iris agate. Her caption should have read "These specimens are a portion of the large collection of Fairburn agates Ed Gueck found on field trips."
January 2008: The month at the top of the Show Dates on page 44 is incorrect. These are the February shows continued from page 26.
July 2007: The Craftsman of the Month project writeup by Bernard Schiefer was run with the wrong photo. Click here to see the layout with the correct photo of his rock coin bank project.
May 2007: Robert Beard, author of the field trip article "New Mexico Selenite" (p. 20), learned after publication of his article that the selenite deposit he described is currently under claim, and as such is not open to collecting without permission from the claim owner. Readers should contact Mr. Roger Maynard, Nature's Creations of New Mexico, 115 E. College Blvd. #134, Roswell, NM 88201, (505) 625-9168, naturescreationsofnm@yahoo.com, for permission to access this site.
February 2007: Bob Jones thanks reader M. Mohr for catching these mistakes in his article "Minerals of Earth's Crust, part II": page 15, left column, Magnesium carbonite is magnesite (not dolomite); page 16, left column, Limestone, when heated, releases carbon dioxide (not the carbonate radical).
February and March 2007: Readers wishing more information on the Mar-Zee Tutorials DVDs reviewed in Picks & Pans should write to Marina Shoupe, 63 Park Hill Ave., San Francisco, CA 94117, or e-mail her at marzeetutorials@znet.com. "Lapidary Drilling" was reviewed in the February column and "Wood Lap Tutorial" was reviewed in the March issue.
November 2006: The faceting design illustration in the Many Facets column does not match the instructions given. The instructions are correct and will work for anyone wishing to cut the design. For a corrected copy of the design, e-mail jimperkins@zoominternet.net.
June 2006: To order the title "The How-To's of Cabbing and Carving," reviewed in this month's Picks & Pans column, contact the author/publisher:
Cheryl and Tom Harmon
The Agate Stop
124 4th Ave. N.
Savage, MT 59262
(406) 776-2373
www.harmons.net
harmons@harmons.net
April 2006: In Kenneth H. Rohn's story "Montana Gold Panning," the Web address for the Northwest Montana Gold Prospectors Club was misprinted. The correct address is www.mtmultipleuse.org/NWMGPindex.htm.

February 2006: The Web site attributed to 2005 National Rockhound/Lapidary Hall of Fame inductee Dennis Batt in this month's Lapidary Lore and More column was incorrect. Dennis' Web site is www.americanmastersofstone.com. The site www.gearloose.com belongs to Jon Rolfe and carries an advertisement for the Batt lap (no connection to Dennis).

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