What is the difference between a mineral and a rock? A rock is an aggregate or mix, of one or more minerals. Here are some fun facts about minerals to enjoy…

René Just Haüy

2022 was the bicentennial of the death of René Just Haüy (2/28/1743 – 6/3/1822). Not a name many of us know, but Haüy was a French mineralogist and is important because he is known as the Father of Modern Crystallography. He studied crystal structure, applied his theories to mineral classification and wrote several books including the Traité de Minéralogie.

To honor him and the importance of minerals in our world, the International Mineralogical Association named 2022 the Year of Mineralogy.

What are Mineralogy & Crystallography?

Mineralogy is the study of everything about minerals including their crystal structure, physical and chemical properties. Crystallography is the study of the structure and properties of crystals.

How Minerals Are Formed

Minerals are formed in four main ways:

• From Magma – Hot, molten lava cools and crystallizes to form minerals such as topaz.
• From Water – Chemicals in saturated water precipitate, or separate, into solids. An easy example is salt, halite, that’s left behind after ocean water evaporates.
• Alteration – As minerals react, slowly or quickly, with their environment they form different minerals. Cuprite forms when it’s exposed to oxygen.
• Metamorphism – Exposure to heat and pressure alters the chemistry of a mineral to become a different mineral such as rubies.

Glorious Gemstones

Gemstones used for jewelry can be considered at the top of the mineral world. They are rare, valuable, popular and prized for their mineral colors which can be quite vivid once they are cut and polished.

FYI – Not all gemstones come from minerals, for example, pearls and amber. Gems can be precious meaning they are the rarest and most valuable. There are only four precious gems; diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires. Gems that are also popular for jewelry but not as rare are called semiprecious…think amethyst, agate and turquoise.

The rating of precious or semiprecious was made long ago. Today, some semiprecious stones can be worth more than precious stones. Also, it doesn’t take into account scientific classifications of minerals. For example, emeralds are a type of beryl. Aquamarines are also a type of beryl.

Fabulous Diamonds

The word diamond comes from the Greek word adamas which means “invincible.” That’s certainly an accurate description given that diamonds have a Mohs hardness of ten!

According to National Geographic Kids Weird but True Rocks & Minerals, “On Earth’s surface, diamonds are rare. But go down around 100 miles below the surface and it’s a different story. Some scientists have estimated there may be more than a quadrillion tons of diamonds locked in rocks in Earth’s interior.”

This story about celebrating minerals appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Pam Freeman.

The post Celebrating Minerals first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Almost everyone interested in gemstones, whether from the gemological, historical or metaphysical perspectives, has read, or at least heard of, George Frederick Kunz’s book The Curious Lore of Precious Stones. Published 110 years ago, this classic is still being reprinted today.

Over his long career, Kunz would introduce jewelers to semiprecious colored gems; write more than 400 gem-related articles, books and reports; assemble world-class mineral collections; cofound the nation’s oldest mineral club; and compile the first formal accounts of birthstones and the metaphysical aspects of gems. Impressive achievements for a largely self-educated man.

The Young Rockhound

As a teenager in Manhattan and nearby Hoboken, New Jersey, Kunz collected minerals wherever he could find them, often at bridge and railroad construction sites. After attending public schools, he took night classes at Manhattan’s Cooper Institute, although he did not graduate. Despite being limited in his formal education, he read everything available about minerals to complement his already proficient field-collecting skills.

Kunz was still a teenager when he sold his 4,000-specimen mineral collection to the University of Minnesota for $400 ($8,000 in 2023 dollars). He later wrote that the sale wasn’t “so much for the money but to mark myself in the eyes of the world as a real collector.”

Tiffany & Co.

In the 1870s, American and European jewelers focused mainly on the “big four” gems — diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. Kunz, however, was more interested in semiprecious gemstones or, as he later wrote, the “sea-green depths of tourmaline, the watery-blue of aquamarine, the red blood-cups of garnet, the misty nebula of moonstone.”

At that time, the nation’s most prestigious jeweler was then New York City’s Tiffany & Co. Founded by Charles Lewis Tiffany in 1837, the company dealt exclusively in the “big four” gems. But that began to change in 1875 when 19-year-old Kunz showed Tiffany a fine specimen of green tourmaline, then persuaded the jeweler to buy it, cut it into gems and fashion an experimental line of jewelry. To Tiffany’s surprise, the collection quickly sold out.

Kunz’s meeting with Charles Tiffany was a turning point in America’s experience with gems. Gem fashions now changed rapidly once Tiffany introduced the public to semi-precious gemstone jewelry. In 1879, Tiffany hired Kunz as his gemstone expert, a position he would hold for the rest of his life. Kunz’s many responsibilities included finding sources of the semiprecious, colored gemstones that now captured his employer’s—and the public’s—attention.

George Frederick Kunz the Writer

Kunz began publishing gem-related articles in 1881. Two years later he wrote a report titled “American Gems and Precious Stones” for the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) Mineral Resources of the United States, an annual, book-length publication.

Kunz’s reports on domestic gemstone discoveries and production for the USGS established the credibility of gemstones as a mineral resource and encouraged gemstone prospecting. Through these annual reports, Kunz also built a national network of correspondents that included prospectors, miners, geologists, mineralogists and mineral collectors. The USGS also appointed Kunz a “special agent” and regularly published his gemstone reports in Mineral Resources of the United States for 50 years.

In 1886, Kunz cofounded the New York Mineralogical Club. Still in existence today as the nation’s oldest, continuously active mineral club, the NYMC has been the model for the subsequent founding of hundreds of similar clubs across the nation. Kunz’s first book, Gems and Precious Stones of North America, published in 1890, utilized his research for his Mineral Resources of the United States reports.

The World-Class Collector

Through his work at Tiffany & Co., Kunz became acquainted with prestigious customers, among them the wealthy financier John Pierpont Morgan, a prominent collector of art, antiques and gemstones. In 1888, Morgan commissioned Kunz to assemble a gemstone collection for international exhibition. The 382-specimen collection that Kunz put together won two gold medals at the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris.

In 1891, jointly financed by Morgan and Tiffany, Kunz traveled to Russia’s Ural Mountains to locate mine sources of gemstones. While in the Urals, Kunz acquired a quantity of demantoid, the green variety of andradite and the rarest and most valuable of the garnet gemstones. He also purchased newly mined alexandrite, the color-change variety of chrysoberyl. Charles Tiffany’s later successful marketing of demantoid and alexandrite in his Art Noveau and Art Deco jewelry styles kept both stones from gemological obscurity.

