Desert Rocks

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Mike and I have never been rock collectors. However, it did not take long being in the desert to catch the rock hounding bug. We were fortunate to be with friends that are experienced in finding a variety of rock treasures. Now to figure out how to display them?!?!

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Photos

Desert
When you look across the desert the rocks look grey and uninteresting. However, there are treasures for the finding when you look closer.

Chalcedony
Referred to as desert roses or miner's ears depending on the shape. They have a waxy appearance and can be translucent.

Pyrite Cubes
Sometimes referred to as "devils dice", pyrite is an ore of iron. The molecules join in such a way to form cubes. They have a shiny surface and can glisten when the sun hits them.

Quartz crystals or Clear Quartz
This transparent stone has a complete lack of color or flaws. The color differences arise from the presence of impurities. Clear quartz is used to produce lenses, prisms, and decorative pieces. We never found a complete crystal, but did collect some crystal pieces of varying degree of clarity.

Quartz
Quartz is usually white, but various colors are observed when other minerals are present. Citrine and amethyst are quartz. It can be transparent, translucent, or opaque, depending on the variety of quartz. It is considered the birthstone for those born in April. The Japanese asserted that quartz signified purity and infinite space.

Quartz
Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral. It is used as an abrasive for sandblasting, grinding glass, and cutting soft stones. Also used for jewelry and countertops. It is one of the strongest minerals in nature, only sapphire, diamond and topaz surpass it.

Jasper
Jasper comes in a variety of colors, including red, green, brown, and blue. It has been used as a gemstone for centuries. Egyptians believed it was a powerful stone with important spiritual significance.

Agate
Agate is a translucent gemstone that forms rich colors in band patterns. Colors range from white to dull yellow, red, brown, orange, blue, black, and gray. Agates are used in decorative arts to make such objects as jewelry, knives, inkstands, marbles, and seals.

Basalt
These are lava rocks. This dari, iconic rock forms when lava rapidly cools.

Jewelry
We spent an afternoon at a friend's and she guided us in the art of wrapping a stone. The stones are from her collection and had been polished. The stone on the right is green jade. Tiger's eye in the middle. I think the stone on the left may be jasper.

Quartz jewelry
A group of us gathered together one morning and each wrapped a stone we had found in the desert. I chose this piece of quartz.