Emerald-green hiddenite, a gem so valuable that it is said "a June bug can carry away $1,000 worth," is only found in one area of North America: Alexander County, North Carolina. Now known as the village of Hiddenite, the area has continuously produced gems of great beauty since 1875, including the largest natural emerald and the largest faceted emerald in North America. The beauty of the area's free-standing minerals of emerald green beryl and spodumene, as well as amethyst, smoky quartz, calcite, and rutile have attracted collectors, adventurers, and miners since their discovery. The search for emeralds and other gemstones over more than 100 years has generated true drama: controversies about mineral names, who discovered what, tragic fatal accidents, and physical strife between individuals. This book reveals the whole story. Alongside the fascinating history of the area, it includes detailed information about the geology of the region, and will be of interest to the historian, mineral enthusiast, and the curious reader alike.

Rosario Gomez gave up gang life after his brother was killed in a street fight. Now all he wants to do is finish night school, be a good father and work hard enough at his job at the supermarket to get promoted. But when an old friend shows up to ask him why he left the gang, Rosario realizes he was fooling himself if he thought his violent past would just go away. When his pregnant girlfriend is hit in a drive-by shooting, Rosario has to make some hard choices. Revenge means a return to his old ways, something he swore he would never do. But unless he takes action, his enemies will not rest until they've settled the score against him.

Eerste Veldgids tot Gesteentes & Minerale, die jongste toevoeging tot die gewilde Struik Nature-reeks, stel die belangrikste en interessantste gesteentes en minerale van ons geologies opwindende streek bekend.

Die gids beskryf 30 minerale en 18 belangrike soorte gesteentes, met die klem op dié wat die bekendste of algemeenste is. ’n Kort inleiding gee ’n oorsig van die onderwerp; kleurryke foto’s van die gesteentes en minerale sowel as van die besondere terrein waarin hulle voorkom, vul die helder teks deurgaans aan en help met uitkenning in die veld.

Eerste Veldgids tot Gesteentes & Minerale is ’n nuttige hulpmiddel vir die aspirant-geoloog, weetgierige amateur, of enigeen met ’n ontluikende belangstelling in Suider-Afrika se unieke geologiese erfenis.

Find success on your rock hunts for popular gems and minerals by selecting the best locations to look for them. Agates, copper, gold-you want to find them! But if you're searching without a plan, the odds are stacked against you. Whether you're new to rock hunting or already hold an interest, prospecting is the way to maximize your success. This beginner's guide by rockhounding expert Jim Magnuson helps you to confidently hunt for a variety of collectible and valuable gems and minerals, including agates, fossils, geodes, and gold. In each chapter, Jim introduces sought-after targets (like Lake Superior Agates to Keokuk Geodes). Then he provides a simple, step-by-step process to finding, collecting, and identifying them in the Upper Midwest. Full-color photographs show the specimens as you're likely to see them in the field, while range maps tell you if you're in the right place. Jim points you to locations where you're allowed to hunt and collect, and he also includes need-to-know information about equipment recommendations, safety, and the legality of collecting. Inside you'll find: Expert advice: discover what to look for, where to look, and how to prospect Professional photos: see specimens as you're likely to find them in the field Essential information: learn about collecting rules, safety, and affordable equipment Bonus content: get advice on polishing your finds, metal detecting, and more Perfect for residents and visitors of Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, Rockhounding & Prospecting: Upper Midwest is everything you need in one handy guide.

Dive into the fascinating world of coastal wildlife with this holiday pocket guide. Featuring 40 beautifully illustrated pebbles, shells, crabs, small sea creatures and more, discover more about life between the tides with The Little Guide to Shorelines. Each entry has been delicately illustrated by printmaker Tom Frost to capture its individual characteristics, and is accompanied by associated facts and fables. There is also an interactive spotter's guide at the back, where you can check off what you find. This informative, practical and beautiful guide is part of a new nature series designed to encourage creativity through exploring the outdoors. An activity for adults and children alike, enjoy The Little Guide to Shorelines on your next trip to the sea.

This three-volume handbook provides reliable, comprehensive data on the properties of rocks, minerals, and other related materials. The format is largely tabular and graphical, designed for ease of use in comparisons and referencing. The chapters are contributed by recognized experts from leading university, industrial, and governmental scientific establishments.

