"Idaho is well known for its gemstone deposits including garnets, topaz, zircons, and aquamarines. Garnets occur throughout the state in a variety of rock types including garnet schists and other metamorphic rocks. Through weathering and erosion, the garnets are freed from the rock matrix. On Emerald Creek, in the panhandle of northern Idaho, gemgrade almandite garnets are abundant in streambed placer deposits. The 12-sided (dodecahedron) crystals range from sand grain to golf-ball size with most smaller than one inch. These dark purple to red garnets are significant for their asterism - an optical phenomenon that displays a star reflection when the stone is cut and polished. One can pan for garnets at a U.S. Forest Service operation on Emerald Creek. This sample is likely such a collection." Sand 2012 - A Closer Look at the World Around Us Calendar - Leo Kenney, Kate Clover, Carol Hopper Brill, Ilya Buynevich

 

International Space Station 70 mm Photograph

Image credit:  Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center (http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov)

 

 

EMERALD CREEK 46.99N, 116.37W

The link is to the Idaho Panhandle site on Emerald Creek.

 

 

 

 

 

ZERO MAGNIFICATION IMAGE

REFLECTANCE SPECTRUM
   

1X MAGNIFICATION (YELLOW LINE  = 1MM)

3X MAGNIFICATION (YELLOW LINE  = 1MM)

Return to Idaho Sand to view high resolution versions of all samples from Idaho. Click the thumbnails under the images above to view high resolution versions.

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