Canadian Rockhound - Spring 1997

Volume 1, Issue 2

Welcome Features Canada's Minerals Resources
Rockhound Links Back Issues Home

Welcome to the second issue of the Canadian Rockhound! Since the first issue went online, this site has received two awards - one from Netizen Canada in February (Pick of the month), and another from Yahoo! Canada in January (Pick of the Week). Readers have praised this magazine for its excellent content and have asked for its continuation.
There are some other rockhound magazines worth visiting. In February the Mineralogical Record launched its new website. Another recent newcomer is Le Règne Minéral, which is still under construction. An excellent Canadian rockhound magazine is Gemmology Canada, which is published by the Canadian Institute of Gemmology. Links to these sites are available below.
The theme for this issue is gems and lapidary. Special thanks is given to John Miller, who agreed to let me publish his gemstone articles. The section on Canada's Minerals continues, with articles on halite and cordierite. A new Resources section has been added to provide additional information of interest to rockhounds.
Starting with this issue, the Canadian Rockhound has a new look. A new home page has been added, from which one can access current and previous issues. With your support, I will continue to provide stories of interest to all rockhounds. Many thanks to all those who contributed to the spring issue. I welcome any comments and suggestions you may have. Happy rockhounding!
Dirk Schmid, Editor
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Beryl gems. Photo courtesy of John Miller.

How Gemstones are Classified
By John Miller
A gemstone may be a pure chemical element, a relatively simple chemical compound, or a more complex mixture of various compounds and elements. But how are gemstones classified?

How Gems are Cut and Polished
By John Miller
The process of cutting and polishing gems is called gemcutting or lapidary. This article explains how gemstones are cut and polished.

Ozokerite
By Rick Hudson
A rockhounding tale by Rick Hudson on ozokerite, a strange hard soft-rock found in Utah.

Murphy's Law and Mineral Collecting
By Larry Rush
An article by Larry Rush on the contributions of Edsel Murphy to the understanding of the behaviour of minerals and mineral collecting.

Saskatchewan's Fossils
By Doug Miller
A short story by Doug Miller on collecting fossils in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Halite
By Doug Miller
In Saskatchewan, halite is a by-product of potash mining. Doug Miller describes the occurrance of halite in this province.

Cordierite
By Richard Gunter
In the last issue of the Canadian Rockhound, the occurrance of cordierite in Saskatchewan was presented. In this issue Richard Gunter begins a detailed two-part series on cordierite in Manitoba.

By Phyllis Richardson
Mineral Stamps
Collecting gem and mineral stamps makes a perfect companion hobby to all those intersted in mining and geology. There are a great variety of minerals represented on the issues of many countries, as well as mining iself. A booklet "The History of Mining on Stamps" was published by Donald and Jean McKenna of Cranston, RI, and another, "The World of Minerals Through Postage Stamps" was produced in France.
Newsletters
An Association "Gems, Minerals and Jewelry Study Unit" produces "Philagems International" three or four times each year for members all over the world. It includes articles and keeps members up to date about new issues. Anyone interested should contact George Young, P.O. Box 632, Tewksbury, MA, 0l876 USA., or e-mail him at george_young@msn.com.

Gemmology World
Home page of the Canadian Institute of Gemmology.
Gemmology Canada
The Newsletter of the Canadian Institute of Gemmology. This e-zine is published quarterly and contains selected articles written by students of the Canadian Institute of Gemmology in fullfillment of their "Accredited Gemmologist (C.I.G.)" diploma requirements.
The Mineralogical Record
The new online version of The Mineralogical Record. Includes informative articles and fine pictures of minerals.
Le Règne Minéral
French mineralogical magazine.
The Eclectic Lapidary
This free monthly E-zine will take you into the worlds of lapidary, gemology, jewelry, and adventure!
Gemology & Lapidary Pages
A very interesting site on gems and the art of lapidary.

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