Rock Talk Library
Read about iridescent Fire Agates, Dinosaurs, the Dugway Geode Beds, Petrified Wood, Devil's Slide and much more! You may want to bookmark the Rock Talk Library to come back again and again!
The Legend of Leaverites
According to one rock shop Leaverite is the most common of all stones. Some are even more than four billion years old. It generally cannot be used for much because of its ugly nature. These stones are said to be so ugly that only mother earth could love them. They are truly the lonliest stones
New Crested Duck-Billed Dinosaur Helps Reveal Mexico’s Ancient Past
University of Utah paleontologists this morning announced the discovery of a new dinosaur species, a creature with a duck-like bill and a hatchet-shaped head. This development stems from the discovery of a 72 million-year-old specimen, in the early 1990s in the northcentral Mexican state of Coahuila. The discovery helps reveal what Mexico was like in
Metal Smithing — Is it Dangerous??
Safety First Metal Smithing – Is it Dangerous?? Written by: Don Monroe Students in my beginning silver classes often ask if the class is dangerous. The answer to that question can be both yes and no. If you listen to the instructions given by the instructor, it is very unlikely that any sort of
Nifty Rockhound Bumper Sticker Slogans
Love a Geologist – Feel your earthquake Love a Faceter – They’re a cut above the rest Love a Mineralogist – but don’t take them for Granite Love a Paleontologist – but be aware, they collect old, dead things. I collect rocks too! – Diamonds, rubies, topaz, emeralds… Amateur Paleontologist – Professional Rock Collector Amateur Mineralogist –
Obsidian
In the Black Rock Desert, Millard County Geologic information: Approximately 2.5 million years ago (late Tertiary Period), volcanic eruptions in the Black Spring area of the Black Rock Desert in western Utah spewed out the volcanic rocks rhyolite, pumice, and obsidian. Obsidian is a dark-colored volcanic glass formed when molten lava cools quickly. It is usually
Oddities of the Mineral Kingdom
ITACOLUMITE: the rock that bends. It will bend and when turned over will bend in the opposite direction. No known practical use has been found for this bend rock, but it is a source of gold and some diamonds in Brazil and India. It is also found near clay with diamonds in it in these countries. Itacolumite is a
Petrified Wood
The process of petrification of wood is still not well understood by scientists. In spite of many attempts, man has not been able to duplicate this process in the laboratory. HOW DOES WOOD PETRIFY? Wood (or other plant parts) must first be covered with such agents as ash from erupting volcanos, by volcanic mud flows,
Prevent Mosquito Bites
Source: Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) A single mosquito bite can make you sick. Why take a chance? Use repellent on yourself, your friends and your family. Many people who are bitten by an infected mosquito won’t get sick—many others aren’t as lucky. Since 1999, more than 30,000 people in the United States
Pseudomorphs
By: Chris Fite, TRMS member Info from the book, Mineralogy for Amateurs, written by John Sinkankas, 1964 PSEUDOMORPH…the word is Greek, “pseudo” means false, “morph” means shape. A PSEUDOMORPH rock or mineral or crystal has the shape of another mineral instead of its normal shape. Most Limestone is not in the shape of an animal
Rare Complete Dino Skeleton Offered at NY Auction
New York ~ A bit of the Jurassic era will go on sale this weekend when a gallery auctions off a rare, 150-million-year-old complete skeleton of a dinosaur. The fossil of the 9-foot-long dryosaurus could bring up to $500,000, according to Josh Chait, who runs the I.M. Chait Gallery in Manhattan. The skeleton is being