This post (with a couple of updates at the end) is from 2018. Mantle gems include diamonds and peridots. These form under intense heat and
Category: Ooh . . . Shiny!
Repost: Zabargad: Island of Green Stones
What do former Russian royals and the Red Sea have in common?
Gems, of course–in particular, one famous peridot plus a few smaller ones. All of these stones came from Zabargad Island in the Red Sea.
Guest Video: Amber, Ethics, and Lifelines
Just because you can, does it mean you should? In Myanmar, scientists are finding some incredible dinosaur fossils preserved in local amber, but there is
Guest Video: Natural vs. Imitation New Mexican Turquoise
Turquoise made headlines recently when researchers discovered that Mesoamericans had more than one source for this gem that they valued highly. Not all of it
Guest Video: How to Carve A Gem
Here is more information on carnelian, which is very close to chalcedony. Featured image: Source, public domain. (Thank you, Metropolitan Museum of Art and Wikipedia!)
Guest Video: The Diatomist
I came across diatoms and radiolarians–tiny little sea creatures–while looking up the history of climate change over the span of geologic time that cats and