In 1900, Morgan commissioned Kunz to assemble another world-class collection of gems and minerals—the 4,000-specimen Second Tiffany-Morgan Collection. The following year, Morgan, again relying on Kunz’s collecting expertise, paid $100,000 (roughly $2 million in 2023 dollars) to acquire Philadelphia industrialist Clarence S. Bement’s spectacular 12,300-specimen collection. Morgan later donated these Kunz-assembled collections to New York City’s American Museum of Natural History.

The Tiffany Yellow Diamond Soon after 23-year-old George Frederick Kunz began work at Tiffany & Co., he received a daunting assignment—to design and supervise the cutting of a 287.42-carat, canary-yellow, South African diamond that Charles Tiffany had purchased for $18,000 ($500,000 in 2023 dollars). Kunz and other experts studied the stone for a year before deciding on a modified, square-antique-brilliant cut with 82 facets, 24 more than the traditional 58-facet cut. Kunz’s unconventional and rather daring approach successfully maximized the stone’s brilliance. The resulting 128.54-carat gem, now famed as the “Tiffany Yellow Diamond” and valued at $30 million, has since been worn by only four women, among them actress Audrey Hepburn in a 1961 promotion for the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s; Lady Gaga at the 2019 Academy Awards ceremony; and Beyoncé in a 2021 Tiffany & Co. advertisement. As part of the enduring legacy of George Frederick Kunz, this spectacular diamond has appeared in various settings and is permanently displayed at Tiffany’s flagship store in New York City.

Birthstones & the Metaphysical

In 1891, Tiffany & Co. published Kunz’s Natal Stones: Sentiments and Superstitions Connected with Precious Stones, which traced the ancient Biblical and Hindu origins of birthstones, and documented what had for centuries been only loose tradition. Although just 36 pages long, Natal Stones heightened public interest in birthstones and sharply increased sales of Tiffany’s birthstone jewelry. In 1912, the National Association of Jewelers of America formalized Kunz’s birthstone list. Tiffany & Co. regularly reprinted updated editions of Natal Stones until 1931; modern reprints continue to be available today.

Largely at Tiffany’s expense, Kunz amassed a huge, personal gemological library; while most of these volumes addressed the mineralogical aspects of gemstones, a significant number of rare works dealt with the historical, healing, occult, spiritual, religious and metaphysical aspects of gems.

In 1913, many of these volumes served as Kunz’s research base for The Curious Lore of Precious Stones, the first comprehensive treatment of gem lore. Widely marketed in North America and Great Britain, this enormously popular book boosted sales of gems and jewelry, and greatly stimulated interest in the metaphysical aspects of gems. Although first editions currently sell for as much as $1,000, affordable reprints are still sold today.

Yogo Sapphires & Kunzite

Prospectors, miners, jewelers and collectors often mailed Kunz specimens to identify. “It would perhaps seem improbable that, sitting at a desk in New York, one [could] discover a gem mine in Montana, yet that is just what happened to me,” Kunz later recalled. “. . . upon examination I found certain crystals to which little attention had been paid, but which I discovered to be fine blue sapphires.” Thanks to Kunz’s identification, Montana’s Yogo Gulch became the Western Hemisphere’s greatest source of gem sapphire.

Kunz also received a package of pinkish-purple, transparent crystals from a Pala, California, miner who needed help with identification. After Kunz identified the crystals as a new color variety of spodumene, members of the New York Academy of Science named this variety “kunzite” in Kunz’s honor.

In 1910, after identifying a violet-pink stone from Madagascar as a new color variety of beryl, Kunz named it “morganite” for his longtime friend and benefactor John Pierpont. Morgan.

Respect and Recognition

Kunz despised jewelers who took advantage of an unsuspecting public by passing off altered or look-alike gems as the real thing and enjoyed posing as an average jewelry customer. He was once shown a necklace with gems that the jeweler described as “exceptionally fine.”

“Really, well, after all, that’s not a high price for it—I paused, the dealer beamed—if it were genuine. I leaned over the table, lifted and dropped the necklace disdainfully. What do you mean asking such a price for a flagrant forgery?”

As Kunz’s notoriety grew, honorary degrees compensated for his lack of formal education. He received a master’s degree from New York City’s Columbia University; a doctor-of-philosophy degree from Germany’s University of Marburg; and a Ph.D. from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. Kunz proudly used his academic designations in all his later articles and books.

In a 1928 interview with The Saturday Evening Post, Kunz explained what had sustained his interest in gems and minerals for more than 60 years: “Every boy has his passions—his collection of stamps or coins or marbles or what not, and the only difference between another boy’s and mine was that I never outgrew it.”

George Frederick Kunz’s Legacy

Kunz remained active with Tiffany & Co. until his death in 1932 at age 75. While making many contributions to the world of gems and minerals, Kunz had also succeeded financially. His estate was valued at $114,000—the equivalent of more than $2 million today.

Kunz’s bestowed his final gift posthumously in 1933 when his estate sold his personal gemological and mineralogical library of several thousand rare books, pamphlets and articles to the USGS for the token sum of one dollar. Today, the Kunz Collection is available to researchers at the USGS Library in Reston, Virginia.

Kunz’s obituary in Science magazine concluded with “. . . it is doubtful if [anyone] ever lived a richer or more interesting life.” And when it came to gemstones and gems, that was probably true. Interestingly, the word “gemologist” replaced the term “gem expert” almost immediately after Kunz’s death. That was fitting, for George Frederick Kunz, as America’s first gemologist, had advanced the world of gems culturally, commercially, scientifically, and metaphysically.

This story about George Frederick Kunz previously appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Steve Voynick.

The post Who is George Frederick Kunz? first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Having caught the gemstone-hunting bug early in my life chasing sapphires at the Anakie gem fields (Central Queensland, Australia in the early 1970s), I have always loved the thrill of the hunt for shiny things. They don’t have to be valuable shiny things, just a tiny piece of God’s creation that nobody had ever seen before I laid my hand on it.

Learning Specking

As kids, we weren’t much into the hard yakka (labor) of digging and sieving, but soon learned the fine art of ‘specking’, which is walking around with eyes glued to the ground in front of us, picking up the bits left behind by more ambitious, or perhaps more discerning, fossickers (searcher for rocks and minerals).

A few of these finds were jewelry-quality though most were not, but that didn’t devalue them in our eyes or make the process of looking for them any less enjoyable. Dirt, sunshine, and freedom to explore the pristine bushland that we camped in with no amenities whatsoever, but when you are a ten-year-old, who needs showers?

Family Move Leads to More Gem Locations

The family moved to Cairns when I started secondary school, and it took us a few years to discover that there were gemstones to be found in North Queensland also, and where they could be lawfully found.

We started making family trips to the Mt. Gibson topaz fields in the early 1980s, by which time I had found a good man to marry, and he caught the gem-hunting bug on his very first trip despite none of us having much idea of what we were looking for.

