Quick answer: Start a crystal collection with affordable, well-documented natural specimens of classic minerals, such as quartz, amethyst, calcite, and
Starting a Crystal Collection: 8 Affordable Pieces Worth Buying First Read Post »
Quick answer: Dyed crystals show color concentrated in cracks, pits, and drill holes. Heated stones show unnatural color patterns, such
How to Tell If a Crystal Is Dyed, Heated, or Coated Before You Buy Read Post »
Quick answer: Clean most hard crystals (quartz, amethyst, agate) with lukewarm water, mild soap, and a soft brush, then air-dry
How to Clean and Store Rock, Crystal, and Mineral Specimens Without Ruining Them Read Post »
Quick answer: Hematite (Fe2O3) and goethite (FeO(OH)) are iron oxide minerals that color much of the world’s red and yellow-brown
Hematite and Goethite: The Iron Minerals Behind Georgia’s Rainbow Rocks Read Post »
Quick answer: Lepidolite is a pink to purple mica that contains lithium. It was named in 1792, from the Greek
Lepidolite: The Pink Mica Named Before Anyone Knew It Held Lithium Read Post »
Quick answer: Chrysocolla and shattuckite are both blue-green copper silicates that form in the weathered zones of copper deposits and
Chrysocolla and Shattuckite: Two Blue-Green Copper Minerals Often Mistaken for Turquoise Read Post »
Quick answer: Petrified wood is a tree that turned to stone without losing its shape. After rapid burial in sediment
Petrified Wood: A Tree That Became a Rock Without Losing a Single Ring Read Post »
Quick answer: Azurite is a deep-blue copper carbonate that slowly converts to green malachite, a related copper carbonate with more
Quick answer: Milky quartz is ordinary quartz turned white by countless microscopic fluid-filled bubbles trapped as it grew, which scatter
Milky Quartz: The Everyday Crystal Hiding Inside New Hampshire Granite Read Post »
Quick answer: Ohio’s honey-gold calcite comes from cavities in ancient dolostone exposed in northwestern Ohio quarries, including those around Weston
Ohio’s Honey-Gold Calcite: A Classic Midwest Crystal Find Read Post »
