Gem Junkies

In this long-awaited comeback episode of our podcast, "Is Anyone Listening?", we enthusiastically announce our return from a brief hiatus! We're thrilled to be back on air, ready to dive into the fascinating world of gemstones once again. This episode is particularly special as we cover two distinct regions: the tropical paradise of Hawaii and our very own home state, Idaho.

First up, Hawaii! We'll explore the island's unique geological features and the captivating gemstones they produce. Expect to hear about Hawaii's vibrant and rare minerals that reflect its rich cultural heritage and stunning landscapes.

Then, we turn to Idaho, the Gem State. We discuss why Idaho earned this nickname, delving into the state's diverse and plentiful gemstone deposits. From the famous Idaho star garnets to opals and more, we uncover the hidden treasures beneath our feet.

As always, we share personal anecdotes, fun facts, and our adventures during the hiatus. Whether you're a gemstone enthusiast, a curious listener, or just happy to have us back, this episode promises to be a gem-packed journey across two of America's most intriguing states.

Stay tuned, and let's sparkle together in this exciting new chapter of our podcast!

Transcription here: https://www.parlegems.com/blog/way-to-go-idaho/

It’s been a while! Between (2) quarantines and a terrible case of a stomach bug, we’re back on track to bring you Florida and Georgia.

00:00:00 Name that bool

01:30:00 Long time, no chat

03:18:00 So Florida

05:07:00 Moonstone (For more details on moonstone check out our episode – “Phenomenon-phe-no-me-no-me-non !!!”)

06:45:00 Popularity

07:06:00 Florida state stone

10:41:00 State shell

12:11:00 Georgia – Quartz

13:36:00 2nd most abundant mineral on Earth

14:38:00 Most common mineral on Earth’s crust

15:18:00 Most common mineral in Earth

16:34:00 The core of the Earth

18:42:00 Onto the state mineral—Staurolite

20:33:00 Fairy crystal

20:55:00 Good luck

22:00:00 The legend of the Fairy Crosses

Hello, 2021!! It’s already been off to a crazy start but we will kick things off with the continuation of our “Gems of the US” series. Up next we’ve got Connecticut and Delaware.

00:00:00 Rabbit hole

00:25:00 We’re back

01:45:00 Storytime – wallpaper

O3:00:00 Onto Connecticut and Delaware. Neither of which has a state gemstone.

04:12:00 Connecticut State Mineral = Almandine Garnet

05:10:00 The role that Garnet has in Connecticut

05:52:00 The geology of Connecticut

08:40:00 The Garnet trail

09:42:00 Where to collect Garnet

11:19:00 Connecticut has gem-quality material and should have a state gemstone

11:46:00 Understanding mining in CT

12:24:00 Feldspar

12:42:00 Mica

13:25:00 Beryl

16:20:00 Morganite = JP Morgan

18:26:00 Onto Delaware . . . Sillimanite

19:16:00 Where does the name come from?

20:01:00 Why Sillimanite?

21:02:00 Sillimanite as a gemstone

21:56:00 What’s out on the market?

Up next on our journey exploring gemstones across the US we’ve got Colorado. Not only does Colorado have a state gemstone but it also has a state mineral we haven’t covered yet – rhodochrosite. Pull up a chair as we look into into this double-gemmy episode.

00:00:00 Notes

00:29:00 Colorado

01:10:00 The Charlemagne connection

03:52:00 Ranking in most hated states

05:30:00 Aquamarine

05:47:00 1880’s

08:20:00 The discovery at Mt. Antero

09:30:00 About Mt. Antero

09:55:00 High altitude gemstones

12:07:00 Mining story

14:34:00 Commercial mining

16:07:00 Largest aquamarine crystal to be found in CO

18:43:00 Renewed interest in mining

19:46:00 Get a claim

20:41:00 Rhodochrosite

22:13:00 Single-crystal versus an aggregate specimen

23:23:00 Sweet Home Mine

25:52:00 The 1960’s

26:11:50 The Alma Queen

27:03:00 1991

27:26:00 Alma King discovery

27:44:00 The Crystal Wall

29:07:00 Smithsonian

30:13:00 Off-limits

31:31:00 Other gemstones found in Colorado

Continuing with our series Gems of the US and up next we have California. A state that encompasses a plethora of gemstones we focus dabble about Spodumene, Tourmaline, and of coarse, it’s state gemstone--Benitoite. It's a big state so it is only fair to recognize these two influential gemstones.

00:00:00 Calimocho/ Kalimotxo

01:58:00 Cookie Monster + Wednesday Addams = Happy Halloween

03:24:00 This week –California

04:41:00 Benitoite

05:16:00 Its discovery

09:10:00 What is it?

12:44:00 Gemstone matrix and removing the crystals

14:40:00 You can visit the site it was discovered at

16:24:00 Cost of benitoite

17:28:00 All other minerals in California

18:10:00 Leading gemstone mined in California

18:47:00 All the Tourmaline colors

18:57:50 Rubellite Tourmaline

19:11:00 The Chinese connection

20:24:00 Spodumene = Kunzite

21:19:00 Highschool drama w/ Kunzite

26:30:00 Color fading

27:24:00 JP Morgan + George Kunz

28:07:00 Other California Gemstones

30:24:00 [SIDE NOTE] What is California’s ranking in the most hated states?

Working our way down the alphabet which means we’ve got Arizona and Arkansas up next. These two states bring a plethora of gemmy goodness.