We had a couple of elderly long-wheelbase Land Rovers that carried us and all the camping gear. The vehicles steadfastly chugged their way up the mountain, albeit with no air-conditioning and springs (shocks) that were built for durability, not for comfort. That was all we needed for a promising long weekend!

Fast forward some 30 years, and in the company of our adult children and their significant others, we were still eager to find more lovely topaz and headed to another fossicking area called O’Brien’s Creek, 37km (22 miles) north of Mt. Surprise and just over 400km (248 miles) from Cairns.

The Atherton Tablelands

After leaving tropical Cairns on the coast, two routes lead to the Atherton Tablelands. This area is known for beef/dairy farms and fields of sugarcane, maize, potatoes, peanuts, fruit, and vegetables of all kinds.

Travelers are advised to follow the signs that point toward Herberton/Ravenshoe and enjoy the sight of the majestic wind turbine farm and the dairying district of Ravenshoe. A must-remember destination on the path to the dig site on the return trip is the hot thermal springs at Innot Hot Springs – heavenly for a good long soak after a day’s digging.

The route takes travelers through the tin mining area of Mt. Garnet. This distance of 192km (119 miles) takes about 2.5 hours to travel from Cairns. The next leg of the journey involves another 62km (38 miles) southwards through the quaint town of Mt. Garnet, along the Kennedy Development Road through the 40-Mile Scrub with its unusual Queensland Bottle Trees. Then it’s westward to Mt. Surprise township. This road is all-weather bitumen (asphalt) and the journey takes travelers another 73km (45 miles). The final turn off the main highway brings rockhounds toward the O’Brien’s Creek fossicking area, which is well-identified at the western end of the town, just opposite the local police station.

Accommodations

The town of Mt. Surprise has several motels and good caravan parks. However, the O’Brien’s Creek camping area (which is situated squarely on the banks of Elisabeth Creek) with its hot showers and toilets, and large campsites on the banks of the beautiful creek abounding with birdlife, is undoubtedly a choice location. Camping is not permitted within the boundaries of the designated fossicking area.

The camp area is amazingly pleasant, with Elizabeth Creek flowing most of the year, an unusual occurrence in the harsh environment of this country. During school holidays, families set up camp, relax and paddle canoes along the creek.

Twitchers (birdwatchers) and wildlife enthusiasts make the journey to camp here specifically to watch the apostle birds, bower birds, and blue-aced honey-eaters. They make themselves at home around your campsite, with kookaburras and butcherbirds waiting for, or stealing, a snack from unguarded plates. Mother galahs feed their babies while crimson-wing and rosella parrots feed on grass seeds almost at your feet. Big flocks of black cockatoos land for a late afternoon drink on the sandy river banks.

Digging for Topaz

Gem-quality stones were plentiful and were measured by the dinner plate full in the early days of the fossicking field, but constant picking over has reduced the finds considerably. This area was extensively mined for tin in the late 1800s, using only hand tools, with little mechanical assistance and often little or no water.

These dedicated miners found tin, but they saw no value in the shiny chunks of topaz they turned over in the process, so they left them behind in the tailings and mullock heaps. These are what fossickers chase today. There are still active mining leases in the area, of which few are worked consistently, but they remain out of bounds to fossickers.

If you are traveling in a conventional vehicle, fields of the Designated Fossicking Area (DFA) signposted ‘Tourmaline Gully’ and ‘Crystal Gully’ are generally easily accessed and the first places to visit. The access road runs along the western side of O’Brien’s Creek, and numerous tracks are leading into the sandy creek beds where fossickers have been at work.

Dry sieving in the creek can produce lovely topaz, quartz crystals, tin crystals (cassiterite), and the rarer aquamarine, especially after the wet-season rain scours the creek banks. Rockhounds do have to expend considerable effort removing large rocks, tree roots, and other obstacles to process new ground.

Geology Contributes to Rock Shape

These finds are generally more waterworn and rounded than stones found in the higher areas, which are sharper-edged and more crystalline in appearance. Evidence of digging in the river bank is visible everywhere, so visitors are advised to choose an appealing place and heft the shovel. As the DFA is part of a working cattle station, fossickers need to be aware of wandering stock, and the fertilizer they leave in their wake.

Since 1968, the Australian Government has set aside ‘Designated Fossicking Areas’ throughout Australia that permit people to fossick for gemstones and gold. Most of these areas are on private land, and landholders allow people to hunt gems in these areas providing they do not interfere with farming activities. A fossickers license is required in Queensland whether the fossicker is using private land or digging in a designated fossicking area. These licenses can be bought online at the ‘Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy’ for around $75 AU (around $50 U.S.) for a year.

Visitors to the area will see the proof of many eager people having worked the top of the hill. This area produces lovely smoky quartz crystals, and the locals swear they have found
tourmaline here also.

If you have a 4WD and are not afraid to get it slightly battered, then the Blue Hills and McDonald Creek fields are the place to go. Being less accessible, not so much fossicking activity has taken place here as in other sites. The road was initially built for use by tin miners and kept in good condition. However, once
the tin mining declined, the constant use, no maintenance, and numerous wet seasons have made the road pretty rough – especially on the two jump-ups (short, steep rises).

These fields are where quality blue topaz can be found in the dry creek beds and by digging at the top of hills. Topaz crystals are also collected along the track toward the Six-Mile Creek area. Just walking over the ground that looks undisturbed is worthwhile for specking glints of topaz sitting on the soil surface, exposed by the elements.

The locals advise that moving a boulder and digging a little on the uphill side may bag you a gem, as topaz is weightier than the average creek gravel and tends to get lodged in back-wash crevices during flood events. A member of our family found a perfect aquamarine crystal here. It was sitting on the surface of the soil, catching her eye This crystal was since valued at between $1,200 and $1,800 as a rough specimen, all in a good day’s work!

The Difference Between Topaz & Diamonds

I mentioned to a Cairns geologist with whom I had previously worked that I was going fossicking at O’Brien’s Creek. He said, “Keep your eyes open for diamonds while you are there.” I asked, “How would you tell the difference between a diamond and a topaz?” His reply was, “You will certainly know the difference when you see it.”

That conversation reminded me of an incident that occurred when I worked as a GIS Officer (mapping) for an exploration company in Ravenshoe, North Queensland. A ‘tin scratcher’ came to the office to ask the geologists if a stone he had found might be a diamond?

Of course, everyone’s eyes lit up as we all gathered around the weather-beaten hand that held the find. Yes, though small, it was confirmed to be a diamond. The was suitably vague about where he had found it and replied, “out near Mt. Surprise.” That was in the late 1980s, and his words remained in the back of my mind since.

