Who doesn’t love the variety of shapes and beauty of rocks and crystals? Well, obviously you do, if you are here visiting our website!!
I’m always researching and learning about how rocks form, what makes minerals distinct from one another, and interesting tips to identifying pesky rocks I’ve collected but just can’t figure our what they are!
We are all about educating here at DGMS, so we thought we’d share some interesting facts about one aspect of rock identification – CRYSTAL HABIT!!
In mineralogy, crystal habit is the characteristic external shape of an individual crystal or crystal group. A single crystal’s habit is a description of its general shape and its crystallographic forms, plus how well developed each form is.
All photos are from my personal collection and all descriptions are from www.Geology.com
May is here, so here’s a post with a few fun facts about this month’s birthstone EMERALD (along with some horribly photoshopped pics… included free of charge)!
Emerald is one of the most beloved and precious gemstones found throughout recorded history. They are referenced in several of the major religious texts including the Bible, the Koran, and the Veda. Mentions of Emeralds go as far back as ancient Babylon 4000 years ago.
One of the oldest Emerald mines was rediscovered recently in Egypt near the Red Sea. Although it doesn’t produce quality gems now, it was originally operated by the famed Cleopatra, they were one of her favorites!
The earliest reference to Emeralds in western literature is by the Greek philosopher Aristotle. He admired the stone and wrote about it’s abilities to help a person influence business and legal situations. He also believed they assisted with victory in trials and soothing one’s eyesight.
And can’t forget a more current Pop Culture reference from the book and movie “The Wizard of Oz”. I mean, come on, THE EMERALD CITY!!!
“Even with eyes protected by the green spectacles, Dorothy and her friends were at first dazzled by the brilliancy of the wonderful City. The streets were lined with beautiful houses all built of green marble and studded everywhere with sparkling emeralds. They walked over a pavement of the same green marble, and where the blocks were joined together were rows of emeralds, set closely, and glittering in the brightness of the sun. The window panes were of green glass; even the sky above the City had a green tint, and the rays of the sun were green.” The Wonderful Wizard of Oz L. Frank Baum
Throughout history, Emeralds have been associated with Love and Relationships. It was said that if your lover was faithful, it would glow bright green, but if they strayed, it would turn a lifeless color.
Some believe they can turn negativity into positive energy, and promote kindness, trust, and harmony.
A piece of raw Emerald in Matrix (from my personal collection)
Bill Henderson has photographed all of the Fluorescent Minerals which belong to the DGMS Club. These are the minerals which Milton displayed at the annual DGMS show.
You know Bill’s photography. He is able to capture specimens and bring every detail into focus. He does this by making 20 to 80 photos of each mineral specimen and then using a “stacking” program to make the beautiful photo you see. Bill photographed each specimen in white light and in fluorescent light (both long wave and short wave at the same time).
Bill also has all of these images available on CD for your own personal use.
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