Snowdonia has a great story to tell, of ancient oceans, mountains, volcanoes and climate change. The mountain landscape of Snowdonia is the result of everything that has happenend to it over geological time - the product of the ancient landscapes that went before it, fragments of which are preserved by rocks and landforms within the present landscape, providing clues of a forgotten past that can be read as you appreciate Snowdonia's wild beauty. The present landscape has also been shaped by the people that have worked the land and exploited its minerals.

The fossil-bearing rocks of the British Isles represent life from the last 2,900 million years and the UK is seen by many as the cradle of modern geology. Using the geological map of Britain, expert palaeontologist Peter Doyle offers a comprehensive guide to fossils in the UK, plotting the main fossil groups around the country, and relating them to the different ages of the rock in which they are found. With photographs of the fossils that can be discovered, and tips on how to find them yourself, "British Fossils" is the perfect companion for the novice fossil hunter or enthusiast.

Treasures of the Earth

From the author of "Collecting Rocks, Gems and Minerals" and one of the leading agate collectors in the world, comes this comprehensive guide to collecting agates and jaspers, the most sought after types of collectible rocks on the market today. Designed with all beginners in mind, yet filled with valuable technical information for advanced enthusiasts, "Collecting Agates and Jaspers" helps rockhounds discover these treasures of North America.

• The only book on agates and jaspers to offer values.
• Featuring nearly 700 beautiful color pictures, descriptions and technical information, the book provides an easy-to-use, quick reference format perfect for home and field.
• Organized by U.S. states and provinces in Canada and Mexico, with introductions pinpointing each area's best spots and what you can find there.

Pebble-hunting is a pleasant hobby that makes little demand upon one's patience and still less upon one's physical energy. (You may even enjoy the hunt from the luxurious sloth of a deck chair). One of the true delights of the pebble-seeker is to read the stories in the stones - to determine whence and by what means they came to be there. We must always bear in mind that a pebble is a transient thing. It is in the half-way stage of a long existence . . .

This is a spirited guide to the simple pleasure of pebble spotting. Clarence Ellis is a charming, knowledgeable and witty guide to everything you didn't know there was to know about pebbles. He ruminates on what a pebble actually is, before showing us how they are formed, advising on the best pebble-spotting grounds in the UK, helping to identify individual stones, and giving tips onthe necessary kit. You'll know your chert from your schist, your onyx from your agate and will be on your guard for artificial intruders before you know it. Understanding the humble pebble makes a trip to the beach, lake-side or river bank simply that little bit more fascinating.

A handy illustrated guide to identifying pebbles is included on the reverse of the book jacket.

A beautiful little guide to one of life's simple pleasures - pebble spotting. Where science meets mindfulness. Learn to appreciate their beauty, discover the amazing journey that brought them to you, search for the rare ones. Leave no stone unturned. Turn a day on the beach or a seaside holiday stroll into a treasure hunt with this lovely little guide to identifying pebbles. Pebble spotting is one of life's simple joys. There's nothing quite like searching the rocks on a beach until that special one catches your eye - a perfect shape, a gorgeous colour, an intriguing pattern. But what is it? Use this beautifully illustrated little guide to find out, and to discover your pebble's fascinating life story and secrets. It could be even more special than you thought... Geologist and passionate pebble spotter Clive Mitchell has created a charming and wonderfully browsable book that is a perfect companion to a day out or holiday, or an idle moment at home. This book contains entries on 40 different types of pebble, complete with detailed facts about the composite rock's structure and where to find them, with examples including: Flint Feldspar veins Spotted slates Serpentinite Granite ovoids The rare rhomb porphyry - the holy grail of pebble hunting The book includes a space to ruminate on your own findings, taking note of the treasures that you pick up along the way and discovering the secrets of the stones beneath your feet. The Pebble Spotter's Guide is the perfect introduction to everything you didn't know there was to know about the mindful pleasure of pebble spotting and the wonder of pebbles. Simply sit on a beach or next to a stream for 10 minutes and find amazing treasures at your feet; there is much to discover.

Your Definitive Guide to Petoskey Stone Michigan's state stone is prized for its beautiful patterning, which is said to resemble the rays of the rising sun. Take an in-depth look at the famous fossilized coral-including a summary of the fascinating natural history, which began 400 million years ago. Learn all about it, and then head out and search for your own. Get expert advice from author Dan R. Lynch on how to identify and collect Petoskey stones. With tips on where to look and what to look for, along with information about Petoskey lookalikes and other fossils you might find, your rock-hounding trips will be better than ever! Suggestions on what to do with your finds and how much they're worth add to the knowledge you'll gain from Petoskey Stone. From Lake Michigan beaches and Petoskey State Park to gravel pits and riverbeds, grab this book and begin your rock-hunting adventure!

