I Feel the Earth Move
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Welcome to Bob's Rock Shop
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| Need More Input? Check Out the Shop's Extensive Catalog of Books for Rockhounds! | |||
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Bead Work
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The Photo-Atlas of Minerals DVD V2.0
New Low Low Price - Now Only $19.95 !!!
Order The Photo-Atlas of Minerals DVD
Version 2.0 DVD-ROM for Windows
Sample Photo-Atlas DVD Screens:
Formerly sold at $59.95, the Photo-Atlas of Minerals DVD is simply the most comprehensive mineral reference available. It principle features include:
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- Nearly 16,000 high-resolution mineral specimen images
- Mineralogical data for all known mineral species (over 4,100) - Mineral specimen images from over 3,500 localities - Users can add their own images - Comprehensive descriptive mineralogical and crystallographic data - Audio mineral name pronunciations - Origins of mineral names - Mineral name synonyms and varieties |
- Searchable by properties, locality, chemistry, etc.
- User controlled crystal form drawings - User controlled atomic structure drawings - Includes both Dana & Strunz mineral classifications - Glossary of mineral terms - Users can print the mineral images and data - Generates random and user defined slide shows - Includes a mineral identification game |
- Greetings from Tucson
- Our Shows, Museums, Clubs, Rock Shops, and Other Attractors
- Alone No More
- Martian Meteorite ALH84001 Harbinger of Extraterrestrial Life
- Check out Bob's Martian Touchdown - A Rockhound's Cosmic Encounter with Three Extraterrestrials
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Rocks in the News
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| Detailed Silver Price Historical Chart | Detailed Gold Price Historical Chart |
Spinning Asteroids Split In Two: New research shows small asteroids can be be split apart by fast rotation, but asteroids like Gaspra may be too big.
Do Impacts Trigger Extinctions?: The overwhelming evidence that a bolide caused a mass extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary weighs so heavily in the minds of researchers that it can sway how they read the evidence related to other mass extinctions.
Pulverized Planet Dust May Lie Around Double Stars: Tight double-star systems might not be the best places for life to spring up.
Fires and Floods Key To Dinosaur Island Secrets: Fires and floods which raged across the Isle of Wight some 130 million years ago made the island the richest source of pick 'n' mix dinosaur remains of this age anywhere in the world.
Great Fizz Of Carbon Dioxide At End Of Ice Age: Marine scientists say that something very similar to opening a can of soda happened on a grand scale over a 1,000 year period after the end of the last ice age.
Neighboring Solar System Resembles Ours: Researchers report they have confirmed five new planets orbiting HD 10180, a star located only 127 light-years away in the southern constellation Hydrus.
Solar System Older Than Estimated: Data from a newly studied meteorite recovered from the Saharan Desert show that the solar system formed almost 2 million years earlier than previously thought.
Human-Made Global Warming Started With Ancient Hunters: Even before the dawn of agriculture, people may have caused the planet to warm up.
Volcanic Activity Unreliable As Smoking Gun For Continental Rifting: New research reveals that when two parts of the Earth's crust break apart, this does not always cause massive volcanic eruptions. The study explains why some parts of the world saw massive volcanic eruptions millions of years ago and others did not.
Moon's Craters Hold Clues to the Lunar Interior: Data collected by the lunar orbiter Kaguya suggests that material from the moon's interior - a relatively heavy mineral, olivine - can be found on the rims of a number of its major craters.
Saber-toothed Cats Strong-armed Prey: A saber-toothed cat’s pounce may have been as bad as its bite. A fossil analysis shows that the animal’s humerus, the bone between the shoulder and elbow, was stronger than in any other cat, living or extinct.
African Fossils Suggest Complex Life Arose Early: Large fossils uncovered in 2.1 billion-year-old rock from Gabon, in western Africa, appear to be incipient examples of macroscopic life in what was then a sea of single-celled microbes.
