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Rock Talk
- Join Us on the Rock Net Discussion Group and Message Forum for Rockhounds!
Rock Trader Classifieds
- Check Out These Free, Form Accessible Classified Ads for Rockhounds!
US Club List
- An Extensive Listing with Contact Info for Over 900 Mineralogical, Lapidary, Fossil and Just About Anything to Do with Rocks Clubs in the United States.
Hey Rockhounds - Check Out This Outstanding Value:
The Photo-Atlas of Minerals DVD V2.0
New Low Low Price - Now Only $19.95 !!!
Order The Photo-Atlas of Minerals DVD
Version 2.0 DVD-ROM for Windows
Sample Photo-Atlas DVD Screens:
Formerly sold at $59.95, the Photo-Atlas of Minerals DVD is simply the most comprehensive mineral reference available. It principle features include:
- Nearly 16,000 high-resolution mineral specimen images
- Mineralogical data for all known mineral species (over 4,100)
- Mineral specimen images from over 3,500 localities
- Users can add their own images
- Comprehensive descriptive mineralogical and crystallographic data
- Audio mineral name pronunciations
- Origins of mineral names
- Mineral name synonyms and varieties
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- Searchable by properties, locality, chemistry, etc.
- User controlled crystal form drawings
- User controlled atomic structure drawings
- Includes both Dana & Strunz mineral classifications
- Glossary of mineral terms
- Users can print the mineral images and data
- Generates random and user defined slide shows
- Includes a mineral identification game
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Greetings from Tucson
- Our Shows, Museums, Clubs, Rock Shops, and Other Attractors
Alone No More
- Martian Meteorite ALH84001 Harbinger of Extraterrestrial Life
- Check out Bob's Martian Touchdown - A Rockhound's Cosmic Encounter with Three Extraterrestrials
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| Opportunity Rover Mission Updates: |
| November 05, 2009: |
Five Drives |
| October 29, 2009: |
Southbound Progress |
| October 21, 2009: |
A Meteorite Called 'Mackinac' |
| October 15, 2009: |
Finished with 'Shelter Island' |
| October 7, 2009: |
Opportunity Knocks with Another Meteorite Find |
| September 29, 2009: |
Westbound Around Risky Region |
| September 23, 2009: |
Milestone 11 |
| September 17, 2009: |
Departing Block Island |
| September 8, 2009: |
Circling the Meteorite |
| September 2, 2009: |
Fires in California Affect Operations |
| August 26, 2009: |
Meteorite Examination Continues |
| August 19, 2009: |
More Targets at 'Block Island' |
| August 12, 2009: |
Examining 'Block Island' |
| August 6, 2009: |
Meeting a Meteorite |
| Spirit Rover Mission Updates: |
| November 05, 2009: |
Dealing with Flash Access |
| October 29, 2009: |
Amnesia-like Symptoms Return |
| October 21, 2009: |
Antenna Back to Normal Use |
| October 15, 2009: |
In X-Band Fault Mode |
| October 7, 2009: |
Busy with Antenna Brake Testing and Underbelly Imaging |
| September 29, 2009: |
Intermittent Problem with Antenna Brake |
| September 22, 2009: |
Progress on Antenna Actuator |
| September 16, 2009: |
Diagnostics on Antenna Actuator |
| September 8, 2009: |
Examining Target 'Olive Leaf' |
| September 2, 2009: |
Sky Clearer at 'Troy,' Smoky at JPL |
| August 26, 2009: |
Regional Dust Storm |
| August 19, 2009: |
More than 2,000 sols |
| August 12, 2009: |
Deeper Look into Soil Targets |
| August 6, 2009: |
Illumination Experiment and Other Studies |
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Rocks in the News
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- Volcanoes To Split Africa: Two volcanic eruptions in September 2005, which produced a 60-kilometre split in north-eastern Ethiopia, have enabled scientists to further examine the earth's tectonic movements.
- Martian Mud: Martian water most likely flowed as slurries of mud rather than trickling streams.
- What If There Is No Dark Matter?: The prevailing view holds that dark matter contributes five times as much to the mass of the universe as ordinary matter does.
- Last European 'Duck-billed' Dinosaurs Lived In Iberian Peninsula : A few million years before the catastrophic event that led to the extinction of dinosaurs, several species of hadrosaurs coexisted in the Iberian Peninsula.
- Seafloor Fossils Provide Clues To Climate Change: Known as foraminifera, these complex little shells of calcium carbonate can tell you the sea level, temperature, and ocean conditions of Earth millions of years ago. That is, if you know what to look for.
- Male Sabertoothed Cats Were Pussycats: Despite their fearsome fangs, male sabertoothed cats may have been less aggressive than many of their feline cousins.
- More Support For Human Role In Chinese Quake: When the Wenchuan earthquake killed some 80,000 people in southwest China in May of last year, suspicion immediately fell on the reservoir behind the nearby Zipingpu Dam.
- Pushing Earth With A Breath Of Air: Atmospheric tides can nudge landslides along.
- The Mountains That Froze The World: The rise of the Appalachians plunged Earth into an ice age so severe that it drove nearly two-thirds of all living species extinct.
