Trapiche Sapphire

When people see a six-rayed pattern inside a sapphire, the first thing that usually comes to mind is a star sapphire. But the pattern...

Trapiche Emerald

Emerald is already one of the most recognizable gemstones in the world, but some emeralds look unlike anything most people expect to see. Inside...

Maxixe Beryl

At first glance, Maxixe beryl can easily be mistaken for an unusually dark aquamarine. Both belong to the beryl family, both share the same...

Star Ruby

Star Sapphire

GEOLOGICAL WONDERS

Columnar Basalt Formations: How Hexagonal Columns Form and the Best Places...

Columnar basalt formations are one of those natural things that make even a geologist like me stop for a moment and think, “did nature...

The White Sands National Monument, New Mexico, USA

Nestled in the Tularosa Basin of southern New Mexico, White Sands National Monument is a breathtaking landscape of rolling white gypsum dunes that seem...

Waitomo Glowworm Caves, New Zealand: Geology, Formation and Glowworms

Beneath the green hills of New Zealand’s North Island, there is an extraordinary place where the ceiling of a cave looks like a night...

gemstoneS

ROCKS

Minerals

ListS

10 Places That Look Like Other Planets

Earth is generally referred to as the Blue Planet, but within its familiar landscapes there are places so alien that they can easily be...

10 Places Where Fossils Tell Ancient Stories

Fossils are more than ancient remains—they are windows into vanished worlds. Each fossil preserves a moment in time, capturing organisms that lived millions of...

10 Rock Landscapes That Look Like Art

Nature has been shaping the Earth's surface for billions of years. However, this shaping is not random, chaotic or unplanned. On the contrary; factors...

ORE MINERALS

Braches of Geology

Pyrite vs Gold: How to Tell the Difference

Gold and pyrite are often confused because both can display a bright metallic yellow appearance.That resemblance gave pyrite its famous nickname:“Fool’s gold.”But despite looking...
Thrust faulting of Jurassic sedimentary rock at Ketobe knob along the San Rafael swell in central Utah (Shortening occures; Davis & Reynolds 1996).

Sedimentary Petrology

Sedimentary petrology is the study of sedimentary rocks, which are rocks that form from the accumulation and solidification of sediment. This field of geology...

Full List of Index Fossils

Index fossils are specific fossils that are used to define and identify particular time periods in Earth's geologic history. These fossils are typically widespread...

Geology Fundamentals

Marble: From Quarry to Sculpture

Marble, a timeless and revered medium in the world of sculpture, has a rich history that spans millennia. From its origins deep within the...