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- đź’Ž You'll break your teeth on this fruity gem
đź’Ž You'll break your teeth on this fruity gem
Hello rockhound,
Another busy week of rockhounding has wrapped up and there is a ton to share!
This week we cover
A fruity gem you don’t want to miss
My favorite car accessory for rockhounds
A fitting find from Detroit
The road to hell
Much more!
Happy rockhounding!
Keith
A little sparkle to start
This is an incredible Watermelon Tourmaline! It shouldn’t surprise you that it gets its name from its unique appearance. No other gem looks like a slice of watermelon, with a pink center and green outer layer.
Tourmaline crystals grow in igneous and metamorphic rocks, often alongside minerals like quartz and feldspar. As the crystal forms, changes in the chemical environment cause different colors to appear in distinct layers. The pink color comes from manganese, while the green is due to iron or chromium.
It’s a truly unique crystal that is even more stunning in person.
A Quick Recommendation
With all the rain we’ve been getting there are a LOT of mushroom out there! Nothing beats finding some beautiful rocks AND lunch in the same place!
Getting started can be a bit daunting though since you really need to know what mushrooms you can eat and the best spots to find them. Shroomer’s newsletter (see the button below) was a great start for me.
Check it out if you want to learn more about local mushrooms and how to prepare them.
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Other people won’t understand….
Anyone else’s truck come with a rock holder?
Find of the week
This week’s find is a little different from what we usually show. You might be asking yourself “what the heck is that”?
I wouldn’t blame you.
This is actually a bit of a joke and it’s called “Fordite”. Also known as Detroit agate, it’s a unique and colorful material formed from layers of old automotive paint.
It originated in car factories where vehicles were hand-sprayed. Over time, excess paint would build up on surfaces and fixtures in the spray booths, creating hardened, layered deposits.
These layers were repeatedly baked in ovens, just like the cars, resulting in a durable, multi-colored material. When these paint layers were cut and polished, they revealed vibrant patterns reminiscent of natural gemstones.
Not “natural” but it doesn’t look to different from some agates I’ve seen!
Send me photos of your rocks and minerals!
I want to see what you’re finding and adding to your collection! Send me photos of the rocks and minerals that you’re discovering in your rockhounding journey or bought and added to your collection so I can share it with the community.
Send your best photos and descriptions to [email protected] or just reply to this email!
Geology Highlights
There are a lot of crystals out there and most of them don’t have much value beyond sentimental. However, there are some that are worth BIG bucks.
These are the most expensive crystals on earth, some of which are pretty surprising.
Earth Enigmas
Each week we ask a fun trivia question here. We’ll share the answers and the community responses for everyone to read next week. Show off your rockhounding chops!
Here are the results from last weeks question of “Agates are most commonly found in which type of rock formations?”.
As you can see, there was a pretty even split among sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks and then the majority of you choose “all of them”.
The correct answer however is that Agates are most commonly found in Igneous rock. They can be found in all of them but are most commonly found in Igneous. Great guesses!
This week I have a question for you:
When you are buying rocks and minerals for your collection, where do you most commonly buy them? |
Geology highlights
Would you venture down there???
Descending the winding trail at Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico feels like stepping into another world. The trail, known as the "road to hell," plunges visitors into the darkness of the main cavern.
Formed from an ancient fossil reef, Carlsbad Caverns also feature a variety of marine fossils.
Rockhounding
This is the kind of find that is possible when you’re digging through road cuts!
These rockhounds were digging around when they came across a monster Rhodonite and Jasper find.
I don’t know if I could haul it back myself but where there’s a will there’s a way!
Geology Highlights
Amethyst is easily one of my favorite things to hunt for. It’s surprisingly common in a lot of places and is absolutely beautiful.
It’s no surprise it’s such a sought-after gem.
We’ve put together a great guide that can help you identify where you can find it near you!
Geology highlights
Pamukkale in Turkey, known as the "cotton castle," features stunning white terraces formed by mineral-rich thermal springs. The ancient city of Hierapolis sits atop this natural formation.
The terraces are made of travertine, deposited by hot spring waters that cascade down the mountainside. These thermal pools, with temperatures up to 100°C, have been attracting visitors since antiquity.
Geology highlights
Whether you’re finding amethyst in the field or buying a piece for your collection you need to be able to ID the real stuff. There are a lot of fakes out there as well as other rocks that can look like amethyst.
We’ll show you how to identify the real deal and spot any fakes that might come along.