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CATHEDRAL OF
CRYSTALS Beneath the Crust of the Chilhua Desert T H E G R E AT D I A M O N D H O A X O F 1872 • A L L W R A P P E D U P H O W R O C K S S TA C K U P • P R E T T Y D A N G E R O U S ISSUE #110 / VOL #10 JUNE 2014 / $ 5. 99
JUNE 2014
ISSUE #110
FEATURES 14 CAT H E D R A L O F C RY S TA L S
Venture beneath the crust of the Chilhua desert into the amazing crystal caves of Mexico.
28 B A L A N C E D G A R D E N
Find out what makes a garden Zen in this feature article about the Temple of the Peaceful Dragon.
JUNE 2014
DEPARTMENTS THE CORE
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DIG IT
ROCK THOUGHTS
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STRIP MINE
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SCALED
A brief introduction to this months issue by editor Torrey Smith.
Brief introduction about crystals, the core of this months issue. PEBBLES
56 T H E G R E AT D I A M O N D H OA X
Take a step back in time to 1872 to find out what it takes to pull off the world's greatest diamond hoax.
74 H OW R O C K S S TAC K U P
Ever wonder how Stonehenge came to exist or how Devils Tower came to shape? take a look inside‌
112 A L L W R A P P E D U P
Learn the craft of being able to wire wrap and wear your favorite crystals anytime.
ISSUE #110
A brief biography of Aron Ralston and his side of the story.
Explore the razor sharp towers of the Tingsy in Madagasscar.
A couple of great places to consider before starting your next dig
All the latest and greatest rock hounding gear.
17 12 0 What's going on in the rock world and PETROLOGY
what new discoveries are made. FA C E T S
HOUNDED
Information and uses of this months featured stone, Pietersite.
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How rocks and crystals can benefit your day.
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The publishers would like to thank everyone who has furnished information and materials for this issue. Every effort has been made to reach copyright owners or their representatives. The publisher will be pleased to correct any mistakes or omissions in our next issue. Rockhound welcomes editorial submissions; however, return postage must accompany all unsolicited manuscripts if they are to be returned. No responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited materials. All letters will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and subject to rockhound’ right to edit and comment editorially.
founder/ torrey smith editor/ torrey smith web editor/ dick bukowski art director/ torrey smith co-founder/ elle patra creative consultant/ craig liner creative director/ reynolds casanova photography director/ isac brok staff photographer/ barry skeeter productive assistants/ amanda trucks website/ figment evrywaire production assistant/ tom sawyer technology editor/ john cruck contributing editor/ bart springfeild photo editors/ jarred lowely contributing writers/ jeremy manco photographers/ bryan fletcher advertising director/ erin benson marketing director/ dave smithers advertising sales/ james baxter president/ sandra ocean vice president/ steve carr publisher/ turd fergeson CFO/ torrey smith accounting manager/ jenn rex circulation director/ susan lardones circulation consultant/ patrick r. butler general counsel/ ronald einstein subscription/mail order/ will h. order (888) 520 9099 product sales manager/ rick rosaert - (415) 822 4189 product procurment/ james sulavan shipping/ ted climhare technical liaison/ bert skylar
T H E
C O R E
WE’RE DIGGING THIS MONTH This month we explore the aura and science of crystals.
By Torrey Smith
I have always been fascinated with mother earth and all she has to offer, especially all of her precious stones. Rocks have been around since the dawn of time and have been used throughout history in many different ways.
your daily stress by learning to balance your problems and the ones around you, This is simply done by being receptive to positive energy and strengthening your inner intuition. Introducing crystals into your life will help balance your body’s chemistry making your everyday tasks just a tad bit easier.