Were Some Gigantic Jurassic Sea Creatures Warm-Blooded?: A new study analyzing oxygen isotopes in their fossil teeth proposes that ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and mosasaurs were able to maintain relatively stable body temperatures in tropical and frigid waters alike.
Portrait Of A Youthful Planet: New images have confirmed that a tiny point of light first photographed near the 12 million year old star Beta Pictoris in is indeed an orbiting planet, one of only a handful of extrasolar planets ever imaged.
Before The Mississippi, Minerals Show Ancient Rivers Flowed West: A large proportion of the zircons found in Jurassic-era sandstones throughout a Texas-sized portion of the Colorado Plateau originated in the Appalachians.
More Rocks in the News
Drilling Down Into The Deepwater Horizon Disaster
| Who is British Petroleum? Who is Halliburton? Who is Transocean? Who is Minerals Management Service? | ||
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| What Happens When British Petroleum Executives Spill Coffee... | ||
| What Happens When British Petroleum Funds Congressional Election Campaigns... | ||
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An Oil Plume At Depth: Debate continues over how much oil remains in the Gulf from last April's spill - but one thing we do know is that in addition to the oil visible at the surface, the leaking well produced a subsurface plume of oil 1,100 meters deep.
How Fast Can Microbes Clean Up the Gulf Oil Spill?: New research suggests bacteria in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico may be eating oil plumes quickly
Bits Of Good News From The Gulf: Among the bits of good news is that so far chemical testing on seafood hasn't yet turned up any samples from fish, shrimp, or oysters with dangerous levels of contamination.
Bacteria Are Gobbling Gulf Oil: A new study finds that oil-eating bacteria are flocking to the spill in droves, though it's not clear how quickly they're digesting it.
Deep-sea Oil Plume Goes Missing: Controversy arises over whether bacteria have completely gobbled it up.
Job Losses Over Drilling Ban Fail to Materialize: When the Obama administration called a halt to virtually all deepwater drilling activity in the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon blowout, oil executives, economists and local officials complained that the six-month moratorium would cost thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in lost revenue.
A Gulf Science Blackout: Those working for BP or the federal government’s Natural Resource Damage Assessment program are being given the bulk of the resources, while independent researchers are shoved aside.
Halliburton Adviser Testifies Against BP: In the days before the rig exploded, the adviser had raised concerns to BP about its plan for executing a drilling procedure, but was ignored.
Details Faulted In Plan To Pay Oil Spill Claims: The details of exactly how the $20 billion fund set up by BP will be distributed to those affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico did little to allay worries and suspicions, drawing instead sharp criticism from several quarters.
BP Settlements Likely to Shield Top Defendants: People and businesses seeking a lump-sum settlement from British Petroleum's $20 billion oil spill compensation fund will most likely have to waive their right to sue not only BP, but also all the other major defendants involved with the spill.
Looking for Trouble on Manatee Highway: Researchers who model the oil spill’s progress expect subsurface oil to collect in a shipping channel that manatees use on their migration from Florida to Alabama.
Well To Be Sealed After Labor Day: Officials announce the final sealing of BP’s stricken well in the Gulf of Mexico will be delayed until after Labor Day so that the company can replace equipment that contributed to the well’s failure.
Oil Plume Is Not Breaking Down Fast, Study Says: New research confirms the existence of a huge plume of dispersed oil deep in the Gulf of Mexico and suggests that it has not broken down rapidly, raising the possibility that it might pose a threat to wildlife for months or even years.
Restoring The Gulf: Is the crisis in the Gulf over? In a word, no.
Questions Linger As Shrimp Season Opens In Gulf: Louisiana has asked BP for $450 million to pay for continued testing of seafood and a marketing campaign over two decades, and requested that the federal and local agencies that have been testing fish, shrimp, crabs and oysters report the results in one central location.
Drilling Permits For Deep Waters Face New Review: The Obama administration announced that it would require significantly more environmental review before approving new offshore drilling permits, ending a practice in which government regulators essentially rubber-stamped potentially hazardous deepwater projects like BP's out-of-control well.