In 2016, while researching the history of tin miners who worked along Elizabeth and O’Brien’s Creeks, and Angor, a tin mining shantytown of the 1880s in the Mt. Surprise area, I came across a public company report that summarized all previous reports written for this region. It immediately caught my interest, and I admit to doing a little chicken dance around my office when the summary included reports of companies specifically looking for diamonds. The summary report was written in December 1993 by a consulting geologist for Northern Diamonds Pty Ltd. His report stated that up until 1993, 53 diamonds had been reportedly found in colors ranging from white to yellow. The sizes ranged from 0.3 carats to 5 carats, the latter being the largest noted.

During the 1980s, another geologist had contacted the people who had found the first 26 diamonds. He sent some of these to South Africa to be tested to determine their quality. The results were that they were certainly diamonds but not of top gem quality.

This was enough encouragement for exploration companies to continue to search the area of Elizabeth and O’Brien’s creeks until the late 1990s. Currently, diamond exploration is still relatively active in northern Queensland, especially in the Cape York goldfields region.

Discussing Origins of Diamonds

I questioned each geologist or miner I have spoken to about the area about where they thought the diamonds originate.

Confusingly, each geologist has a slightly different theory. The Cairns geologist said the Elizabeth Creek diamonds were formed as far away as the Palmer River in the Cape York area and migrated along the waterways. The consulting geologist who wrote the 1993 report speculated that they were local and traveled the Red River lineament. He stated that in his opinion, all the diamonds found up to that date ‘were associated with a 50km long relict Cretaceous placer, which parallels Elizabeth Creek’. He goes on to say, ‘The placer is characterized by well-rounded quartz pebbles known locally as ‘pigeon egg wash.’ We did find some of these ‘pigeon eggs’ on the top of a hill in the fossicking area, which may have journeyed along ancient paleochannels (riverbeds), and this speaks of significant geological upheaval activity.

The areas of Elizabeth and O’Brien’s Creeks are identified as being one of several relict Cretaceous mineralized river systems. The systems contain cassiterite, ilmenite, zircon, monazite, garnet, and gold. The Elizabeth Creek system is the only one to date known to potentially contain diamonds. Early mining reports reveal that before the1930’s, this area produced 376 tons of cassiterite from alluvium in creeks and gullies, and mining remained spasmodic until 1985 when the price of tin crashed.

The Elizabeth Creek system occurs as a semi-discontinuous group of sand ridges north of and parallels to the present Elizabeth Creek. The major alluvial workings in the area have been for cassiterite in the streams draining the sand ridges over its entire exposed length. The extensive basalt flows from the Undarra Cone to the east have touched this area on its southern boundary.

A word of warning here before venturing on a diamond-only search. Since 1976, only 53 diamonds have been reported as being found, though it is likely that some were not reported, or not immediately identified as being diamonds. The majority were sourced west of the fossicking area, but some came from O’Brien’s Creek within the DFA.

The diamonds in the fossicking area were found in the river bed of O’Brien’s Creek by tin miners and local people living in the area, who honestly believe there is the potential for more to be found. One local who has a Mineral Lease (ML) just outside the DFA, said that he found a diamond while working for a tin mining company in the 1980s.

Each trip to O’Brien’s Creek sees us bring home loads of unknown stones in the event they may be diamonds, as finding one, according to the locals, is entirely possible.

Most of our ‘treasures’ turn out to be chuckers (chuck them away) or leaverites (leave them right there), but it always surprises us when we wash these stones, and a considerable amount proves to be lovely topaz, sometimes blue. On the last trip, along with our aquamarine crystal, we found a small aquamarine chip by specking.

As our research suggests, diamonds have been found in ‘them thar hills’ and your chance of finding one is as good as the next person’s. As an added incentive for the relic-hunting readers, I found some R. Bell & Co match tins in the ruins of a tin mining camp in this area.

The harsh, hot climate makes short work of the temporary, low-cost living quarters the mining camps provided back in the mining heyday. Finding such a site, searching, and waving a metal detector proves there are interesting treasures to be found in the most unexpected places, and it is sad to see little bits of our history is being lost to the elements.

This story about hunting for Topaz and Diamonds appeared in a previous issue of Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe! Story and Photos by Jenni Clark & Leigh Twine.

The post Topaz & Diamond Hunting in Australia first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Helping With Choices

GIA-certified gemologists Lindsey Carr and Julie Walton Garland have not only studied the properties of gemstones, it’s their business to help customers make informed decisions when it comes to purchasing jewelry.

Carr, who is based in Redditch, UK, serves as an on-air host for the British television and online jewelry retailer, Gemporia. She is also an Applied Jewelry Professional (AJP). Carr notes that fewer diamonds are on the market because of sourcing difficulties and this is driving up prices. She also advises that people know some of the science behind the stone they are purchasing.

“You want to pay attention to a stone’s hardness, measured on a scale from one to 10. Gemstones that score below a seven require a little extra care and caution,” said Car.

Garland is the third-generation owner of Walton’s Antique and Estate Jewelry in Franklin, Tennessee. She points out that diamonds made in a lab and moissanite have become popular selections in recent years because you can own a larger carat weight for less, avoid potentially buying a conflict diamond and steer clear of the environmental issues associated with mining.

White Sapphire

While sapphires, like Montana sapphires, are best recognized in blue and pink shades, the white or clear variety also has a lot to offer the consumer. Sapphires are one of the four most sought-after precious gems (the others being diamonds, rubies, and emeralds). The stone is a variety of corundum, which is aluminum oxide, and is a nine on the Mohs Hardness Scale.

You can usually tell a white sapphire from a diamond because these stones process light by returning a silvery white-gray sparkle in the light, whereas diamonds have a rainbow-hued glint. Carr noted they can also have a cloudy, milky appearance compared to diamonds, particularly in big sizes.

Garland says wearing white sapphires daily can lead to them looking dull across the top and becoming susceptible to chips or scratches.

“The price gap between a diamond and a white sapphire is significant,” Carr said. “Some sources say that while a white sapphire of high quality (6mm in size) fetches around $730, a colorless diamond of the same size can cost $2,900 or more.”

White Zircon

Zircon (not to be confused with zirconium and cubic zirconium) is the oldest gemstone on earth: 4.4 billion years old. It is a mineral belonging to the group of nesosilicates and is a source of the metal zirconium. The colorless variety is known as “Matara” after a city in Sri Lanka near where it is found. Some of its most desirable shades include blue, red, yellow, green, pink, grey, purple, brown and orange.

“Because of their similarity to diamonds, it’s the only natural gem to come close to imitating a diamond,” Carr said. “High sparkle, luster, dispersion and refraction — everything I love about a diamond. It plays excellently with light, making it a brilliant, fiery gemstone.”

