Rock Hounds

03/31/2022

GEM AND MINERAL EXHIBIT - HD South Home of the Gilbert Historical Museum

On display from March 15-May 2, an extensive and gorgeous selection of gems and minerals from the Southwest region. Each object is on loan from the personal private collection of Mine Engineer, Geologist, former Town Council Member, and Gilbert resident, Les Presmyk. The exhibit is included in the price of museum admission.

From Storyteller Workshops for kids to Art Workshops for all, HD SOUTH programs provide a wealth of information, education, and fun for people of all ages!

03/28/2022

Sun Apr 3rd, 2022
Geologists’ Day

Don’t take the ground beneath your feet for granted: honor the scientists that have delved into the Earth to teach us more about it on National Geologist’s Day.

Typically held on a Sunday, the celebration of Geologists’ Day can be fun for professional rock lovers and hobbyists alike! This day strives to help further the study of how the earth came to be. Geologists’ Day is all about learning the history of the earth, the geologists who studied the earth, and helping to inspire people out there to study geology.

Don’t take the ground beneath your feet for granted: honor the scientists that have delved into the Earth to teach us more about it on National Geologist’s Day.

10/22/2021

Finders, keepers for Verde Valley rockhounds
When the monsoon rains start coming, Verde Valley rockhounds come running. And from first rainfall, there is no time for games for rockhounds, or amateur geologists, when it comes to hunting for buried treasure.

Don’t let the arid Verde Valley fool you; there is more to it than meets the eye — nestled underneath layers of basalt, sandstone and other sediment or hiding in plain sight. When the valley receives generous rainfall, treasures, such as geodes and fossils of dimetrodon footprints that are 295 to 272 million years old, begin to wash up. These riches are what many rockhounds are after.

When the monsoon rains start coming, Verde Valley rockhounds come running. And from first rainfall, there is no time for games for rockhounds, or amateur geologists, when it comes to hunting for buried treasure. Don’t let the arid Verde Valley fool you; there is more to it than meets the eye — n...

08/11/2021

Scientists say a new type of rock cobbled together from plastic, volcanic rock, beach sand, seashells, and corals has begun forming on the shores of Hawaii.

08/11/2021

Arizona is a geological wonderland, so it’s no surprise that people would find many sought-after gemstones here. There are so many beautiful rocks that you have to see yourself! The great thing about it is that you don’t have to be in two places at once to know what we are talking about. You only need to come to Rare Earth Gallery to see all sorts of stunning rocks, gemstones, fossil specimens, and other minerals!

“Earthy” type of things abound the Rare Earth Gallery. It includes everything from rough cuts and polished pieces, to more intricately crafted art.

04/13/2021

Check Out This Fantastic Turkish Agate.

04/07/2021

These ultra-large geodes are naturally occurring wonders that are found from time to time in the Artigas region in Uruguay. This area is famous for producing these massive amethysts thanks to favorable environmental factors that include 120-million-year-old basalt—a volcanic rock—flows and mineral-rich groundwater. And while Nowar Minerals has shared many geodes with a staggering height and weight, they're not the largest known amethyst geode on record. That honor, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, goes to an amethyst weighing 28,660 pounds.

These geodes will rock your world.

04/06/2021

Beauty abounds at The Crystal Barn in Phoenix.

04/06/2021

Reddish-yellow Titanium Dioxide Rutile inclusions suspended inside clear Quartz. Brazil.

01/24/2021

Cookie Monster in stone.