Relief Well Nears Point Of Intercept: The drilling of the relief well began on May 2 and has reached nearly 18,000 feet. Officials for BP have emphasized that intercepting the Macondo well on the first try will be difficult. After a spill off the coast of Australia last August, crews needed five attempts to hit their target.
Minerals Management Service Had Mandate To Produce Results: The causes of the spill remain unclear, but a number of the agency’s actions have drawn fire: it shortened safety and environmental reviews; overlooked flaws in the spill response plan; and ignored warnings that crucial pieces of emergency equipment, blowout preventers, were prone to fail.
Mexican Guest Workers, Laid Off, Want BP’s Help: While thousands have lost their jobs as a result of the oil spill, the layoffs present special hardships for guest workers, mostly hotel workers and those working in shellfish processing.
Officials Say 'Static Kill' Of the Well Is Working: BP says that pumping heavy drilling mud into its stricken well in the Gulf seemed to stabilize pressure. The static kill may plug only the center of the well pipe, and not the portion of the well called the annulus between the inner piping and the outer casing.
More Disconcerting Deepwater Horizon Disaster Revelations
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Letters to the Editor
- Say NO to Akaka Governed Public Land: A bitter legislative battle is raging over collecting fossils on public lands.
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Chambers Fit For A Queen - A Quest For English Ammonites
- Rock&Gem Feature Article
- More Rock&Gem Online Features:
- A Day in the Life of a Gemologist
- Into the Caves - "California's Underground" at the Oakland, California Museum
- Bingham Canyon Copper - Finding Chalcopyrite at "The Richest Hole on Earth"
- Rockhound in Greece - A Great Destination for Geology... and Humanity
- Honoring Mr. Jones - Our Senior Editor Gets What He Deserves
- Faceting Fascinates - With an Experienced Guide, You, Too, Can Bring Gemstones to Life!
- Tonopah and Goldfield - They Were the Hub of Nevada's Gold Rush
- Agates from the Land of Pumas and Craters
- Mexico's Mystery Stone
- A Lesson in Channel Work
- New England Pegmatites: They Have Been Mined Since America's Earliest Days
- Turquoise: Blue Sky...Blue Stone
- Faceting by Hand: Jack Lahr's Lap-Lap Relies on Primitive Power
- More Rock&Gem Online Features:
- Rock&Gem Magazine Article Search
- Search Back Issues for Articles with Topics of Interest
- Rock&Gem Writer's Guidelines
- An Extensive List of Upcoming Gem and Mineral Shows
- Submit Your Own Club's Show for Publication in Rock&Gem Magazine
Rock&Gem Magazine Show Calendar
- Rock&Gem Craftsman of the Month Contest
- Got a Pet Project Your're Proud of and Want to Show Off?
- Win and Rock&Gem Magazine will Feature Your Work and Throw in a Dremel Tool to Boot
- Entry Details - Browse the Current and Prior Contest Winners
- Win and Rock&Gem Magazine will Feature Your Work and Throw in a Dremel Tool to Boot
- Subscribe to Rock&Gem Magazine
- Enjoy and Learn from Rock&Gem Magazine for less than $1.00 per Issue!
- Need to Change Your Address for a Rock&Gem Magazine Subscription?
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- Software for Rockhounds
- Mineral Database and Identification Software: Photo Atlas of Minerals - Lithos - MinSearch - MDI Mineral Database - Geolib - Topaz - Minrls - Digital Rockhound's Companion
- Freeware Screen Savers for Rockhounds: Tucson Show V2001 - Grand Hikes - Minerals V1.0
- Freeware Faceters Companion CD!: Featuring Over 250 Faceting Patterns
- GemCad: Gemstone Design Software
- Ososoft Mineral Label: Freeware Specimen Labeling Software for Rock Collectors!