Garland echoed that sentiment, adding that zircon is known for its doubling effect, or double refraction, which is when a ray of light passes through the gemstone, is slowed, bent and split in two.

Sometimes, zircon is confused with the manmade stone cubic zirconia. Zircon can be brittle (its hardness is only 6-7.5). It should be worn with care to avoid scratches or chipping.

White Topaz

Topaz is a silicate mineral. The white, or clear hue, offers exceptional gleam and is one of the most affordable diamond alternatives – acarat of topaz costs less than $200. “I would choose a topaz over a laboratory-created gem any day of the week,” said Carr. While topaz is an eight on the Mohs scale, she points out that’s relative unless you understand how the ranking works.

“Diamond is a 10. In actuality, diamonds are really over six times harder than topaz,” she explains. “The stronger the refraction, the more brilliant the gemstone. Diamond has a refractive number of 2.42. Topaz is 1.64 — only a fraction in comparison to diamonds.”

Garland said topaz gradually loses its sparkle over time from scratches. White topaz is commonly used as an accent stone to encircle a usually pricier gem and will look like diamonds, minus the price tag.

Goshenite

Goshenite is a type of beryl, a gem known as “the mother of all gemstones” because beryl can be transformed into stones including emerald, morganite and aquamarine. It is composed of beryllium aluminum silicate.

“Beryl is notoriously going to have some inclusions; emerald is practically always included,” said Garland. “Black inclusions are more noticeable to the naked eye, but there can be colorless inclusions as well.”

It gets its name from Goshen, Massachusetts, one of the first areas where the stone was uncovered, but it can also be found in Brazil and Canada. Its hardness ranges from 7.5-8.

Garland said if you don’t plan to wear it at all times, it can make an excellent choice for special occasions. Carr agrees.

“It’s a rare stone,” Carr said. “My manager at work has a goshenite as an engagement ring and it looks incredible. And of course, you can get the bigger stones for a more affordable price.”

Quartz

Quartz is the least expensive diamond lookalike. It is made of silicon and oxygen. The quartz crystal is known as a power stone. The clear variety is considered a “master healer” that can increase energy and focus. Its colored varieties include: citrine, amethyst, rose quartz and smoky quartz.

Herkimer diamonds are designated the official state mineral of New York. They are naturally faceted (18 facets) quartz found in upstate New York. Herkimer diamonds share many physical properties attributed to quartz. They are almost always transparent and range from colorless (“water clear”) to smoky/ black. Many couples now travel to New York to dig their own “Herks” to use in engagement/wedding rings and in other jewelry pieces.

“It (quartz) is a great alternative to diamonds when faceted and they emit the most amount of light, making them appear more sparkly than they actually are,” Carr said.

She loves seeing topaz and quartz stones cut in non-traditional designs such as a snowflake or alpine. “Anything that has a little bit of difference, with loads of facets, those gemstones bring it to life,” she added.

It’s important to note large quartz stones have a glassy appearance.

Moissanite

Moissanite is the most popular diamond alternative on the market for engagement rings, and with good reason. On the Mohs scale, it’s a 9.25 to 9.50, is resistant to scratches and abrasion and greatly resembles diamonds, particularly to the untrained eye.

Moissanite is a rare mineral discovered by French chemist Henri Moissan in 1893 in a crater made by a meteorite that fell to Earth in Arizona. Its crystals are composed of silicon carbide. However, because natural moissanite is scarce, moissanite sold today is lab-created.

“Diamonds are always going to hold true to being the most suitable stone for everyday wear, but the next best choice in terms of durability and wear, would be moissanite,” Garland said. “It’s the best simulated, so it’s going to look the most like a diamond. It will be much less expensive too.”

Garland said it also refracts the light a little bit more than diamonds. While this intense sparkle is alluring to some, others feel it has a “disco ball” look, particularly in sunlight.

“Like white sapphire, moissanite is most often colorless, although it can be tinged with hints of yellow or green,” Carr added.

Cubic Zirconia

Cubic zirconia is the most readily available diamond simulate. Mass-produced, it’s often used in costume jewelry. It has a hardness of eight.

Cubic zirconia is a form of zirconium dioxide. Carr noted cubic zirconia can occur naturally, but never in amounts that can be used commercially. It is usually colorless and contains few if any inclusions. Jewelry using this stone will often be stamped “CZ.”

“If you’ve ever seen sterling jewelry with CZs set in it, worn all the time, it’s going to look kind of like it went through the disposal, in terms of getting a chipped, abraded surface,” Garland explained.

Carr said it requires repeated polishing to maintain its luster but can be a great diamond substitute for cocktail rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings.

Lab-Grown Diamonds

Lab-grown diamonds, sometimes called cultivated diamonds, are genuine stones formed above ground in a matter of weeks instead of below ground for millions or billions of years, using one of the following techniques:

• High Pressure, High Temperature

(HPHT): These diamonds are created in a lab using a growth chamber. A source of carbon dissolves in molten metal and carbon atoms travel through the metal to a small created or natural diamond seed to produce a diamond crystal.

• Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD):

This technique uses carbon-rich gas, such as methane, in a vacuum chamber. Methane gas breaks down into carbon and hydrogen atoms, which are deposited on diamond seeds to produce a square-shaped, tabular diamond.

Lab-grown diamonds are a 10 for hardness — just like natural diamonds. According to the Gemological Institute of America, the way diamonds grow (natural and manufactured) depends on the environment where they are grown.

• Natural diamonds grow outward on the octahedral faces.

• HPHT diamonds grow outward on the octahedral and cube faces.

• CVD synthetic diamonds grow mainly upward in one direction (a cube face).

Garland said the harder the gem, the better its durability and heirloom potential. These also tend to have a higher asking price.

“To me, something created in a lab is never going to stand up next to diamonds, in terms of quality,” she noted. “Lab diamonds became really popular a couple of years ago, but prices have plummeted as of late. Diamond will hold its value better than anything else.”

Whether you select white sapphire for its durability, moissanite for its sparkle, zircon or topaz for its brilliance, quartz for its low price, or lab-made stones for sustainability or cost reasons, these gems are sure to bring joy for years to come with the proper care.

This story about best diamond alternatives previously appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Sara Jordan-Heintz.

The post What’s the Best Diamond Alternative? first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

From Salad Dressing to Diamond

Salad dressing is remarkably versatile. Not only does it dress up salads, but it also doubles as marinade, dip, pasta sauce, or spread — even as a feedstock material for creating diamonds.

