Scientifically speaking, the term “crystal” refers to any solid that has an ordered chemical structure. This means that its parts are arranged in a precisely ordered pattern, like bricks in a wall.

When it comes to gemstones, rarity often directly affects value. And few stones can rival the near-mythical status of ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Robert Hazen was attending a Christmas party, one December night in ...

When paleontologists in China cracked open a set of cannonball sized dinosaur eggs, they did not find bones or embryos.

The discovery could bolster efforts to make the U.S. less dependent on China for minerals essential for renewable power.

While scientists have long known that iron oxide minerals help lock away enormous amounts of carbon—sequestering it from the ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Minerals are the non-living building blocks of the natural world ...

Just like essential nutrients are necessary for a healthy body, critical minerals are necessary for a healthy economy. And a healthy national security. And a healthy educational system. Basically all ...

Four years ago, the Halls of Gems and Minerals at New York’s American Museum of Natural History closed for long-overdue renovations. The cavelike space, deliberately designed to evoke the feeling of ...

My husband jokes that, as a biologist and general wildlife lover, I'm only interested in something if it has four legs and a tail. And he is pretty much right – it has to be really special to draw my ...