Tag: minerals
Myrickite Mineral Beware!
Myrickite is a local variety of agatized or opalized chalcedony. The agatized variety has a Mohs-scale hardness of seven. The opalized form has a...
How Does Neptunite Form?
Named for the Roman Sea God, Neptunus, neptunite is often found with California State’s official gem mineral benitoite, such a bright blue gem that...
Exploring the Peridot Mesa Gem Mine
One of the richest and largest sources of peridot in the world is located in the heart of the San Carlos Apache tribal lands...
What Minerals Make Paint Colors?
What minerals make paint colors? Have you ever wondered where some of the weird names on crayons and paints come from — Burnt Sienna,...
Cerussite: A Stunning Secondary Mineral
Cerussite is a transparent to translucent secondary mineral. When colorless, high lead content gives it brilliant luster and makes it the heaviest of all...
What is Bauxite?
What is bauxite? It is the sole ore of aluminum (13th on the Periodic Table of Elements), the basis of a multi-billion-dollar-mining industry, and...
Wulfenite-Mimetite: A Breathtaking Combo
Wulfenite-mimetite specimens from Mexico’s San Francisco mine in Sonora are among the most beautiful in the world.
It's my favorite and I admit to being...
Meet Willemite a Fluorescent Beauty
Meet willemite (Zn 2SiO 4), a zinc silicate mineral that responds to ultraviolet excitation so well that it will sometimes glow for over a dozen...
Exploring How Pegmatites are Formed
Exploring how pegmatites are formed is important because they are often the most beautiful and eye-catching mineral specimens. The pegmatite minerals we admire are...
Weird Words: Dendritic
By Jim Brace-Thompson
Editor’s Note: Please enjoy this unique vocabulary lesson via our R&G Kids column.
Mineralogists have a habit of taking a simple concept and...
