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  • In this episode of Getting Stoned, Johnna chats with Dr. Robert Lavinsky, the founder of The Arkenstone, and www.iRocks.com. 

    Rob shares his story with Johnna and the conversation covers, minerals, gems,  Rob's support of Mindat, the largest mineral database and a mineralogical reference website on the Internet, Elon Musk at a Denver gem show some years ago, artificial intelligence, and its impact on the mineral industry. 

    You can learn more about Rob by visiting his website, www.irocks.com.

  • In this episode of Getting Stoned, I interviewed Nikita and Moji, a married couple who moved from Houston to San Diego to embark on a new life. They got into the crystal business and have had quite the adventure. The two bought their first Tesla with crystal sales, have had a child, and are awaiting their third Tesla. 

    We talked about crystals, the business and the stones, Elon Musk and my recent interview with him, Tesla, and more. 

    You can find them on Instagram at instagram.com/om.crystals

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  • This is a uniquely special episode where I was invited down to Giga Texas to interview Elon Musk. I don't think we need an introduction, here--we all know who he is. 

    The audio was edited by one of my best friends, Hart Deer (lead singer of Soulfire, an Atlanta-based rock group) and @TeslaHerbert 

    Elon opened the fudge I'd brought him from Bucc-ees, and a few horns honked in the background as we were in a factory. So I apologize in 

    Elon invited me to come back since I didn't get to ask all of my questions--he was incredibly focused on working in the factory and I'm grateful for the time he took with me. So there will, eventually, be a Part 2 to this episode. 

    In this episode, we talk about:

    SpaceX and the light of consciousness, Starlink and helping with disasters, his work with the Musk Foundation, the declining birthrate and the role poverty plays in it, one critical solution that would lift people out of poverty, Tesla, Tesla's new justice and legal department, Tesla Energy and the work it's doing in Texas to help the grid and we also touched upon AI. 

  • Today I have a special guest, Davit Kvitsiani, Founder & CEO of CNICK, a company that makes jewelry tech that can unlock car doors and more.

    Davit has some neat announcements including an NFT, a new bracelet as well as what I’ve heard of, the Tesla Ring. In this episode, Davit shares what inspired him to create the ring and how the Tesla community helped him with feedback and support.

    You don’t have to be a Tesla owner to have the ring as it is used for many things other than locking or unlocking a Tesla.

    To learn about the Tesla ring go here; https://teslaring.com/

    To learn more about CNICK’s NFT Project go here: https://evolution.cnick.io/

    Note, podcast graphic designed by Johnna Crider with a photo provided by CNICK (used with permission)

  • The Baton Rouge Gem and Mineral Society held a fun gem and mineral show at the Blue Bonnet Nature Reserve. The theme was 'Rockin in the Swamp.' I went and had a blast, added gems and minerals to my collection, and bought some for my small jewelry business. 

    This episode introduces a local group and a local artist. I have videos, photos and more info in this blog post:

    https://gettingstoned.online/f/getting-stoned-br-gem-show

  • This episode is a shout-out to Tiff Trolls. I bought a troll from her and love how she used crystals in her creations. She’s also helping the environment by upcycling old trolls and making them into art. Note, I mistakenly said her Etsy in the audio but I have her website in the links below. 

    Links:

    Tiff's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffs_trolls/

    Tiff's website: https://www.tiffstrolls.com/

    About Getting Stoned.

    Getting Stoned is a podcast about gems, minerals, and fun conversations that may go off-topic--but that’s perfectly fine. This podcast's mission is to encourage folks to explore the wonderful world of crystals, gems, minerals, and the various ways they are used in life, technology, and more.

    Visit gettingstoned.online.

  • Tranquillityite is a neat and rare mineral that was first found on the moon during the Apollo missions. It was later found in Australia in 2011 and this is where my piece came from.

    Interesting articles:

    https://www.cnet.com/news/diamonds-nah-burning-man-wedding-ring-holds-a-piece-of-the-moon/

    https://gettingstoned.online/gem-blog/f/my-first-look-at-tranquillityite-which-was-found-on-the-moon

  • I started Getting Stoned, a podcast about gems and minerals on New Years Day 2021, and today is the one-year anniversary!

