Rock & Gem

The Perseids, associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle, is said to be among the most prolific of all annual meteor showers: bit.ly/3f57nDJ (Photo by NASA on The Commons, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons) #PerseidMeteorShower #SwiftTuttleComet #Perseus #PerseidCloud

The story of a complete skull unearthed and hidden in China reads like an exciting detective yarn. Find out more: bit.ly/2UUqWHR (Photo by Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) #skull #DragonMan #Denisovans #SonghuaRiver #China #JapaneseOccupation

Happy Friday! What better way to kick off the weekend than our #ShowAndTell post? We would love for you to share something fascinating, inspiring, or exciting that you've experienced. #rockhounding #rocks #minerals #fossils #gems #lapidary

Happy Thursday! Here is a friendly reminder that amazing opportunities lie just outside your comfort zone. Be brave and try something new every once in a while! #ThursdayThoughts #comfortzone #possibility #growth #nature

McDonald Ranch, near Ashwood, Oregon, is a happening dig site well known for petrified wood, angelwing agate, and thundereggs, among other selections. Learn more: bit.ly/3zJ9m8q #petrifiedwood #thundereggs #angelwing #rockhounding #McDonaldRanch #Oregon

This “What Do You See?” post holds many possibilities when it comes to interpretation. The agate was shared with R&G community member Richard Nass by David Myers. What do you think? #whatdoyousee #agate #rockhounding #minerals #geology #naturephotos #photosofrocks #specimens

Writer Amy Dawson takes a look at how and why fossil-hunting, “previously seen as a worthy but rather fusty pastime or the preserve of Ross from [television show] ‘Friends,’” is currently “looking downright cool.” Read more at Yahoo! News: news.yahoo.com/paleontology-r…

Weighing in at 1,174 carats, the latest big diamond discovery out of Botswana is said to be the third-largest recorded gem-quality stone ever found. Read more: bit.ly/3eV2oFw (Photo by Cretep, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons) #diamond #KaroweDiamondMine #Botswana

Whether it was something small that later meant a great deal or something massive, you probably have a fond recollection of being bitten by the rockhounding bug. If so, “You Might Be a Rockhound!” #YouMightBeARockhoundIf #rockhounding #rocks #gems #minerals #fossils #lapidary

As populations increase and demand more resources, and climate warms and dries, essential groundwater is rapidly depleted, creating “the hidden crisis beneath our feet.” Learn more: bit.ly/3kXHppC (Photo © Hans Hillewaert) #earthscience #aquifers #groundwater #depletion

Happy Tuesday! Today, we would like to hear about the most memorable item you have discovered or acquired. Please tell us below! #QuestionOfTheWeek #rockhounding #rocks #minerals #fossils #gems #lapidary

Garnets are among the most common crystallized minerals you can collect and one of the very few minerals that spans the entire spectrum of mineralogy. Learn more from Bob Jones: bit.ly/3zxUav1 #garnet #almandinegarnet #pyrope #spessartine #uvarovite #grossular #tsavorite

For #MondayView, what caught our eye was this simple path to the beach at Swanage, a coastal town in the southeast of Dorset, England. Photo is by Chris Downer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. #beach #path #ocean #Swanage #Dorset #England #JurassicCoast #WorldHeritageSite

Scientists are currently using sound waves to map the underground terrain of the Cascadia subduction zone, a gash some 810 miles long beneath the ocean in the Pacific Northwest: bit.ly/2We6It9 (Wikimedia Commons photo) #earthscience #Cascadia #subductionzone #soundwaves

On the afternoon of July 8, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck California in the town of Coleville. Fortunately, there were no reports of death or serious injury: bit.ly/2UJGluu (Photo by Carlos Valenzuela, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) #earthscience #earthquake

The word “nickel” is a homonym with two distinct meanings. It refers to both our five-cent coin and an element. Everyone is familiar with the coin, but not necessarily with the element. Learn more from author Steve Voynick: bit.ly/2UF1l5M #nickel #siderophilic #element

A new image has captured powerful jets of plasma emerging from the black hole at the center of the Centaurus A galaxy. Researchers study these jets because they are thought to influence the shape and size of galaxies. Read more at Smithsonian Magazine: smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new…

Happy Friday! We wait excitedly all week to post our #ShowAndTell request. We invite you to share photos or post details about a wonder you discovered, acquired, created, or just appreciate. Go! #rockhounding #rocks #minerals #fossils #gems #lapidary

According to a new study from NASA, evidence of ancient life may have been scrubbed from parts of Mars. The discovery was made by the Curiosity rover in clay-rich sedimentary rocks around its landing site in Gale Crater. Read more at Live Science: livescience.com/mars-life-evid…

A fascinating image is present in this specimen of natural calcite, which was shared by Cheryl Mannerow-Tucker with R&G community member Richard Nass and selected by him for this week’s “What Do You See?” post. #whatdoyousee #calcite #rockhounding #minerals #geology #specimens