Photos by Stephanie Reed
Two Show-Me Rockhounds members who are very much in love took a trip to Hot Springs, AR. While they were there they stopped at a rock shop, of course, and these carved hearts caught their attention. Stephanie was drawn to the gray and black petrified wood heart because she thought it looked like a charcoal drawing. David was drawn to the blue sodalite heart because the blue color reminded him of lapis.
What kind of rocks catch your attention, and why?
Photo by Egen Wark
Reposted from our friend Mineralogy on Google+: Vanadinite is a lead chlorovanadate characterized by red to red-orange hexagonal crystals. It is a secondary mineral found in the oxidized zone of lead deposits resulting from the alteration of vanadiferous sulfides and silicates. A member of the apatite group, vanadinite forms a solid-solution series with its phosphate (pyromorphite) and arsenate (mimetite) analogues. It was first discovered in Mexico in the 19th century and is prized by collectors due to its distinctive color.
If you like the photo and writeup, check out Mineralogy’s Google+ page and follow them.
Photo by Stephanie Reed
Some thunder eggs from the personal collection of David Reed. The largest one has purple amethyst crystals on the inside. It was originally from the collection of the late David White, who lovingly polished it by hand to a reflective shine. The medium one is from Oregon. The smallest one is a slab cut from a thunder egg and was from the Show-Me Rockhounds gift exchange.
Ex. J. Vorpahl Mineral Collection, http://www.themineralgallery.com/rhodoroom.htm
This gorgeous crystal specimen is perfect for Christmas! It has red rhodochrosite crystals on a green matrix (green pyrite?), with pale lavender fluorite cyrstals that look like little snowdrifts. From Steve’s Pocket, Fluorite Raise, Sweet Home Mine, Alma, Colorado.
Rob Lavinsky, http://www.irocks.com/minerals/specimen/9080
What is a reindeer’s favorite copper sulfate mineral? Antlerite! Antlerite is named after the Antler Mine in Arizona, but was more often found in Chuquicamata Mine in Chile. That mine has been closed, so antlerite is pretty rare now. This is a close-up of a specimen from the Chuquicamata Mine measuring 7.4 x 3.8 x 2.2 cm.
Rob Lavinsky, http://www.irocks.com/minerals/specimen/9080
The whole plate, with fingertips included for scale.
Happy Thanksgiving! To whet your appetite for dinner, here are some pictures of rocks and minerals that look like food. This is a traveling exhibit, so maybe it will be at a rock show near you.
Bill and Lois Pattillo: http://rockfoodtable.com/index.html
Start off with a tasty fruit salad.
Bill and Lois Pattillo: http://rockfoodtable.com/index.html
The main course: ham, a yam, and lima beans.
Bill and Lois Pattillo: http://rockfoodtable.com/index.html
Cherry cheesecake for dessert.
Bill and Lois Pattillo: http://rockfoodtable.com/index.html
The whole spread.
Smiley face agate photo by Cobalt123 from https://flic.kr/p/dVdpEA
An agate dressed up for Halloween, hanging out at the Tucson Rock and Gem Show 2013. Thanks for following us all the way through Agate Month and learning all about these beautiful minerals!
If you’d like to see a list of even more types of agates, go here: http://stoneplus.cst.cmich.edu/agate.htm
Photo by Jerry Schaber at http://www.agateoftheworld.com/timan2.html
Shadow agates are hard to photograph, because it’s more of an effect. When you move shadow agates back and forth, you can see deep, dark areas that appear to move. They look like they are deep inside the stone.
These aren’t technically types of agate according to Mindat, but sometimes they will be described this way in rock shops or on rockhound websites. And these pictures are so great I couldn’t possibly pass them up. An agate with red, orange, or yellow plumes in just the right arangement can be called a flame agate, because it looks like fire.
Photo by Vítězslav Snášel from http://www.mindat.org/photo-114774.html
Frost agate describes the cracked finish on these beads (again, it’s not a mineralogical term). They can also be called cracked agate. The frost effect is heightened when they are blue. Whatever they are, I would totally wear earrings made with these beads.
Cloud agates look like they contain clouds. They can have a gray or transparent matrix and the inclusions are usually white and foggy to look like clouds. The one on the left has a bit of a drusy effect which makes it look like a puffy cumulus cloud. The cloud agate on the right has a blue “cloud” inside. The North Lincoln Agate Society has given its friend some googly eyes.
Show-Me Rockhounds Kansas City 