Previously Rockhounding

The 1980s are here and money is on everyone's mind, or at least on the minds of Rock & Gem contributors. We read about sky-high silver prices and how to protect your dollars by investing in diamonds. The Frantic Fumbler gives us his reasons for why so few young people are getting into the hobby and we go back to a time when buying direct from a manufacturer was a new, innovative idea. Check out currentlyrockhounding.com/podcast to see this issue's cover art and more!

We've made it to the end of a decade with a lapidary Christmas 1979. The 70s don't exactly go out on a bang, but current trends are thoroughly represented in this issue with another article about using diamonds for lapidary applications, an ad for a belt and disc cleaner and a field trip article in which petrified wood is found via dowsing rods. We do read about some interesting ideas for projects that we would consider making! That's right, a good project idea from Rock and Gem! It was bound to happen eventually, it only took 18 issues. Check out currentlyrockhounding.com/podcast to see this issue's cover art and more!

In this issue some of the articles fall short of what's promised by their titles but we fill in the gaps with helpful information, such as the best ways to preserve your finds on their way from the field to home, and our experience with polishing soapstone. We also learn a great new word for lapidary enthusiasts thanks to the Frantic Fumbler, who also wrote a great article spotlighting the lapidary world's transition to using diamonds. We're getting close to the end of the 1970s and some of the articles seem to be foreshadowing trends that we'll be seeing in the next decade.   Check out currentlyrockhounding.com/podcast to see this issue's cover art and more!

We've made it to 1978, the year the King Tut exhibit traveled around to museums all over the US, and Rock & Gem tries to convince us that it's definitely relevant to lapidary hobbyists. This issue is filled with unconventional articles like a field trip report that is mostly about a murder and less about looking for rocks and making a one-of-a-kind chess set by hiring other people to do all of the work.

In this issue Rock & Gem's field trip reporters are working overtime with reports from all over the US, including Florida, Texas, Wyoming and more! We also talk about the intricacies of providing rock identification services, and a creative casting technique that is still popular today (although it has been slightly updated).  Check out currentlyrockhounding.com/podcast to see this issue's cover art and more! This podcast was sponsored by GaiaGPS. Use the link below to sign up and get a discount and support the podcast. https://www.gaiagps.com/discounts/?fp_ref=currentlyrockhounding

We start 1977 off right with some rockhounding life lessons, a field trip idea for the dead of winter and a jewelry project that we just might try. We muse on the best type of photos for field trip reports and guidebooks, as well as the benefit of seeing rocks and minerals in a museum.   Check out currentlyrockhounding.com/podcast to see this issue's cover art and more! This podcast was sponsored by GaiaGPS. Use the link below to sign up and get a discount and support the podcast. https://www.gaiagps.com/discounts/?fp_ref=currentlyrockhounding

In this issue we read multiple articles that offer little more than common sense, such as how to clean minerals; how to keep yourself safe from belt and pulleys; and more bicentennial jewelry guides. We also genuinely learn about some exciting places in Mexico and mediocre off-label uses for lapidary equipment. Check out currentlyrockhounding.com/podcast to see this issue's cover art and more!

In this episode we read about rockhounding in southern California and southern California-adjacent areas, and learn one good idea and many not so good ideas for using tumbled rocks. We also get our hopes up on a deceptively titled article.

In this episode we are pleasantly surprised by some very elaborate ads and great field reports from Mexico to Oregon. We also read about some DIY projects that we will definitely not be trying ourselves. Check out currentlyrockhounding.com/podcast to see this issue's cover art and more!

Join us for our very first read through of Rock & Gem magazine. In this episode we talk about how much has changed and yet how much has stayed the same in the world of rockhounding and lapidary. Check out currentlyrockhounding.com/podcast to see this issue's cover art and more!