00:00:00 Deck issues

00:58:00 “The United States”

02:10:00 Arizona & Arkansas

03:02:00 Arizona = Turquoise

03:20:00 Rich history in Arizona

03:37:00 State neckwear

05:15:00 First mined in 200 BC

06:06:00 Turquoise legends

06:35:00 It’s found throughout the state

07:31:00 Native American translation for turquoise

08:17:00 Usage with Native Tribes

08:49:00 Healing properties

09:50:00 Famous turquoise mines

12:21:00 Sleeping beauty

14:12:00 Kingman Mine

15:12:00 Other cool gemstones in Arizona

25:37:00 Alright, Arkansas

24:55:00 State gemstone = DIAMONDS!

25:05:00 State flag

25:23:00 Feb. 22nd, 1967

27:02:00 The geology of Arkansas

28:16:00 The discovery of diamonds

29:47:00 The largest diamond found in Arkansas

30:47:00 The start of Arkansas

34:11:00 The early 90’s

35:08:00 The appearance of the diamond in their rough

36:03:00 Average diamond findings

38:25:00 Other gemstones found in Arkansas

With so many people unable to travel beyond the US border and taking more local road trips we figured now was the perfect time to explore each state’s gemstone. To start things off we’re talking about Alabama and Alaska.

00:00:00 Who’s starting?

01:01:00 Alabama and Alaska . . . cue the states song

03:17:00 Alabama – Blue Star Quarts

03:26:00 Thought it would be something red

03:48:00 1990

04:04:00 But why?

06:23:00 How is it found?

07:32:00 Blue Star Quartz being an oddity

09:22:00 Is there any mining going on in Alabama?

09:55:00 The Lane Cake

12:16:00 Moving onto Alaska

12:43:00 Jade = nephrite jade

To learn more about Jade listen to our episode “Stone of Heaven, Hello Jade!” -- https://soundcloud.com/user-141776549-657959872/stone-of-heaven-hello-jade

13:16:00 Native Alaskan Inuits and their use of jade

13:27:00 Where is Alaskan Jade found?

14:34:00 First non-native to rediscover jade

15:14:00 [Storytime] The legend of the Jade House.

18:27:00 Jade Mountain

19:36:00 About the man who made the Jade Lamp

20:45:00 [Storytime] The Jade Lamp

25:00:00 Another modern legend

25:27:00 Washington Monument

27:19:0 0 Other gemstones that are being mined in Alaska?

We’ve covered gold, silver, and platinum. But how do all of these different metals work within the components of jewelry design? We take you through each step of the process from molding to polish and talk about how these metals vary within each step of the process. To ensure we don’t overlook any details we brought in our production manager, Paul Hartman, to join in on the conversation.

00:00:00 Peeing in the pool

00:40:00 All about metals from a jewelry production standpoint

01:43:00 If you would like to get know more about Paul you can listen to his interview here: https://soundcloud.com/user-141776549-657959872/productionwithpaul

02:13:00 Starting out at the beginning of the process – molding

03:17:00 Gypsum used as the investment

04:46:00 What is the casting temperate

06:06:00 Cleanliness

07:30:00 Is there a lot of difference in casting between the metals?

08:10:00 Why do we like using nickel in white gold?

10:41:00 Clipping off the tree

10:55:00 The trunk of the tree

12:48:00 Polish

16:11:00 How long is the process from casting to polish?

18:21:00 Setting

24:38:00 Plating

26:37:00 Durability of silver with tarnish on it

27:60:50 Black rhodium

28:38:00 [Story time] Cyanide bomb

24:43:00 Caustic chemicals involved with metals

31:23:50 What is the most important step in plating?

34:19:00 Wear and durability

36:17:00 Stone in place casting

What is denser than a diamond and is extremely ductile? PLATINUM. Once tossed away to be believed un-ripened silver that noble metal has become a popular choice in jewelry design. Learn about its discovery and its out of this world origins.

00:00:00 Dubba-dub-dub-dub

00:14:00 The game plan with the podcast

03:50:00 Garden Woes

05:54:00 So Platinum. . . how did it get its name?

06:13:00 Platinum’s discovery

08:22:00 Platinum group of metals

10:05:00 Studying the properties of platinum

13:36:00 First reference of platinum

15:12:00 The heaviness of platinum

15:47:00 Platinum is very ductile

16:19:00 Malleability

16:36:00 Durability

18:33:00 Melting point

19:43:00 Mining platinum

20:52:00 WWII

22:05:00 How did it get here?

22:43:00 The moon

22:58:00 Platinum in the Earth’s crust

24:19:00 Producing pure platinum

26:06:00 Platinum in jewelry

26:51:00 Other usages for platinum

27:28:00 Platinum vs. Gold $$$

Moonbeams and ocean reflections are just a few ways to describe the beauty of Moonstone. This week we explore the world of this translucent yet, opulent gemstone.

00:00:00 That’s an “I”

00:44:00 Moonstone

02:50:00 Why is it called moonstone?

03:43:50 The phenomenon, adularescence

04:31:00 What is moonstone?

06:36:00 Where does the name/word adularescence come from?

07:10:00 Quality factors

08:14:00 Moonstone has two cleavage planes

09:08:00 There are (2) types of moonstone

12:28:00 Moonstone is really a trade name

13:12:00 Where is moonstone found?

13:44:00 State gemstone of Florida

14:23:00 Cultural beliefs with moonstone

16:26:00 Ancient Rome

18:46:00 The lovers stone

19:25:00 The travels stone

20:34:00 Skincare

For more information head to: https://www.gia.edu/moonstone