- Signature Of Antimatter Detected In Lightning: Designed to scan the heavens thousands to billions of light-years beyond the solar system for gamma rays, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has also picked up shocking vibes from Earth.
- Banded Rocks Reveal Early Earth Conditions: Called banded iron formations or BIFs, these ancient rocks formed between 3.8 and 1.7 billion years ago at what was then the bottom of the ocean. The stripes represent alternating layers of silica-rich chert and iron-rich minerals like hematite and magnetite.
- Asteroid Is Actually A Protoplanet: "Arizona Sized" Pallas is in the gray area between a large asteroid and a small planet.
- Moon Impact: NASA Plays Down Lack Of Fireworks: Observers don't see debris plume, but LCROSS scientists press onward.
- Moon Crash Delivers No Obvious Plume: The one-two punch of crashing a booster rocket and its mother craft near the moon's south pole didn’t kick up dramatic and visible plumes as hoped, but scientists report that the mission had gathered enough data to tell whether the crater contains frozen water.
- Archaeopteryx Was Not Very Bird-Like: The raptor-like Archaeopteryx has long been viewed as the archetypal first bird, but new research reveals that it was actually a lot less "bird-like" than scientists had believed.
- New Planet-Finder Shows Its Power: The first results are in from the Kepler orbiting observatory, the world's most powerful planet-searching telescope.
More Rocks in the News
Letters to the Editor
- Say NO to Akaka Governed Public Land: A bitter legislative battle is raging over collecting fossils on public lands.
Chambers Fit For A Queen - A Quest For English Ammonites
- Rock&Gem Feature Article
- More Rock&Gem Online Features:
- A Day in the Life of a Gemologist
- Into the Caves - "California's Underground" at the Oakland, California Museum
- Bingham Canyon Copper - Finding Chalcopyrite at "The Richest Hole on Earth"
- Rockhound in Greece - A Great Destination for Geology... and Humanity
- Honoring Mr. Jones - Our Senior Editor Gets What He Deserves
- Faceting Fascinates - With an Experienced Guide, You, Too, Can Bring Gemstones to Life!
- Tonopah and Goldfield - They Were the Hub of Nevada's Gold Rush
- Agates from the Land of Pumas and Craters
- Mexico's Mystery Stone
- A Lesson in Channel Work
- New England Pegmatites: They Have Been Mined Since America's Earliest Days
- Turquoise: Blue Sky...Blue Stone
- Faceting by Hand: Jack Lahr's Lap-Lap Relies on Primitive Power
Rock&Gem Magazine Article Search
- Search Back Issues for Articles with Topics of Interest
- Rock&Gem Writer's Guidelines
Rock&Gem Magazine Show Calendar
- An Extensive List of Upcoming Gem and Mineral Shows
- Submit Your Own Club's Show for Publication in Rock&Gem Magazine
Rock&Gem Craftsman of the Month Contest
- Got a Pet Project Your're Proud of and Want to Show Off?
- Win and Rock&Gem Magazine will Feature Your Work and Throw in a Dremel Tool to Boot
- Entry Details - Browse the Current and Prior Contest Winners
Subscribe to Rock&Gem Magazine
- Enjoy and Learn from Rock&Gem Magazine for less than $1.00 per Issue!
- Need to Change Your Address for a Rock&Gem Magazine Subscription?
Software for Rockhounds
- Mineral Database and Identification Software: Photo Atlas of Minerals - Lithos - MinSearch - MDI Mineral Database - Geolib - Topaz - Minrls - Digital Rockhound's Companion
- Freeware Screen Savers for Rockhounds: Tucson Show V2001 - Grand Hikes - Minerals V1.0
- Freeware Faceters Companion CD!: Featuring Over 250 Faceting Patterns
- GemCad: Gemstone Design Software
- Ososoft Mineral Label: Freeware Specimen Labeling Software for Rock Collectors!
- RockWare Freeware: Erupt - GeoTrig - Mineral Mastery - Seismic - Magnetic
- Freeware Mars Map: High Resolution Orbiter Camera Global Mosaic
Rock Identification Key
- A Beginner's Guide and Key to Help You Identify and Put a Name on That Rock!
- Learn to ID and Distinguish Basalt, Diabase, Diorite, Gabbro, Granite, Obsidian, Pumice, Rhyolite, Scoria, Gneiss, Marble, Quartzite, Schist, Serpentinite, Slate, Breccia, Conglomerate, Limestone, Sandstone, Shale...
Mineral Identification Key
- An Online Guide and Key to Aid in the Identification of Field Collected Mineral Specimens
- Covering Several Hundred of the Most Commonly Occurring and Collected Species
Crystallography and Mineral Crystal Systems
- An Illustrated, Nine-Part Primer on Crystallography and Mineral Crystal Systems
Mineral Nomenclature: Naming New Minerals
- So You've Discovered a New Mineral and Want to Name It "Spottite" After Your Dog...
Changes In Mineralogical Nomenclature: Varieties
- Why Rock Scientists Won't Understand the Question When You Ask "What mineral is amethyst a variety of"?