The perfect stocking filler for beach lovers. A beautiful little guide to one of life's simple pleasures - pebble spotting. Where science meets mindfulness. Learn to appreciate their beauty, discover the amazing journey that brought them to you, search for the rare ones. Leave no stone unturned. Turn a day on the beach or a seaside holiday stroll into a treasure hunt with this lovely little guide to identifying pebbles. Pebble spotting is one of life's simple joys. There's nothing quite like searching the rocks on a beach until that special one catches your eye - a perfect shape, a gorgeous colour, an intriguing pattern. But what is it? Use this beautifully illustrated little guide to find out, and to discover your pebble's fascinating life story and secrets. It could be even more special than you thought... Geologist and passionate pebble spotter Clive Mitchell has created a charming and wonderfully browsable book that is a perfect companion to a day out or holiday, or an idle moment at home. This book contains entries on 40 different types of pebble, complete with detailed facts about the composite rock's structure and where to find them, with examples including: Flint Feldspar veins Spotted slates Serpentinite Granite ovoids The rare rhomb porphyry - the holy grail of pebble hunting The book includes a space to ruminate on your own findings, taking note of the treasures that you pick up along the way and discovering the secrets of the stones beneath your feet. The Pebble Spotter's Guide is the perfect introduction to everything you didn't know there was to know about the mindful pleasure of pebble spotting and the wonder of pebbles. Simply sit on a beach or next to a stream for 10 minutes and find amazing treasures at your feet; there is much to discover.

First Field Guide to Rocks & Minerals, the latest addition to the popular Struik Nature series, introduces the most important and interesting rocks and minerals from our geologically exciting region.

The guide details 30 minerals and 18 major rock types, focusing on those that are best known or most commonly found. A short introduction provides an overview of the topic; colourful photographs throughout, both of the rocks and minerals and of the particular terrain in which they are found, complement the clear text and aid identification in the field.

First Field Guide to Rocks & Minerals is a useful resource for the beginner geologist, curious novice, or anyone with a budding interest in southern Africa's unique geological heritage.

The opening of the Palaeozoic era, some 540 million years ago, coincides with a remarkable burst of evolutionary activity. In British Paleozoic Fossils 443 species from this time, and the following 300 million years, are described and classified and illustrated with accurate line drawings. From Silurian trilobites and Devonian fishes to Carboniferous brachiopods, the book features those animal and plant species that are most commonly found in Britain. Crucially, this new edition has been fully revised and updated by specialists from the world renowned Department of Palaeontology at the Natural History Museum, London, reflecting advances in our understanding of the fossil record. The book includes 69 plates of accurate black-and-white line drawings. Each of the species is illustrated with at least one drawing, which is accompanied by details of where it can be found. There are also stratigraphical tables showing the classification of British Palaeozoic rock formations and a comprehensive listing of the geological distribution of each species illustrated, which can be cross-referenced with the appropriate illustration. A brief explanation of the scientific names of fossils and a map of the distribution of Palaeozoic strata are also available.

A SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017

A rich and exuberant group biography of the first geologists, the people who were first to excavate from the layers of the world its buried history.

These first geologists were made up primarily, and inevitably, of gentlemen with the necessary wealth to support their interests, yet boosting their numbers, expanding their learning and increasing their findings were clergymen, academics - and women. This lively and eclectic collection of characters brought passion, eccentricity and towering intellect to geology and Brenda Maddox in Reading the Rocks does them full justice, bringing them to vivid life.

The new science of geology was pursued by this assorted band because it opened a window on Earth's ancient past. They showed great courage in facing the conflict between geology and Genesis that immediately presented itself: for the rocks and fossils being dug up showed that the Earth was immeasurably old, rather than springing from a creation made in the six days that the Bible claimed. It is no coincidence that Charles Darwin was a keen geologist.

The individual stories of these first geologists, their hope and fears, triumphs and disappointments, the theological, philosophical and scientific debates their findings provoked, and the way that as a group, they were to change irrevocably and dramatically our understanding of the world is told by Brenda Maddox with a storyteller's skill and a fellow scientist's understanding. The effect is absorbing, revelatory and strikingly original.

