The Infamous Beryl Family
When it comes to gemstones, there are a handful of minerals that are quintessential to the jewelry market. Among these are the well known...
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GRAMS Blog
May 10, 20194 min
Don’t Steal from Us!
One day during the fall of 2018 I get a call from Jen and Chris asking me to check the cameras because someone had just been in the store...
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GRAMS Blog
Apr 24, 20193 min
How To Find Your Own Crystals
Collecting crystals is a fun and enjoyable way to explore and appreciate all the nature around you, but everyone knows that it's much...
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GRAMS Blog
Apr 5, 20192 min
The Feldspars
If you've ever had the pleasure of holding labradorite, moonstone, sunstone, or amazonite, then you might be more familiar with the...
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GRAMS Blog
Mar 19, 20193 min
Field Mapping in Taos, New Mexico
Back in 2012 when I was doing field work in Taos, New Mexico, I learned so much about recording data, processing it all, and presenting...
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GRAMS Blog
Mar 7, 20193 min
-FAKE CRYSTALS-
It seems that the insatiable greed of America's capitalist, money-based society has tainted even the innocent realm of crystal...
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GRAMS Blog
Feb 16, 20193 min
How To Tell If Your Turquoise Is Real
Turquoise has been the pinnacle of handcrafted jewelry and adornments for centuries, among a wide array of cultures around the globe....
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GRAMS Blog
Feb 15, 20192 min
You Should Become A Member of Your Local Lapidary Club
Do you ever wish you could go on a field trip around where you live and search for rocks, crystals, and fossils? Ever wanted to make your...
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GRAMS Blog
Jan 31, 20192 min
"Failed" Rock Hounding Trip
As any Collector, Geologist, or Rock hound knows, sometimes it takes a little luck to find what you're looking for. Well sometimes you...
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GRAMS Blog
Jan 6, 20193 min
An Easy Guide On Beginning Your Mineral Collection
One of the most common questions when it comes to mineral and crystal collecting is, "where do I even begin?" This is why we've decided...
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GRAMS Blog
Dec 22, 20183 min
A Few Tips on Identifying Minerals BEFORE Bringing It to the Rock Shop for Help:
Every single day there is at least one person who comes into the shop, hands us a mineral and asks “can you help me identify this?” Most...
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GRAMS Blog
Dec 1, 20182 min
Why I collect crystals
Collecting crystals seems to be a hobby that everyone picks up at some point in their lives. Whether it be the color, the symmetry, or...
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GRAMS Blog
Nov 17, 20181 min
Silica: An Alien Mineral
For those familiar with geology, it is known that silica is one of the most abundant minerals in our Earth, with 60% of the Earth's crust...
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GRAMS Blog
Oct 20, 20182 min
October's Birthstone: Opal!
Introducing everyone's favorite birthstone, Opal! Opal is one of the most popular gemstones due to it's incredible display of colors, how...
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GRAMS Blog
Sep 11, 20182 min
Featured Favorite: Lapis Lazuli
For centuries (6,500 years to be exact) cultures around the globe have highly valued lapis lazuli for its intense blue hues and has been...
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GRAMS Blog
Aug 28, 20181 min
Deep Sea Coral Discovered Off the Coast of South Carolina
Previously hidden by underwater sea mounds, researchers and deep sea divers have discovered an 85-mile-long coral reef off the coast of...
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GRAMS Blog
Aug 14, 20181 min
Ernst Quarries or Sharktooth Hill
Have you ever been? If you haven’t it’s a MUST! This fee dig area in Bakersfield California is arguably the richest and most extensive...
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GRAMS Blog
Jul 14, 20181 min
How fossils help make beer!
The production of beer is a complex process that requires a wide variety of organic materials in order to brew it. Some of the more...
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GRAMS Blog
Jun 26, 20182 min
Do you live in the SF Bay Area? Then get ready to get wet!
It doesn't seem too long ago that the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 shook up the city of San Francisco in detrimental ways, even causing...
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GRAMS Blog
May 29, 20182 min
Maddy's Featured Favorite
This week I am talking to all of my astrological signs that are Cancers out there! Those are you who are born between the dates June 22nd...
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