What Is Milky Quartz?
Quartz clouded white by minute fluid inclusions. It is vein material, and it is what the California Mother Lode was dug out of.
Daniel Ashford
A hobbyist mineral and crystal collector since 2008, he covers the geological side of the site: composition, formation, identification, and what a stone in your hand physically is.
What Does Rhodonite Look Like?
Pink with black veins is the shop answer. The reference literature gives the colour as rose-pink to brownish red, gray, or yellow.
Mineral or Rock? What Baryte, Amber, and Graphite Actually Are
Baryte and graphite have entries in the international mineral list. Amber has never been ruled on, which is not the same as excluded.
Is Rainbow Hematite Natural?
Natural iridescent hematite is real and its cause is still being argued over in the literature. Coated material exists too, and it is not what most people think.
Is Azurite a Crystal? Is Chrysocolla a Stone or Crystal?
Azurite is a textbook crystal. Chrysocolla is an approved mineral species whose crystal structure has never actually been worked out, which is stranger.
Turquoise vs Howlite: How to Tell Them Apart
Much cheap 'turquoise' is dyed howlite. Here's how to spot the difference using hardness, dye in the veins, and price.
Sodalite vs Lapis Lazuli: What’s the Difference?
Sodalite and lapis are both deep blue, but gold pyrite flecks are the tell: lapis has them, sodalite doesn't. Here's how to tell them apart.
Selenite vs Satin Spar: What You’re Actually Buying
Selenite and satin spar are the same mineral, gypsum: selenite is glassy, satin spar fibrous and silky. Most 'selenite' sold is satin spar.
Opal vs Opalite: What’s the Difference?
Opal is a natural gemstone with play-of-colour; opalite is man-made glass with none. How to tell them apart, and why the names confuse people.
Jade vs Serpentine: How to Tell the Difference
Serpentine is often sold as 'new jade' but it's a softer, different stone. How to tell real jade from serpentine by hardness, weight, and price.