There once may have been 250,000 miles of stone walls in America's Northeast, stretching farther than the distance to the moon. They took three billion man-hours to build. And even though most are crumbling today, they contain a magnificent scientific and cultural story--about the geothermal forces that formed their stones, the tectonic movements that brought them to the surface, the glacial tide that broke them apart, the earth that held them for so long, and about the humans who built them.
Stone walls tell nothing less than the story of how New England was formed, and in Robert Thorson's hands they live and breathe. "The stone wall is the key that links the natural history and human history of New England," Thorson writes. Millions of years ago, New England's stones belonged to ancient mountains thrust up by prehistoric collisions between continents. During the Ice Age, pieces were cleaved off by glaciers and deposited--often hundreds of miles away--when the glaciers melted. Buried again over centuries by forest and soil buildup, the stones gradually worked their way back to the surface, only to become impediments to the farmers cultivating the land in the eighteenth century, who piled them into "linear landfills," a place to hold the stones. Usually the biggest investment on a farm, often exceeding that of the land and buildings combined, stone walls became a defining element of the Northeast's landscape, and a symbol of the shift to an agricultural economy.
Stone walls layer time like Russian dolls, their smallest elements reflecting the longest spans, and Thorson urges us to study them, for each stone has its own story. Linking geological history to the early American experience, "Stone by Stone" presents a fascinating picture of the land the Pilgrims settled, allowing us to see and understand it with new eyes.

Geology is the perfect pocket-sized, folding guide for the nature enthusiast. The guide simply explains geological processes, the differences between rocks, minerals and gemstones, the most common types North American rocks and minerals and the best rockhounding locations. It also reviews the most common North American fossils and the tools an amateur geologist should take into the field in order to positively identify different types of rocks and minerals. Created and printed in the USA, this guide was updated in 2012 with a new cover design and updated information. Laminated for durability, this handy guide is a great source of portable information and ideal for field use by novices and experts alike.

The Cenozoic era began about 70 million years ago and still continues. In British Cenozoic Fossils 354 species from this period are classified and illustrated with accurate line drawings. This new edition has been fully revised and updated by John Todd, Curator of Molluscs in the Natural History Museum's Life Sciences Department, reflecting advances in our understanding of the fossil record over the past years. The book's 88-page identification section features those fossil animal and plant species that are most commonly found in Britain, from early plants, corals and fishes to gastropod and bivalve molluscs and the remains of mammals which lived in Britain during the Ice Ages. Each of the species is illustrated with at least one drawing, which is accompanied by details of where it can be found. There is a brief introduction to the subject, stratigraphical tables that show British Cenozoic rock formations, and a colour map of the distribution of Cenozoic strata.

With this informative guide, you can explore the mineral-rich state of New York, from the beaches to the mountains. It describes the states' best rockhounding sites and covers popular and commercial sites as well as numerous little-known areas. This handy guide also describes how to collect specimens, includes maps and directions to each site, and lists rockhound clubs in the state. "Rockhounding New York" offers a complete introduction to this many-faceted hobby and is an invaluable sourcebook.

Unearth the treasures from the prehistoric world beneath your feet. From glittering ammonites to razor-sharp dinosaur claws and delicate leaf impressions, uncover our world's primeval past through the incredible fossils left behind. Arranged into plants and animals, there are profiles of 50 key fossils, including well-loved favourites, such as Triceratops, and more curious remains, such as fossil fish teeth. Learn all about how fossils form, where they are found, and how ancient animals are reconstructed. Filled with facts and containing recently discovered species, this book will help even the biggest fossil fans learn something new. Stunning photographs can be studied in detail, while pronunciation guides help with tricky names, and a visual index provides a quick overview of all the key species in the book. My Book of Fossils is an engrossing children's book about fossils and dinosaurs, and is sure to be a hit with fact-obsessed young enthusiasts of all things prehistoric.

From caverns deep underground to sky-high mountains, the rocks and stones all around us are ancient. Greedy oni lurk in a cave in Japan; a stonecutter becomes a mountain; and a story of romance, revenge and tragedy plays out on the face of a plate. Revealing hidden fossils, gemstones, folklore and secrets, storyteller Jenny Moon's tales are interwoven with interesting facts and geological observations that will catch the imagination of readers young and old, making this more than just a book of stories.