Some of the most common uses linked to precious stones Tread nearly a thousand and crystals are their feet below the earths Introducing natural abilities to be crust to a cathedral used for healing and of monstrous selenite crystals into other various forms of crystals — imagine meditation and spiritual climbing your way practices. This is because through Madagascar’s your life will of the simple fact that extremely dangerous rocks are made from limestone labyrinth help balance many different types — Be sure to make of earthy minerals that an appointment with your body’s are beneficial to our the Rock Doctor and everyday lives. Perhaps learn some new tricks its because the same for creating quick and chemistry energy and building simple remedies using blocks that make up only crystal's. the earth are the same ones that make So take a minute and relax, recharge up all the creatures on it, or simply put, and get to know some of the earths' humans are connected to rocks. oldest ancestors. Enjoy some of the The main focus of this month’s issue is most tranquil places on earth and like crystals. Crystals are known to be some a buddhist in a zen garden, invoke deep of the best choices of stones, when it meditation.• comes to crystal healing. In this issue FOR THE LOVE OF THE DIG! learn the ideal placements of crystals on e n j o y t h e m a g a z i n e a l r e a d y. and around the body during such rituals. Being at peace with nature and oneself can be challenging in today’s fast paced world, if ya’ll know what I mean. Lessen
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Editor, Torrey Smith perched upon his favorite peak on the Appalachean Trail. Photo by Bryan Fletcher
Torrey Smith, Editor R O C K H O U N D
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The story of Aron Ralston. Forced to amputate to save his own life. By Johnny Quest
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ron Lee Ralston (born October 27 1975 in Indiana, USA) is a mountain climber who, trapped by a boulder in May 2003, was forced to amputate his lower right arm in order to free himself. Having left his job to study mechanical engineering and French at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and to climb all of Colorado’s ‘fourteeners’ (peaks over 14,000 ft high), as Aron negotiated a narrow slot while solocanyoneering in Blue John Canyon (Canyonlands National Park, Utah), a 800 – 1,000 lb. boulder fell and pinned his right forearm, crushing it. Aron’s hand “died” from lack of circulation and, after 5 days’ trying to lift and break the boulder, dehydrated and facing certain death, Aron chose a final option that made him an international sensation – to free himself, he had to amputate his lower right arm! Bowing his arm against a chockstone, Aron snapped the radius and ulna bones. In a onehour operation, he applied a tourniquet, used the dull blade of his multi-tool to cut the soft tissue around the break, and the tool’s pliers to tear at the tougher tendons.
Photo by Bryan Fletcher
Finally freed, Aron was still 8 miles from his truck and he had no mobile ‘phone. He had to rappel down a 65 foot cliff, then hike out of the canyon in the hot sun. Eventually meeting other hikers, Aron was given food and water and rescued by a helicopter search team. Aron was taken to Allen Memorial Hospital in Moab, where he was stabilized before being transported to St. Mary’s Hospital, Grand Junction, Colorado, for surgery. Aron’s arm was cremated and he returned the ashes back at the boulder. Aron videotaped himself daily while trapped, explaining “It gave me a sense of completion. Not only did the camera let me tell my family and friends what had happened, but also it gave me the opportunity to tell them how I was feeling continued on page 136
The tools Aron used to amputate his own arm: a tourniquet made from climbing gear, and the pliers and blade of a multi-tool Although Aron had no sensation in his right hand, he did feel pain coming from the area where the boulder rested on his wrist. When he amputated, Aron felt every bit of it, later noting, “It hurt to break the bone, and it certainly hurt to cut the nerve. But cutting the muscle was not as bad. Overall, it was 100 times worse than any pain I’ve felt before.”
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AN E K NT E MA M INT RE… O P AP CU D N A
SMOKEY QUARTZ
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En me hanc nta es l s spi tre ritu ss al aw are n
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TZ AR
C RYS TA L S A N D C O L O R Many people ask how crystals work or how they have effects on the body and mind. For almost a century, science has shown that everything is made up of energy — a rock, a tree, a river, a human
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Some practitioners use color lamps or machines to project light through crystals to shine rays of true color onto the body.
German scientist Fritz-Albert Popp has suggested that human beings are essentially beings of light. His research has proved that humans actually emit light at certain frequencies; he believes that our whole metabolism depends on light and that the use of light is set to become an important healing tool in the 21st century.
Five gems that will help you to better health.
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All colors of the spectrum have their own vibrational frequency, and when they are directed at the body they are absorbed, leading to a wide variety of effects.
These have been scientifically shown to ease many physical problems. Emerald green light, for example can help to heal broken bones and regenerate tissue, and ruby red light can raise body temperature and increase the metabolic rate. Blue light has a healing effect on burns or damaged skin, while psychological issues benefit from antidepressant orange and apricot shades, and pink lowers aggression.
