Rick's Rocks
A collection of links that have some interesting facts and some useful insights in the world of minerals.
Did you know that Quartz played an important role in war? Watch this video to learn more about Quartz role in war.
With so many rocks containing Sio2 it almost seems like all rocks are some form of quartz, right? WRONG!
Our main source of oxygen comes from plants, however new discoveries of deep ocean minerals is changing what we know about our ecosystem.
Many gemstones are fakes! Any time value is involved there will always be imitations, and opal is no exception, so how can you spot a fake opal?
Just because it's natural, doesn't mean it's not dangerous! Many stones can be beautiful but toxic. You will find many of these toxic specimens in Rick's collection, so don't lick the rocks!
Opals are not the only stones that are faked, even the common quartz crystal is faked, most citrine you find is artificially treated with heat, some gems are treated with radiation, some are grown in labs, and some are straight up glass! Rick's collection contains both natural and artificial stones, can you spot the fakes?
The use of Lapis Lazuli being used for paint dates back to the Neolithic age. When ground into a pigment, it becomes ultramarine, one of the most expensive paints in history, even more valuable than gold.