- RockWare Freeware: Erupt - GeoTrig - Mineral Mastery - Seismic - Magnetic
- Freeware Mars Map: High Resolution Orbiter Camera Global Mosaic
- Freeware Screen Savers for Rockhounds: Tucson Show V2001 - Grand Hikes - Minerals V1.0
- Rock Identification Key
- A Beginner's Guide and Key to Help You Identify and Put a Name on That Rock!
- Learn to ID and Distinguish Basalt, Diabase, Diorite, Gabbro, Granite, Obsidian, Pumice, Rhyolite, Scoria, Gneiss, Marble, Quartzite, Schist, Serpentinite, Slate, Breccia, Conglomerate, Limestone, Sandstone, Shale...
- Mineral Identification Key
- An Online Guide and Key to Aid in the Identification of Field Collected Mineral Specimens
- Covering Several Hundred of the Most Commonly Occurring and Collected Species
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- Crystallography and Mineral Crystal Systems
- An Illustrated, Nine-Part Primer on Crystallography and Mineral Crystal Systems
- Mineral Nomenclature: Naming New Minerals
- So You've Discovered a New Mineral and Want to Name It "Spottite" After Your Dog...
- Changes In Mineralogical Nomenclature: Varieties
- Why Rock Scientists Won't Understand the Question When You Ask "What mineral is amethyst a variety of"?
- Grand Hikes
- A Virtual Tour and Rockhound's Hiking Guide for the Grand Canyon
- Stromatolite Fossils in the Hakatai Shale - A Day Hike from Phantom Ranch
- Comanche Point Vicinity - An Overnight Hike to Spectacular Grand Canyon Supergroup Views
- Genesis V2.0 - God's Grand Work Week - A Grand Canyon Geology Primer
- The 1869 Expedition - An Account of the First Grand Canyon Float Trip
- Grand Hikes Screen Saver V1.0 - A Complimentary Grand Canyon Screen Saver
- Bob's Grand Canyon Backcountry Equipment Checklist - Don't Leave Home Without It!
- Stromatolite Fossils in the Hakatai Shale - A Day Hike from Phantom Ranch
- Alcyone
- A Faceted Gemstone Design for CZ Inspired by the Pleiadians - Designed by Bob Keller
Perfect Transfer
- Interested in Faceting? Check Out this Feature for Faceters!
- Currently Featured Cut: Soda Bar 19 - An Exhibition Opposed Bar Designed for Glass
- Gateway to Gemstone Designs on the Internet - Download Over 300 Faceting Diagrams with Cutting Instructions!
- Browse and Download the Freeware Faceters Companion CD
- Currently Featured Article: A Graphical Presentation of Brightness in the Standard Round Brilliant
- Index of Online Faceting Articles - Faceting How-to and Tips from Many Facetors and Gemstone Designers!
- Online Tangent Ratio and Gem Weight Calculators
- Content and Information for Faceters
- Currently Featured Cut: Soda Bar 19 - An Exhibition Opposed Bar Designed for Glass
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- Tucson Gem and Mineral Show Reports
- Browse the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show with Bob!
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- How to Wirewrap
- A Step-by-Step Pendant Design for Faceted Stones that Does Away With Claws
- Sworn to Fun
- A Club President's Perspective on the Decline of Rockhounding
- Featured Articles by John Betts
Advice for Beginners
Anthony's Nose, New York
A Field Guide to Mineral Collectors
Mineral Prices: Why so High?Dealing with Dealers
Mineral Cleaning
Largest Mineral Crystals on Record
Display Lighting of Minerals
The Great Fresnoite Discovery of 1998
- Scott's Big Score in California's San Benito Mountains
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- Rockhounding Graves Mountain
- Collecting Rutile and Other Minerals at this Famous Georgia Locality
- Collecting at the Bunker Hill Mine
- Ron and Rose-Marie's Most Excellent Bunker Hill Mine Adventure
- Gypsum Rosettes
- Collecting at the Red River Floodway in Winnipeg, Canada
- Micromounter's Mecca
- A Visit to the Micromounter's Swap Room at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show
- Check Out Tim Jokela's The Top Ten Reasons to Get Into Micromounting
- Anatomy of a Three-Headed Sphere Machine
- Interested in Rolling Your Own?