RO
Lack of exposure to full daylight can have detrimental effects on health. Modern life is lived mostly indoors, away from full natural sunlight, trapped under artificial electric lighting. Medical conditions — including depression, poor sleep, low energy and mood swings — can be caused by lack of sunlight, and this is sometimes called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Exposure to full-spectrum light for several hours daily is enough to correct many of these symptoms.
COLORED LIGHT Color healing directs light in different spectrum colors directly onto or into the body. Application of specific colors, either directly with equipment or visualized by the practitioner, can bring about speedy and effective rebalancing of the body’s energies. Red light has both a warming and stimulating effect and can raise blood pressure. Orange shades are energizing; yellow, which simulates the rise of the sun in the sky, awakens mental awareness. Green light has a soothing effect, calming the breathing. Relaxation responses increase in the presence of blue shades of light, and as these shades darken they simulate night falling and bring on a sense of sleepiness.
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CRYSTAL REMEDIES
By Jennie Harding
very day, thanks to our sun, living on the earth means that we are literally bathed in full-spectrum light, that is, the colors we can see plus invisible rays, such as ultraviolet and infrared. Scientific research has shown that we need to be exposed to full daylight for at least 20 minutes each day to maintain an ideal internal balance of the body’s chemistry. Inside the brain are special centres that respond to light — including the pineal and pituitary glands that control the body’s hormonal balance.
RIN CIT
tem
UR O Y … TER ES N I W BLU
sys he st ize rity erg cla En ntal me
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Clleanses away negativity; can also be used in a spray bottle to cleanse the environment
Soothes the heart and enhances relaxation
CHAKRA CENTERS CLEAR/PURPLE CROWN
AVENTURINE
INDIGO THIRD EYE BLUE THROAT GREEN HEART YELLOW SOLAR PLEXUS ORANGE SACRUM RED BASE
continued on page 139 Photos courtesy www.crystals.com. Illustration by Torrey Smith
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CATHEDRAL OF CRYSTALS
Luminous crystals face threats from foot traffic, looters, and condensation. Mine owners and scientists are doing everything they can to protect this one of a kind environment.
By Neil Shea Photos By Carsten Peter
Earth’s Biggest Kept Secret…
...UNTIL NOW
T
he Naica Mine of Chihuahua, Mexico, is a working mine that is known for its extraordinary crystals. Naica is a lead, zinc and silver mine in which large voids have been found, containing crystals of selenite (gypsum) as large as 4 feet in diameter and 50 feet long. The chamber holding these crystals is known as the Crystal Cave of Giants, and is approximately 1000 feet down in the limestone host rock of the mine. The crystals were formed by hydrothermal fluids emanating from the magma chambers below. The cavern was discovered while the miners were drilling through the Naica fault, which they were worried would flood the mine. The Cave of Swords is another chamber in the Naica Mine, containing similar large crystals. The Naica mine was first discovered by early prospectors in 1794 south of Chihuahua City. They struck a vein of silver at the base of a range of hills called Naica by the Tarahumara Indians. The origin in the Tarahumara language seems to mean “a shady place”. Perhaps here in the small canyon there was a grove of trees tucked away by a small canyon spring. From that discovery, until around 1900, the primary interest was silver and gold.
Around 1900 large-scale mining began as zinc and lead became more valuable. During the Mexican Revolution the mine was producing a great deal of wealth. Revolutionary troops entered the town and demanded money from the owners. One of them was assassinated when he refused to pay, causing the mine to shut down from 1911 to 1922. Just before the mine was closed, the famous Cave of Swords was discovered at a depth of 400 feet. Due to the incredible crystals, it was decided to try to preserve this cave. While many of the crystals have been collected, this is still a fascinating cave to visit. In one part there are so many crystals on one of the walls, they appear to be like an underwater reef moving in a gentle undulating motion in an ocean current. In April 2000, brothers Juan and Pedro Sanchez were drilling a new tunnel when they made a truly spectacular discovery. While Naica miners are accustomed to finding crystals, Juan and Pedro were absolutely amazed by the cavern that they found. The brothers immediately informed the engineer in charge, Roberto Gonzalez. Ing. Gonzalez realized that they had discovered a natural treasure and quickly rerouted the tunnel.During
this phase some damage was done as several miners tried to remove pieces of the mega-crystals, so the mining company soon installed an iron door to protect the find. Later, one of the workers, with the intention of stealing crystals, managed to get in through a narrow hole. He tried to take some plastic bags filled with fresh air inside, but the strategy didn’t work. He lost consciousness and later was found thoroughly baked.
