What “Gem Quality” Actually Means
Quick answer: “Gem quality” means a stone is transparent or attractive enough, free enough of cracks and inclusions, and durable
Zeolites: The Minerals with Empty Space Built In
Quick answer: Zeolites are minerals whose crystal structures are full of tiny tunnels and cages, which hold loosely bound water
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Schorl: The Black Tourmaline Hiding in Half the World’s Granite
Quick answer: Schorl is the black, iron-rich member of the tourmaline group and makes up the vast majority of all
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Why Amethyst Fades in Sunlight
Quick answer: Amethyst fades in sunlight because its purple color comes from color centers: iron atoms in the quartz altered
How a New Mineral Officially Becomes a Mineral
Quick answer: A new mineral becomes official only after the International Mineralogical Association’s Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification
Feldspar: The Most Common Mineral on Earth, and Nobody Collects It
Quick answer: Feldspar is the most abundant mineral group in Earth’s crust, making up roughly half of it. The group
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Parcel or Single Piece? What Buying Minerals by the Lot Actually Gets You
Quick answer: Buying minerals by the parcel (a lot) gets you more pieces for the money than buying singles, usually
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Dogtooth, Nailhead, and Rhomb: Calcite’s Three Famous Shapes
Quick answer: Calcite forms three classic crystal shapes: dogtooth (pointed scalenohedrons that look like canine teeth), nailhead (flat-topped crystals shaped
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How a Tumbled Stone Is Made: Four Weeks in a Barrel
Quick answer: A tumbled stone is made by rotating rough stones in a barrel with water and progressively finer abrasive
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Apatite: The Mineral Your Teeth Are Made Of
Quick answer: Apatite is a calcium phosphate mineral, and one form of it, hydroxyapatite, is the main mineral in human