From the Gemstone Forecaster a review of this years Tucson Gem show and other interesting stuff: … Sales at the Tucson Gem Shows suffered when the Great Recession started in 2008. However, the past two years have been surprisingly good for the high-end dealers. This probably reflects the continued demand from international collectors, investors and jewelry buyers. Many of these buyers are gun-shy of stock and real estate markets and are looking to further diversify their portfolios. It gives them peace of mind to place… continued

ESCONI can use donations of geodes for the Geode booth at next year’s annual show. Bring to general or mineralogy meeting and one of the board members at the meeting will be happy to accept your geode gift. 

Via New York Times (hat tip Floyd): Fossils discovered in northeastern China of a giant, previously unrecognized dinosaur show that it is the largest known feathered animal, living or extinct, scientists report. Although several species of dinosaurs with feathers have already been uncovered in the rich fossil beds of Liaoning Province, the three largely complete 125-million-year-old specimens are by far the largest. The adult was at least 30 feet long and weighed a ton and a half, about 40 times the heft of Beipiaosaurus, the largest previously known feathered dinosaur. The two juveniles were a mere half ton each…. more

Via BBC: The geologist from Thrapston is regularly dropped into remote mountain ranges, given a ski-doo and left for weeks, sometimes months, to examine the land. “It is a dangerous environment, there are challenges,” he said. “But the job is quite self-selecting, if you don’t enjoy the challenge then you would quit.”… … His dedication to finding out about the land in extreme conditions has made some important contributions to the knowledge of the Polar region, which led him to be selected for the Polar Medal….