Grand Hikes
- A Virtual Tour and Rockhound's Hiking Guide for the Grand Canyon
- Stromatolite Fossils in the Hakatai Shale - A Day Hike from Phantom Ranch
- Comanche Point Vicinity - An Overnight Hike to Spectacular Grand Canyon Supergroup Views
- Genesis V2.0 - God's Grand Work Week - A Grand Canyon Geology Primer
- The 1869 Expedition - An Account of the First Grand Canyon Float Trip
- Grand Hikes Screen Saver V1.0 - A Complimentary Grand Canyon Screen Saver
- Bob's Grand Canyon Backcountry Equipment Checklist - Don't Leave Home Without It!
Alcyone
- A Faceted Gemstone Design for CZ Inspired by the Pleiadians - Designed by Bob Keller
Perfect Transfer
- Interested in Faceting? Check Out this Feature for Faceters!
- Currently Featured Cut: Soda Bar 19 - An Exhibition Opposed Bar Designed for Glass
- Gateway to Gemstone Designs on the Internet - Download Over 300 Faceting Diagrams with Cutting Instructions!
- Browse and Download the Freeware Faceters Companion CD
- Currently Featured Article: A Graphical Presentation of Brightness in the Standard Round Brilliant
- Index of Online Faceting Articles - Faceting How-to and Tips from Many Facetors and Gemstone Designers!
- Online Tangent Ratio and Gem Weight Calculators
- Content and Information for Faceters
Tucson Gem and Mineral Show Reports
- Browse the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show with Bob!
How to Wirewrap
- A Step-by-Step Pendant Design for Faceted Stones that Does Away With Claws
Sworn to Fun
- A Club President's Perspective on the Decline of Rockhounding
Featured Articles by John Betts
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Advice for Beginners Anthony's Nose, New York A Field Guide to Mineral Collectors Mineral Prices: Why so High? |
Dealing with Dealers Mineral Cleaning Largest Mineral Crystals on Record Display Lighting of Minerals |
The Great Fresnoite Discovery of 1998
- Scott's Big Score in California's San Benito Mountains
Rockhounding Graves Mountain
- Collecting Rutile and Other Minerals at this Famous Georgia Locality
Collecting at the Bunker Hill Mine
- Ron and Rose-Marie's Most Excellent Bunker Hill Mine Adventure
Gypsum Rosettes
- Collecting at the Red River Floodway in Winnipeg, Canada
Micromounter's Mecca
- A Visit to the Micromounter's Swap Room at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show
- Check Out Tim Jokela's The Top Ten Reasons to Get Into Micromounting
Anatomy of a Three-Headed Sphere Machine
- Interested in Rolling Your Own?
Cabochon Making 101
- Cabbing with Tucson's Old Pueblo Lapidary Club
Feldspar
- An Introduction to the Feldspar Minerals by Anita D. Westlake
Purple Passion Prospect
- Wulfenite Collecting near Wickenburg, Arizona
Rock and Fossil Stamps of the United States
- A Preview Page of the Shop's Topical Stamp Catalog for Rockhounds
Mineralogical Meanderings
- The Hardness of Minerals and Rocks
- Streaking Minerals - Streak Testing
- Collecting Micrometeorites
- Identifying True Amber
- Some Surefire Signs You're a Rockhound
- Collecting Rock Stamps
- Gem and Mineral Phonecards
- The Mysterious Power of Gemstones and Crystals
Bob's Rock Shop 1st WWW Specimen Image Contest Results!
- Do You Take Pictures of Rocks? If So, You'll Appreciate These - Check Out the Winning Entries!
- Winners competed for custom specimen mounting, mineral specimens, rockhound magazine and newsletter subscriptions, specimen labeling and mineral database software and more... These and other outstanding entries will also be featured in a new version of the Shop's ever popular freeware specimen image screen saver!
Product Reviews
- The Photo-Atlas of Minerals CD
- OsoSoft MineralLabel 5.0 - Now Freeware!
- Belomo 10x Loupe: An Inexpensive Russian Triplet
- GemOro Stereo Microscope
- Meiji Techno Binocular and Trinocular Stereo Microscopes
- Raynox Video MicroExplorer
- $8 BIRI Russian Radiation Detector
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Book and CD Reports
- Dana's New Mineralogy, Eighth Edition
- Encyclopedia of Mineral Names, Special Publication 1 of The Canadian Mineralogist
Gallery of Mineral Specimen Images
- George Campbell
- Ken Colosky
- Martin Friedlander
- Bob Keller
- David Michaels
- D.E. Russell
- Tim Schmanski
- Stuart Wilensky
- Wayne State University
- Ron Zeilstra
Cut Rocks
Rock Knives by Stephen Hill
Sections from Brian Isfeld
Sections
Slabs and Cabs
Bob's Rock Shop Furnishes Performance Based Advertising
for Participating Commercial Sponsors.
Thanks for your Patronage. Please Come Again Soon.
The Shop's Link List
- The Shop's Pick and Links to Thousands of Other Websites of Interest to Rockhounds
Bob Keller
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