Rocks are everywhere, on the ground in the woods and in your backyard. But rocks are more fascinating than you might think. For example, did you know that pumice is the only rock that floats on water. It does that because it’s full of air bubbles. Or that the oldest type of rock called the Acasta Gneiss has been around for more than 4.031 billion years! Also, did you know that fossils are prehistoric rocks with traces of plants or remains of animals in sedimentary rocks.
Let’s look at some decorative types of gems. Did you know that gemstones are considered rocks. There are many different types of gems. Some of the most common gemstones today are opals, emeralds, and sapphires. Some of the more rare ones are red beryl, black opal, and grandidierite. Most opals including black opals are found in Australia while emeralds are mined mostly in Columbia, Brazil, and Zambia. However, emeralds can be found and are mined throughout the world. Sapphires are mostly found in Kashmir, Burma, and Sri Lanka. Red beryl is so rare that it can only be found in Utah and New Mexico, and it is very difficult to find gem quality stones. Gem quality grandidierite is found mostly in Madagascar and can sell for $20,000 a carat.
Next thing we are going to take a look at are fossils. Fossils can be found just about anywhere. Most dinosaur fossils are found in North America, China, and Argentina. Fossils are preserved remains that were once living things. Some examples are bones, shells, exoskeletons, and stone imprints. Fossils can be preserved in something called amber. Amber can come in many colors such as yellow, orange, green, brown, or red. Amber comes from trees. Amber is not a tree sap, but it is a plant resin that is made of organic compounds. How amber traps things and fossilizes them is it will drip down from the tree and catch things such as feathers, bugs, and other things. Fossils can be formed in many ways but a more common way is when a plant or animal dies in a watery area, and it is buried in mud and silt. Then the soft tissues quickly decompose leaving the hard bones.
Hopefully, after reading this, rocks may be more interesting than you thought before. Next time you see a rock, take a closer look. Those rocks in your backyard could be more special than you think!
The Middle Seat 