- Cabochon Making 101
- Cabbing with Tucson's Old Pueblo Lapidary Club
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- Feldspar
- An Introduction to the Feldspar Minerals by Anita D. Westlake
- Purple Passion Prospect
- Wulfenite Collecting near Wickenburg, Arizona
- Rock and Fossil Stamps of the United States
- A Preview Page of the Shop's Topical Stamp Catalog for Rockhounds
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- Mineralogical Meanderings
- The Hardness of Minerals and Rocks
- Streaking Minerals - Streak Testing
- Collecting Micrometeorites
- Identifying True Amber
- Some Surefire Signs You're a Rockhound
- Collecting Rock Stamps
- Gem and Mineral Phonecards
- The Mysterious Power of Gemstones and Crystals
- Streaking Minerals - Streak Testing
- Bob's Rock Shop 1st WWW Specimen Image Contest Results!
- Do You Take Pictures of Rocks? If So, You'll Appreciate These - Check Out the Winning Entries!
- Winners competed for custom specimen mounting, mineral specimens, rockhound magazine and newsletter subscriptions, specimen labeling and mineral database software and more... These and other outstanding entries will also be featured in a new version of the Shop's ever popular freeware specimen image screen saver!
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- Product Reviews
- The Photo-Atlas of Minerals CD
- OsoSoft MineralLabel 5.0 - Now Freeware!
- Belomo 10x Loupe: An Inexpensive Russian Triplet
- GemOro Stereo Microscope
- Meiji Techno Binocular and Trinocular Stereo Microscopes
- Raynox Video MicroExplorer
- $8 BIRI Russian Radiation Detector
- OsoSoft MineralLabel 5.0 - Now Freeware!
- Book and CD Reports
- Dana's New Mineralogy, Eighth Edition
- Encyclopedia of Mineral Names, Special Publication 1 of The Canadian Mineralogist
- Gallery of Mineral Specimen Images
- George Campbell
- Ken Colosky
- Martin Friedlander
- Bob Keller
- David Michaels
- D.E. Russell
- Tim Schmanski
- Stuart Wilensky
- Wayne State University
- Ron Zeilstra
- Ken Colosky
Cut Rocks
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AA Mineral Specimens
Alpine Minerals Arizona Mineral Company Berg's Rock Shop CabbingMachines.com CuttingRocks.com DesignerStones.com John Betts Fine Minerals Lawrence H. Conklin, Mineralogist CR-Scientific Element 51 Microminerals Extinctions Fossils FacetingMachines.com FacetingRough.com |
Gemart Services
Gold N Rocks GreatCabochons.com GreatRough.com GreatSlabs.com Mineral Exploration Services Mineral of the Month Club MineralsWeb African Minerals The Mineralogical Record Magazine PrettyRock RocksandGems.info Rocks and Minerals Magazine RockWare Earth Science Software |
Simkev Micromounts
Shannon & Son's Minerals Silver Supplies The Sunnywood Collection TumblingMachines.com TurquoiseBeads.com TurquoiseRough.com Tysons' Fine Minerals UC Minerals Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals Wilensky Mineral Video Williams Minerals Company Wright's Rock Shop |
- The Shop's Link List
- The Shop's Pick and Links to Thousands of Other Websites of Interest to Rockhounds
A unique gift for a rock and mineral-loving friend or relative!
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Email Lists and Discussion Groups for Rockhounds |
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Rockhounds List
Lapidary List Sphere Makers and Collectors USFG Faceters List |
Paleolist
Lost Wax Casting Group Grand Canyon Hikers Rough for Sale |
Minerals for Sale
Fossils for Sale Meteorites for Sale Gemstones for Sale |
Bob Keller