Welcome to the Wisdom Pocket.

We’ve long been looking for the right avenue to add fun content for our customers and the mineral-curious. After rebuilding our database, relaunching iRocks.com, and months of tracking down articles, videos, interviews, photos, and more, we’re finally set to launch our new blog.

For new readers just learning about minerals, you might be curious about the name of our new blog. When searching for fine minerals in mines and mountains, crystals can be found in pockets within the rock. Hot liquids, gases, and molten rock that are produced by various Earth processes, migrate upward from the upper mantle and various parts of the crust and accumulate in pockets located in the Earth’s upper crust. As temperature and pressure is reduced, these liquids, gases, and molten rock, rich in various elements, combine to create the large variety of minerals and crystal shapes that we know and love. Do you know there are almost 5,000 minerals that have been discovered and more are found every year?!

Many of these pockets contain crystals of minerals with distinct characteristics and mineral associations that help make the specimens identifiable from a specific pocket from a particular mine or mineral occurrence. Some pockets and their contained minerals have become world famous for the exceptional color, shape, or crystal size.

These special pockets are often named after the miners or individuals who found them (Charlie Key Pocket of lustrous blue azurite crystals from Tsumeb, Namibia), special characteristics of the specimens found (Blue Cap Pocket – distinct, gemmy rubellite tourmaline crystals with a blue indicolite cap from the Tourmaline Queen Mine, in California), or whimsical memorable jokes (Electric Meatball find of Zunyites).

So now, we present to you the Wisdom Pocket, our own special space to share our knowledge, passion, and insight into the mineral world.