Gem Trees. Original, handcrafted gem trees make wonderful gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, and other occasions. These trees consist of hand twisted wire with genuine polished gemstones glued to the wire loops. The gem trees are then glued to quartz crystal bases. Take a look at a few examples. Some tips on making gem trees are also included.

Rock and Mineral Identification. Mother Nature contains thousands of different rocks and minerals. But how do you identify them? See how several physical methods, including mineral hardness, can help identify rocks & minerals.

Mineral Hardness Ruler. A mineral hardness ruler is educational and a useful tool, especially for students, teachers, and rockhounds. It promotes the hobby by keeping a reminder visible.

Polish Tumbling. Now that you have identified your rocks and minerals maybe you want to polish some of them. I have polished hundreds of pounds of rocks and minerals over the last twenty-five years in both rotary tumblers and vibratory tumblers. For the last twenty years, I have used the vibratory tumbler exclusively because it gives a better and faster polish. Guidelines for polishing rocks and minerals in a vibratory rock tumbler are found here.