Rocks & Minerals May Be Ugly on the Outside but Beautiful Inside the Rock

t’s easy to pass by rocks and minerals while you are walking around but you never know what is lurking on the inside. Out in nature, the outside of most rocks and minerals look drab and dingy because of rain, wind, ice and snow that will wear away sharp points, dull the vibrant colors and cause cracks in the surface of the samples.

Carnelian is one mineral in particular which looks rather boring on the outside because of this weathering when you break it open to see a fresh surface, you can see vibrant orange colors and sometimes, a hidden surprise.

Ask-a-Geologist #19: What Gives Amethyst that Pretty Purple Color?

Lily wrote to us and asked about the mineral amethyst. Specifically, she wants to know what gives amethyst that beautiful purple color. In this video, we talk about why amethyst is purple, its relation to quartz and an interesting fact about how citrine fits into that mineral family.

Quartz Crystals are Still a Favorite with Children

Quartz is the most common mineral found in the Earth’s crust.