Meteorite Message from Mars

A Martian meteorite, an incredibly rare object, has been given to science to help unravel the Red Planet's secrets.  

Researchers will look for minerals formed in the presence of water, and for any signs of organics - carbon-rich molecules. 

Energy, water, a source of carbon are the prerequisites for life as we know it. Finding evidence for any of these phenomena in Tissint tells scientists something about how habitable Mars might have been in the past.

"It's a messenger from Mars," said Prof Andrew Coates from the UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory. "It allows you to look back at the history of Mars and its formation. It's a history lesson on what Mars' atmosphere was like years ago - could there ever have been the right conditions for life?"

To read the whole article: Rare Martian meteorite given to science

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I Dig Crystals

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Rare fossils found in old quarry

Here's an interesting article, "Rare Fossils found in old quarry", about some extremely old fossils found with well-preserved organisms from the Ordovician period, which began about 495m years ago. Fossils not only link us to our physical past, but can bridge us with our past memories and lives. Use fossil stones to enhance your connection with lessons learned from past history and hold them during past life regression therapy. 

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I Dig Crystals

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CRYSTALS: Petalite

QUESTION: Sheila, I was wondering if you could tell me why the crystal Petalite is cheaper in a tumblestone or palm stone than it is in a very small rough stone. Let me know if you can find out why. Thank you for your help.

ANSWER: Hi, thanks for your question. Don't quote me on this, but my guess is that Petalite is cheaper in its rough form because it so small and rare. It is also a very fragile stone, so it takes a real expert in faceting to actually develop a beautiful cut Petalite. Tumbling Petalite may require several rough pieces to be melded together to make a palm stone and/or it may diminish the value of the crystal because so much of the stone falls apart in this process.

This is my guess, if anyone else has a knowledgable answer to this question, please chime in!

Sheila Satin