Pearls are a beautiful organic gemstone which is formed in a variety of colors and shapes. Pearls form inside of mollusk shells such as oysters and mussels. This unique gemstone is made of primarily the mineral aragonite. Aragonite is the mineral that lines the inside of the mollusk shell. An organic substance, called conchiolin, is […]
Filed under: Uncategorized on June 30th, 2008 | No Comments »
Staurolite is a unique mineral which often forms cross-shaped twinned crystals. While staurolite is generally brown it has a colorless to grey streak and it is about as hard as quartz (7 to 7.5 on Mohs hardness scale). The name staurolite comes from the Greek word stauros which means “cross.” Staurolite forms in metamorphic rocks […]
Filed under: Uncategorized on June 26th, 2008 | No Comments »
Mini Me Geology is proud to announce our Create-A-Kit Rock and Mineral collections. Visit our website today and choose 15 of your favorite rocks and minerals. We will customize your kit with an identification card for each sample, a hand lens, and a streak plate if you choose minerals. Plus, we will personalize your collection […]
Filed under: Uncategorized on June 26th, 2008 | No Comments »
OK, today I thought I would talk a little about Herkimer Diamonds. If you know what they are, you’ll probably agree with me that they are so cool!
Sorry! Herkimer Diamonds are not real diamonds. Herkimer Diamonds are actually quartz crystals that are naturally formed with points on both ends of the crystal. These crystals are […]
Filed under: Uncategorized on June 23rd, 2008 | No Comments »
One of the most interesting topics in geology is the Rock Cycle. The Rock Cycle is the method by which minerals are made into sedimentary and igneous rocks, which are then made into metamorphic rocks. The cycle continues when all of these sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks break down into mineral and small rock pieces […]
Filed under: Uncategorized on June 19th, 2008 | No Comments »
Are you looking for something fun to try with your kids this summer? Try this fun experiment to learn more about growing mineral crystals. You will need:
Clean Jar
String (we prefer cotton)
Scissors
Tape (optional)
Pencil
1-2 Cups boiling water (kids, get your parents help)
1-2 Cups table salt
Notebook
Camera (optional)
Step 1: Boil the water and then transfer it to your clean […]
Filed under: Uncategorized on June 17th, 2008 | No Comments »
Spark a child’s interest in the Earth with this collection of 15 fantastic minerals. Each kit includes a white streak plate, black streak plate, hand magnifier, and identification cards which include a photo and fun mineral facts for each sample. Kids can try to identify each mineral using the streak plates, hand magnifier, and identification […]
Filed under: Uncategorized on June 14th, 2008 | No Comments »
Every week I get great questions at our Ask-a-Geologist page asking about different aspects of geology. This question, “What does a Geologist need to know?” was one of the more interesting questions lately. The answer really depends on what type of geology you want to work with for your career. Here are just a few […]
Filed under: Uncategorized on June 2nd, 2008 | No Comments »