TOP TO BOTTOM: Interior of Cave of Crystals, Close up of selenite formation, Interior of Cave (temperatures inside only allow visitors to stay for a short while.)
PREVIOUS PAGE: Deep below the Chihuahuan Desert explorers are dwarfed by massive selenite crystals. Example of selenite formation
When entering the cave our group is issued helmets, lanterns, rubber boots, and gloves. One must then be driven by truck into the main mining tunnel called Rampa, San. Francisco. While the vertical drop is approximately 1000 feet, the drive is almost a half mile long. The heat steadily increases and women have been observed to begin “glowing”. The truck stops in front of a concrete wall with a steel door. The intense heat can prevent brain functioning. At the end of the tunnel there are three or four steps into the aperture of the cavern itself. It is in this short tunnel. In this short distance the temperature and humidity goes from being uncomfortably warm to literally a blast furnace. continued on page 146
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Designing a garden to reach your inner… T
he Zen garden has a long and impressive history and in fact. there are several different types of Zen garden. The most famous is the dry garden, which is called Karesansui. This word translates into “dry mountain, and water garden” and to create the look, rocks and gravel are used throughout. This type of Zen garden is designed in such a way that the raked gravel resembles water. Then to create the look of water flowing, small
rocks, pebbles, and sand are used. Often in the dry Zen garden, you will see one large rock that is the predominant feature. This rock is representative of the mountains that tower over the countryside. With this type of garden, it is believed that the stillness of the “water”, being the gravel is the peace and tranquility of the mind. In ancient China, Zen priests would take the majestic view of the mountainside and create the Zen garden
based upon Shakkei, which translates to “borrowed scenery”. Another type of Zen garden is one that is lush and green, and interestingly, would often be designed as a compliment to the dry Zen garden. This type of garden creates a magical illusion of a long journey found within a specific space. Many of the gardens have paths that meander through the garden, making their way around beautiful trees and shrubs as
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By Karen Larkins Photos by Roy Tennant well as over streams and near waterfalls and statues. Each twist and turn of the path is designed to keep the individual’s mind on the spiritual journey. The Zen garden has been a major part of history for centuries. However, they did not evolve into what we know them to be until the late 6th Century. Most of the early Zen gardens were quite large and provided the opportunity for Buddha Priests to stroll throughout the garden. Then in the 11th Century, the dry landscape was adopted. It was then in the 13th Century that the principles of the Zen garden were finally established to what we know them as today. continued on page 158
CLOCKWISE: Balance your work space by introducing a miniature garden for your desktop; Detail of the garden at the Temple of the Peaceful Dragon in Kyoto; Grab a seat next to this relaxing man made waterfall; Detail of some of the plant life commonly found in rock gardens; Detail of racked sand from a typical Zen garden
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PRETTY DANGEROUS By Neil Shea
T
he lizard moved in frightened rhythms across the sun-blasted stone. A few quick steps, a turn of its boxy head. Then the stillness, the absolute zero, of a creature that sensed it was being hunted. All around, jagged spires and flutes rose like the towers of some Gothic cathedral, silent and empty. From the canyons below, a parrot flew squawking, breaking the trance. The lizard launched. Hery Rakotondravony’s arm fired out. Moments later the young herpetologist uncurled his fingers. “I think this is a new species.” In the few days we’d spent in Madagascar’s Tsingy de Bemaraha national park and reserve, it was the second or third time he’d said this. On an island famous for its biodiversity (90 percent of the species here are
Rugged, massive, largely unexplored and nearly impenetrable. Exploring the beautiful Tsingy formations is a risk but worth the adventure.
endemic, found nowhere else on Earth), the 600-square-mile protected area is an island unto itself, a kind of biofortress, rugged, largely unexplored, and made nearly impenetrable by the massive limestone formation — the tsingy — running through it. The great block of Jurassic stone has dissolved into a labyrinth of knife-edged towers, slot canyons, and wet caves that ward off humans while harboring other animals and plants. New species are frequently described from the isolated habitats within a previously
unknown coffee plant in 1996, a minuscule lemur in 2000, a bat in 2005, a frog two years later. Even larger animals have been found relatively recently, including a long-legged lemur discovered in 1990 but named, somewhat whimsically, only in 2005 after British comedian and conservation advocate John Cleese.
