Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. David Bressan is a geologist who covers curiosities about Earth. Discovered in 1999 during mining operations in the Mina Rica (the ...

Amethyst geodes—some stretching 5 m long—dot the ancient lava flows of Uruguay’s Los Catalanes mining area. The geodes contain calcite, colorless quartz, and agate, another quartz mineral. Large ...

It's always fun to escape the heat to see the cool gems and geodes at The Mineral and Lapidary Museum of Henderson County on Main Street, tucked away from the Apple Festival crowds. The museum, often ...