Hello Everyone : ) My passion is for completely natural quartz and I do not like fakes! Although I often admire the labor involved with making some of these fakes they are still fakes Below I have written some...
To the newbie mineral buyers out there: beware of the fake turquoise. Real turquoise is sold by the gram. It costs BIG TIME. Expect to pay good money for the real stuff.Here are some links that offer good...
OVERVIEW The goal of this buyer’s guide is to leave you, the consumer, less confused for reading it, not more so, by providing useful,unbiased information that will aid you in understanding ammolite. It will...
The best HIDDEN SECRETS Everyone Should Know When Buying Gems and Crystals On Ebay for 2009! While you are at it, make sure to read the Arizona Gem Shows Report for 2009 in my other Guide titled:" CRYSTAL GEM...
Collecting fossils can be an educational, rewarding and enjoyable hobby. As a child I was entranced by the idea that some rocks were once alive. This guide shares some of my experience collecting fossils,...
Answers to frequently asked questions about how to polish stones in a rock tumbler. Rocks are commonly polished in a rock tumbler. The basic procedure is to tumble the rocks with progressively finer grits and...
I just got took. I should have known. Fake amber is not hard to make. It can be made from heating colored plastic, using copal (not 'mature' amber) or other modern polymers. Amber that looks 'too perfect'...
There are two main type of rock tumblers: Rotary tumblers are the most common and readily available. Vibratory tumblers are often used by advanced hobbyists or rock polishing professionals. Benefits of Rotary...
Buying Mineral Specimens and Crystals on eBay The purpose of this guide is to help the collector and buyer of crystal and mineral specimens use eBay to add to their collection in a safe and satisfying way....
There seems to be an on-going dispute over Red Beryl/Bixbite and it's rarity. Here is a guide to help you understand what you're looking at, and what to look for when buying. In the very early 1900's, a man...