As an example of the latter, California’s Hidden Valley recently sent a few bottles of its popular, nationally marketed ranch dressing to a commercial diamond-synthesizing lab. The lab charred the creamy dressing, then converted the residue into the graphite form of carbon. After being subjected to a temperature of 2,500°F and a pressure of 400 tons per square inch, what had been salad dressing days earlier emerged as a synthetic diamond. After faceting, the glittering 2.01-carat, round brilliant gem sold at auction for $12,500.

Hidden Valley basked in a wave of publicity, even though the transformation of its salad dressing into a gem diamond was, from the scientific standpoint, nothing unusual.

Gem-quality diamonds have previously been synthesized from many carbon-rich materials, including peanut butter, motor oil, and even the cremation ashes of pets and family members.

From Alchemy to Science

Hidden Valley’s so-called “ranch-dressing diamond” is just the latest chapter in the long history of diamond synthesis. Medieval alchemists, intrigued by the beauty, rarity, exceptional hardness, and great value of diamonds believed that they consisted of magical material. They attempted to make diamonds by transmuting such materials as glass, quartz, and even ice.

Scientific efforts at synthesis began after 1797 when British chemist Smithson Tennant burned diamonds in oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, proving that diamonds consisted not of anything mystical, but simply of the element carbon.

Are Synthetic Diamonds Real – Making Diamonds

By the mid-1800s, researchers theorized correctly that the flat, hexagonal arrangement of graphite’s carbon atoms, if subjected to enough heat and pressure, could be forced into the cubic configuration of a diamond. Would-be diamond-makers — both serious researchers and get-rich-quick entrepreneurs — embarked on a succession of experiments that ranged from the scientifically logical to the woefully misguided.

At first, hopeful diamond makers used only high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) methods. But by the 1940s, scientists had also learned that the catalyzed breakdown of acetylene and other simple hydrocarbon gases at ambient temperatures and low pressures caused carbon atoms to condense as microscopic diamond particles, a process known as chemical vapor deposition (CVD).

The Breakthroughs

In 1952, researchers used CVD in the first documented case of diamond synthesis.

But because CVD initially produced only microscopically thin, polycrystalline layers rather than single, cuttable macrocrystals, the process received little public attention.

The following year, Swedish HPHT researchers succeeded in creating small, individual diamond crystals but kept their success a secret in hopes of being able to synthesize larger, gem-quality diamonds before disclosing their process.

Diamond synthesis finally made headlines in 1954, thanks to work conducted at the General Electric Research Laboratory in Schenectady, New York. Using the HPHT process and an enormous hydraulic press that generated 500 tons of pressure per square inch, GE researchers produced diamond macrocrystals. The announcement of this achievement made international news. It also caused the price of natural diamonds to plummet until GE repeatedly emphasized that its tiny, opaque synthetic diamonds were only industrial-grade and not gem-quality.

Gem-Diamond Synthesis

In 1971, GE produced the first HPHT, gem-quality, synthetic diamonds that were large enough to cut. The process, however, was not commercialized because production costs substantially exceeded the cost of mining natural diamonds. Over the following decades, synthesizing costs decreased steadily and researchers learned to make larger diamonds and even color them with chromophores such as nitrogen and boron.

Today, hundreds of commercial laboratories around the world create synthetic diamonds using both HPHT and CVD processes. Annual production of industrial-grade, synthetic diamonds for abrasive and cutting uses now tops 4.6 billion carats (roughly 3,000 tons) and accounts for 95 percent of the industrial diamond market.

About 100 tons (ww450 million carats) of gem-quality diamonds are now being produced annually. Synthetic diamonds account for nearly seven percent of the global diamond jewelry market. Their appeal is greatest among younger consumers who favor synthetic diamonds over mined diamonds for environmental and humanitarian reasons. But the biggest marketing advantage is, of course, affordability. Synthetic gem diamonds, which are visually indistinguishable from their natural counterparts, now cost as much as 75 percent less than comparable natural stones.

Somewhat surprisingly, synthetic gem-diamond demand is being driven not by jewelry use, but by high-tech industrial applications.

Diamond’s extraordinary heat-conducting properties make it an ideal heat-sink material to absorb and dissipate excess heat in electronic microchips.

The Future of Synthetics

Just how far gem-diamond-synthesis technology has progressed is uncertain. The field is very competitive and the many commercial variations of the HPHT and CVD processes are closely guarded, proprietary secrets.

Synthesizing technology is rapidly advancing not only in lower production costs but also in the increasing size of synthetic gem diamonds. Just recently, two faceted, 10-carat, synthetic diamond gems, one colorless, the other deep blue, sold for $420,000. The largest synthetic gem diamond produced thus far weighed more than 30 carats. Diamond synthesizers are confident that rough stones of 40 and perhaps even 50 carats are just around the corner.

The increasingly routine nature of making diamonds has prompted a standing joke among diamond synthesizers. Pointing out that it is no longer any great feat to make diamonds from materials like salad dressing, they wryly note that a much greater technical challenge would be to make salad dressing from diamonds.

This story about are synthetic diamonds real appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Steve Voynick.

The post Are Synthetic Diamonds Real? first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

It was 1983, he was in his early 30s, and it was a photograph of something he could only describe as “incredibly beautiful.” The picture’s subject was a Herkimer “diamond”, which is actually a doubly terminated quartz crystal. And Halleran was not only hooked but he was smitten.

“I’ve seen a lot of things in my 68 years, but I still have never seen anything quite like the first sign of a Herkimer diamond as it’s coming out of the ground,” Halleran said.

Evolution of a Herkimer “Diamond” Fan

To say he’s seen a lot may even be a bit of an understatement. As a military veteran, former owner and operator of a restaurant specializing in pizza, over-the-road truck driver through which he earned membership in the national Million-Mile Driver club, owner of thoroughbred horses, a husband, father, and rockhound, that’s a lot of roles in which to gain life experience.

Each step in the journey has had its purpose, even if he didn’t know it at the time, Halleran recalled. Now, after more than 30 years, he’s revisiting — in a big way — that early love, Herkimer diamonds.

Reviving a Passion for Herkimer Quartz “Diamond”

For the past several decades, he’s had a staggering collection of Herkimer specimens of a variety of shapes and colors, sitting in the basement of his home. To quantify staggering” it’s estimated to be 1.5 million carats of double-terminated quartz crystals. The crystals are named after a location where they are found, Herkimer County, New York and the surrounding area. However, New York is not the only place to find these quartz crystals. Examples have been discovered in Arizona, Norway, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, among other locales.

Many of the crystals in his collection were stored in buckets, and some in boxes, and all are the product of a passion for diamonds. It’s a passion that, at one time, led him to seek out digging adventures wherever he could. Whether that meant an entire day at the Herkimer Diamond Development, or a few minutes spent in a rut looking for geological treasures on the side of the highway in Utah. Among his most fond memories of the years, he spent actively digging for diamonds, were those he spent in the company of his fellow rockhounds.