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Block of Jurassic stone has dissolved into a labyrinth of knife-edged towers, slot canyons, and wet caves that ward off humans while harboring other animals and plants. Circles clockwise: Climber on top of the razor sharp Tsingy, Tisingy at dusk, example of just how formed the slot canyons have become, Tsingy during sunrise. Photography by Stephen Alvarez
“You can move between valleys and find different things,” Goodman said. “The Tsingy formations of Madagascar are one of the places on Earth that hold extraordinary biological treasures. You just have to go in and look around.” Going in is the hard part.
In March at the end of the rainy season, just before the leaves browned and fell and winter dried the forest’s thin streams, photographer Stephen Alvarez and I traveled into the park. Rakotondravony had agreed to guide us. It was his fourthtrip to the Tsingy de Bemaraha; he is one of a handful of scientists who have gone continued on page 155
Steven Goodman, a biologist with the Field Museum in Chicago who has lived and worked in Madagascar for 20 years, describes the region as “a refuge within paradise,” a place where a kind of biology more familiar a century ago can still be practiced and where simply walking around might put you face to face with a creature never seen before.
Right – Left: Malagasy Dragonfly; Seseke or leaf-tailed gecko; Iguana; sifakas a species of lemur only found in the Tsingy
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FORM AND STRUCTURE ◆
q uartz in a trigonal crystal system found in masses, with light-reflecting layers
COLOR ◆
d ark blue and gold with small white inclusions
GEOGR APHICAL SOURCES ◆
C hina, Namibia, South Africa
RARIT Y ◆
n ot common; obtain from specialist crystal suppliers
HARDNESS ◆
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PHYSICAL/EMOTIONAL USES ◆
Beauty in the eye of the boulder.
PIETERSITE
By Jennie Harding
P
ietersite is a member of the quartz group. It is a mineral that has only recently been discovered, and it has an unusual appearance, made up of swirling masses of mottled layers of dark blue and gold. These layers are combinations of silt, sand and quartz that have become fused together. The layers also contain fibres that catch the light, but, unlike tiger’s eye, where they are laid in parallel bands, in pietersite the bands are folded and mixed, creating a wonderfully irregular play of light through the stone. Pietersite changes color constantly as it is turned towards light, and it also has a luminous, almost metallic sheen. The dark blue and gold of pietersite are beautiful shades that link the third-eye and solar plexus chakras. The solar plexus chakra holds golden solar energy, light and vitality; the third eye expands consciousness into wider realms. Looking at pietersite is like observing the contrast between the energy of the sun and the soft depths of the twilight sky. The stone brings brightness, expansion and flow into new realms of understanding. It encourages the powerful expansion of dreams, ideas and creative impulses, as well as generating the energy needed to make them happen. It helps to free energy that is stuck in repetitive patterns, allowing new solutions to emerge.•
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a ctivates energy, almost in a similar way to a vortex helps dissolve emotional, mental or physical blockages, or feelings of being stuck strengthens the nervous system, and energizes and revitalizes the solar plexus chakra relaxes muscular tension and gives the body a sense of vitality and renewal can facilitate inner journeying, allowing visions of other levels of existence with information relevant to the present moment, as well as increasing intuition and clairvoyance
HEALING EFFECTS ◆
p lace on the solar plexus chakra to revitalize the physical energy of the body
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p lace it over the third eye to activate psychic awareness
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w orks well with gold or blue tiger’s eye to enhance its energy
PERSONAL USES ◆
m editate with it to move through blocks and release stagnant energy, whether in the mind, the emotions or the body
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c arry a piece to increase creativity and intuitive leaps of awareness J U N E
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For educational use only: not for publication