The Great Diamond Hoax of 1872
How two men planted a fortune in gemstones, convinced America's wealthy elite they'd discovered a diamond mine, and nearly got away with it.
Read the article : The Great Diamond Hoax of 1872CRYSTALS & CREATIONS / EXPLORATION
Down the Rabbit Hole
The strange, surprising, and sometimes downright ridiculous history of rocks and the people obsessed with them.
From spectacular hoaxes and legendary gemstones to scientific discoveries that turned centuries of conventional wisdom upside down, the mineral world has no shortage of peculiar stories. Follow your curiosity into the lesser-known corners of geology, history, and human imagination. You never know what you'll dig up.
Articles
Cinnabar: The Red Mineral Humans Couldn't Leave Alone
The beautiful, poisonous mineral that colored ancient art, decorated royal treasures, and helped convince people that immortality might come in a bottle.
Read the article : Cinnabar: The Red Mineral Humans Couldn't Leave AloneSpecimen photograph: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com, via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photograph unmodified.
The Hope Diamond Curse Was a Better Story Than the Truth
How a stolen royal gemstone, a clever jewelry salesman, and some spectacularly bad luck created one of the world's most famous diamond curses.
Read the article : The Hope Diamond Curse Was a Better Story Than the TruthPhotograph: dbking, via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 2.0. Photograph unmodified.
.jpg){kind=link}
The natural story
Science & Natural History
Mineralogy, geology, gemology, formation, optical phenomena, chemistry and unusual mineral behavior.
The human story
Lore, Meaning & Tradition
Historical beliefs, folklore, symbolism, cultural associations and modern metaphysical/crystal traditions.
This wing is taking shape. The links above open deeper pages already connected to our specimen records.
YOUR KEY TO THE PRIVATE COLLECTION
Two FREE Mineral Guides + Access to The Secret Library
Unlock two exclusive guides to get you started:
Crystal Meanings & Ancient Wisdom
What Is This Rock? A Beginner's Guide to Identification