“It was Big George, he was an engineer, and Diamond Jim, the school teacher, Boston Jimmy, a geologist, Pocket Dale, the philosopher, Edge 111, the author, and myself,” Halleran recalled. “We met in Field #2 at the Herkimer Diamond Development, and from there, we became friends and kind of a community of rockhounds.

“We each developed our own digging techniques, we’d share knowledge about the ancient seabed that was once the field, we’d discuss all sorts of topics, and a lot of the time after we’d spend the day digging, we’d go to Bev’s Diner, which was near the field, and we’d talk some more.”

Rockhounding Forms Lasting Memories

The “fellas of field number two” weren’t the only memorable people Halleran met and learned from during his years of prolific digging. Groups of children visiting the mine during school trips also had a big impact, he added. Halleran recalled one day in particular, when a busload of children arrived at the property, while Halleran and friends were prospecting. As the children came up, Halleran recalled, he put down his hammer and greeted the students who wore kid-size eye protection with small hammers in hand. A couple of the men used a prybar to lift a section of rock they had been working to break open, which revealed a cavity sparkling with crystals.

“The children were like a flock of seagulls swarming the rock, and we work to make sure each one was able to pick up one piece to put in their collection baggies — because each child was able to keep what they found.

“That was the greatest day I had in the mine.”

As happens in life, sometimes, the fellow rockhounds of the group each followed their paths, and ultimately the meetups became less, and as years have gone on, they’ve lost touch, and some have passed away, Halleran said. But, the memories are still there, he added. Those memories are part of what has come alive as he’s spent the last couple of years unpacking, sorting, and organizing the Herkimer diamonds of his collection.

To answer the question of why is he now unpacking the treasures he accumulated all those years ago, Halleran said, he’s not certain, except that he is.

Seeking to Share Herkimer Treasures With Others

“I wish I had some intelligent reason I could tell you as to why now, but I can only say NOW is the right time,” added Halleran, who has worked with Marcus Boehm to create a video about his collection, which can be found on his website, www.herkimerrockstar.com. View the video below…

During the process of organizing his collection, which he said has become like “mineral decor” in his home, he’s also decided it’s time to share some of these amazing items of nature with others. In addition to hoping to inspire others to appreciate Herkimer diamonds, Halleran hopes by sharing the story of how he came to have the collection, which he endearingly calls the “Herkimer Stardust” collection he can inspire others to explore the origins of these ancient treasures of nature.

“The greatest lesson from treasure hunting, mining, or playing with a pail and a shovel at the beach, is you tune into the oneness of nature,” Halleran said. “At first, you don’t see “it” or even maybe hear “it,” but one day you do, because nature has been there all along, we just need to pay attention.”

To view more examples of specimens in Halleran’s collection, visit www.herkimerrockstar.com.

This story about hunting Herkimer diamonds appeared in a previous issue of Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe! Story by Antoinette Rahn.

The post Hunting Herkimer Diamonds first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

What is Moldavite?

Moldavite is a type of tektite, a natural glass that is thought to have formed in the extreme heat and pressure of a meteoric impact. The term “moldavite” is locality-specific and refers only to tektites from the western Czech Republic and immediately adjacent areas.

Of all the various tektites, moldavite is by far the best-documented and most widely collected. It is named for the Czech town of Moldauthein, where it was first reported and studied in 1787.

Because it lacks both a crystalline structure and a definite chemical composition, moldavite is not a mineral, but a mineraloid. A mineraloid is a natural, mineral-like material.

Moldavite Facts

Moldavite has a Mohs hardness of 5.5-6.0, a specific gravity of 2.35, a vitreous luster, and a conchoidal fracture. It consists mostly of silica, along with varying amounts of water and the oxides of aluminum and iron. These small amounts of iron minerals create a characteristic bottle-green color. Moldavite is transparent to translucent with prominent, internal gas bubbles and swirl marks. Both chemically and physically, moldavite is somewhat similar to the natural volcanic glass obsidian.

Moldavite Origins

Moldavite was initially assumed to be either a form of obsidian or man-made glass. But in 1900, Austrian geologist Franz Eduard Suess observed that the unusual pitting on moldavite surfaces was similar to that found on the surfaces of meteorites. Suspecting that moldavite had solidified from a molten form and possibly had a cosmic origin, Suess coined the word “tektite,” from the Greek tektos, meaning “molten”.

Although most scientists agreed that moldavite was formed through meteoric impact, they lacked a “smoking gun” as proof. Then in 1960, a 15-mile-wide surface depression in southern Germany called the Nördlingen-Ries Crater, previously assumed to be volcanic, was determined to be of meteoric origin. Research indicated that the crater had been formed 14.4 million years ago by the impact of a mile-wide meteor traveling at about 45,000 miles per hour.

Researchers quickly correlated the site of the Nördlingen-Ries Crater with the scatter-pattern of known moldavite occurrences. This pattern begins near the crater, then trends eastward into the western part of the Czech Republic, where most moldavite occurrences have been reported.

Moldavite’s Cosmic Origins

Most researchers agree that moldavite consists of terrestrial matter that was originally high-silica sand and rock. They theorize that this material was instantly fused by the tremendous heat of the meteoric impact, then ejected into the atmosphere—possibly even into near-space—where it cooled, solidified and returned to Earth as moldavite.

Some researchers, however, suggest that moldavite may be of cosmic origin. They contend that, with proper atmospheric conditions, parts of the meteorite itself may have melted during entry, then scattered, solidified, and fallen to Earth separately from the main impact.

However, moldavite formed, its supply appears to be limited. Researchers estimate that no more than about 275 tons of moldavite ever existed. Because of dwindling recoveries, commercial moldavite collecting in the Czech Republic may end in as little as 10 or 20 years.

Moldavite and Diamonds

The meteor that created moldavite also left another surprise: diamonds. Geologists believe that a graphite deposit was also consumed during the impact. The enormous heat of the impact melted the graphite, which consists entirely of elemental carbon, while the extreme pressure enabled it to instantaneously recrystallize as diamond—as much as 80,000 tons of diamonds, all smaller than 0.2 mm. Interestingly, these diamonds ended up in sediments that later lithified into the sandstone used to construct many buildings in the nearby city of Nördlingen.

This story about what is moldavite previously appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story and photos by Steve Voynick.

The post What is Moldavite? first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

While we are not certain if Ms. Monroe ever stepped foot on the 37 1/2 acre Crater of Diamonds State Park in southwestern Arkansas, we like to believe she’d have found the experience to be a real thrill. 

Some of the reasons I’ve added Crater of Diamonds State Park to my must-visit list include:

• Wide open space for people of all ages to dig in the dirt — great option for socially distant fun

• The park’s “keep what you dig” policy

• It’s a hunt for diamonds, or as the Esteem team calls them “eroded volcanic remnants”, that takes place in the original volcanic source

Esteem Team’s Tip: Look for areas within the park where a good concentration of gravel exists for a better chance to find a diamond.

Throughout the Esteem Education Co. produced video, Park Ranger and Interpreter Waymon Cox, provides intriguing details about the park’s geological makeup and history, the average size of diamonds found at the park, and the crucially important wet sifting technique of Rocking, Tapping, and Turning. 

Enjoy a dig day at Crater of Diamonds State Park ….

Crater of Diamonds State Park is currently open daily. It is located at 209 State Park Rd., Murfreesboro, Arkansas. Dig tickets are required, and the cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children. 

Rock & Gem Tip: Be sure to reserve time to dig well in advance. Only 1,500 ticket-holder dig site visitors are allowed daily, and tickets sell out regularly. 

For more information about Crater of Diamonds State Park, visit the site, or call 870-285-3113.

Be sure to search our video library to enjoy more videos by Esteem Learning Co., and visit their YouTube channel >>>

The post Virtual Excursion: Crater of Diamonds State Park first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

The diamond is one fabled gemstone! For example, google “Hope Diamond” to see all the legends associated with just this one stone said to bring misfortune to its owners. So much lore has grown up around diamonds that it would fill the pages of this magazine for the rest of the year to capture even a portion. Jack Ogden wrote a book about this very topic, published in 2018, Diamonds: An Early History of the King of Gems. I’ll relate just two of the many facts—and fictions—Ogden explores, along with other myths and legends.

Per Ogden, diamond mining originated in India. Most specimens came from riverbeds, where they were found in gravel. The Valley of Gems was especially renowned, but there was a problem: it had sheer cliffs and was filled with poisonous snakes!

Legend says locals tossed meat into the valley. Eagles snatched up pieces along with diamonds that stuck to the meat. All that was left to do was collect diamonds from the eagles’ nests, although I’m not sure which is more daring: confronting poisonous snakes or a mad eagle!

Because they are the hardest of minerals, diamonds proved impossible to cut, so the earliest diamonds in jewelry were stones of a natural octahedral shape. Some preferred it that way. They claimed altering a diamond destroys its magic powers. Eventually, cleaving, shaping, and polishing methods were developed, but such methods were closely kept secrets and, as Ogden relates, rumors began to emerge. One was that diamonds could be cut, but only if soaked in goat blood!

Ancient Greeks thought diamonds protected against poison and evil, whereas Hindus thought a flawed stone could invite misfortune.

In general, diamonds were viewed as symbols of wisdom, self-confidence, and power, probably because only powerful rulers could afford them. Today, they are used in engagement rings to signify enduring love, and they mark 60th anniversaries or a “diamond jubilee.” If you were lucky enough to be born in April, a diamond is your birthstone!

Many more legends abound around diamonds in general and individual stones: the Hope Diamond, the Blue Diamond of the Crown, the Koh-i-Noor, the Shah Diamond, the Regent Diamond, the Cullinan I and II, the Tiffany Diamond, and the Sancy Diamond, among others. Some are famous for long histories and owners who have included sultans and slaves, kings and queens, industry titans and movie stars. Still others are infamous for legendary curses and daring thefts.

All photos courtesy Jim Brace-Thompson.

The post A Luxury Gem Steeped in Fact & Fable first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Seven-year-old Theo Gallegos has been interested in rocks, minerals, and fossils for three years now. Already active in 4-H as well as swimming, baseball, and soccer teams, his interest in rocks, in particular, was ignited when friends at school brought shiny specimens to share with his class. He started his collection right away thanks initially to gifts from his family. That collection now includes more than 250 specimens.

In addition to gifts from others, Theo enjoys going to gem shows to buy still more specimens on his own. He likes such shows because, in his words, “there are lots of cool things to do and lots of cool things to buy.” At shows, he loves the opportunity to talk with dealers so he can learn more about each rock that he’s interested in.

Show Attendance Opens More Doors

Speaking of shows, Theo joined the Sacramento Mineral Society in 2018 after going to the annual rock and gem fair they host in central California. In addition to the show, he has enjoyed their monthly meetings and the opportunity to earn badges via the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies Future Rockhounds of America badge program.

Theo also has had lots of fun at the club’s workshop, which is open to responsible members young and old. His favorite machine is the combo grinder and polisher because he likes turning rough specimens into cabochons that shine. In fact, that’s one of his major interests: collecting dirty, dull, and otherwise uninspiring unpolished stones and tumbling or polishing them to a fine shine to discover their inner beauty and bling!

Theo’s favorite rocks are semi-precious and precious gemstones because they are beautiful to look at. Among these, his favorite gemstone is opal, both because it’s his birthstone and because opals, in general, are valuable. He has three treasured opals in his collection: one pink and two white opals. Other favored specimens in his collection are polished obsidian, ruby, and topaz. He hopes one day to add precious emeralds and diamonds. Says Theo, “Rocks are great to study the history of the earth because everything is made up of minerals and elements. I think fossils and petrified things are interesting because they show creatures and plants that existed thousands or even millions of years ago.”

Theo recently went on a field trip to Mercer Caverns with his school and learned about formations like stalactites and stalagmites. He also has been to Marshall Gold Discovery State Historical Park to pan for gold, where, in addition to gold, he found garnets and pyrite at the bottom of his pan. Theo’s next trip will be to Black Butte Lake in northern California to seek and collect pieces of jasper. (As someone with wonderfully colorful Black Butte jasper in my collection, I can assure him that he won’t go away disappointed.) Theo believes his home state of California is the best place to live because that’s where the 49er gold rush took place and because there are so many places near Sacramento to collect rare, special, and valuable rocks.

Future Aspirations and Advice

Theo hopes to become a gemologist because of his love of rocks and gems. Says Theo, “I

want to study and work with precious gems. I would love to go to Africa to find diamonds and other kinds of valuable rocks!”

For his latest birthday, Theo got a rock tumbler. He loves to get the dirt off his rocks and polish them to bring out their best, shiny potential. Says Theo, “The rocks I want in my future collection are diamonds, amethyst, rubies, emeralds, opals, turquoise, and a big crystal ball.”

Theo’s advice to fellow budding rockhounds? “Get out there! Head into the streambeds, caves, and caverns, where all these amazing and beautiful rocks and minerals are found in nature.”

He also urges fellow juniors to interact with experienced adult rock collectors and to read books so that they can learn about all the things of beauty and bling still to be discovered and explored on our wonderful Earth!

The post Spotlight on Juniors: Theo Gallegos first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.