    As a celebration, I share other January birthstones and am having a special $10 off any jewelry orders over $20 for the entire month of January.

    Shop at GettingStoned.online and use code stoned1year at checkout.

    About Getting Stoned.

    Getting Stoned is a podcast about gems, minerals, and fun conversations that may go off-topic--but that’s perfectly fine. This podcast's mission is to encourage folks to explore the wonderful world of crystals, gems, minerals, and the various ways they are used in life, technology, and more.

    Visit gettingstoned.online.

  • In this episode of Getting Stoned, I talk about Stibnite and antimony. Also, apologies for the mic messing with the sound--getting a new one soon!

    Major shout out to this episode's two sponsors, Rivet.cloud and The BitBot Society. 

    Podcast Links

    Rivet

    Rivet.cloud

    The BitBot Society

    Tbitbotsociety.Io

    BitBot #185

    https://opensea.io/assets/0x68cf439ba5d2897524091ef81cb0a3d1f56e5500/185

    GettingStoned.eth

    https://opensea.io/assets/0x57f1887a8bf19b14fc0df6fd9b2acc9af147ea85/64417417117741993799500323304516420545277054139633663791735500997646502310229

    9 Deadliest Rocks And Minerals On Earth

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2016/02/14/9-deadliest-rocks-and-minerals-on-earth/?sh=189181c3659b

    More Info on Stibnite

    https://www.rockngem.com/studying-stibnite/

    Sponsors' Information

    Rivet.cloud is a blockchain node infrastructure service that focuses on simplifying building on blockchains. It handles the unique challenges that come with running node clients at scale and frees up developers to focus on their projects without having to worry about maintaining the infrastructure. It’s also the only service of its kind powered by open-source software.

    It also has the industry’s most robust privacy. Learn more at rivet.cloud

    The Bit Bot Society is an NFT project that is being launched by a diverse team of artists and professionals. One of the artists is a friend and he was even on Getting Stoned with me. The group kindly gifted me BitBot #185 and I’ll have the link to my NFT and The BitBot Society in the podcast description. You can learn more about The BitBot Society at bitbotsociety.io

    About Getting Stoned.

    Getting Stoned is a podcast about gems, minerals, and fun conversations that may go off-topic--but that’s perfectly fine. This podcast's mission is to encourage folks to explore the wonderful world of crystals, gems, minerals, and the various ways they are used in life, technology, and more.

    Visit gettingstoned.online.

  • Davemaoite is a new mineral that has never been observed in nature before. The reason for this is that it is a lower mantle mineral which would typically fall apart once out of a high pressured environment.

    Link to article by UNLV

    https://www.unlv.edu/news/release/research-brief-first-ever-interior-earth-mineral-discovered-nature

  • The podcast cover graphic includes the photomicrograph by Nathan Renfro

    GIA scientists examined the gemstone which is a D color .53 carat round brilliant cut diamond with a unique cloud inclusion that looks like the profile of a faceted round brilliant diamond. It seriously looks like someone typed a gemstone emoji inside the gem.

    In their blog post, GIA said the diamond-shaped cloud appeared to be completely natural when it was examined in the microscope. GIA stated, "In this diamond, the cloud’s presence adds beauty, value, and distinction. Thanks to an observant and skillful polisher, we get to see another “brilliant” example of an intriguing cloud inclusion in diamond."

    Scientists used photomicrography to determine the depth of the cloud and found that not only was it three-dimensional, but part of the center reached the diamond's surface.

    They also compiled photoluminescence maps from thousands of spectra--each with pixels that are 10 microns in size. This shows the peak intensity of the gemstone and showed that the diamond cloud had a lower intensity than the surrounding diamond yet a portion of the girdle section in the cloud had a higher H3 intensity.

    I'll include the link to the blog post in the podcast description for you to check out.

    https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/spring-2021-microworld-diamond-shaped-cloud-in-diamond

    About Getting Stoned.

    Getting Stoned is a podcast about gems, minerals, and fun conversations that may go off-topic--but that’s perfectly fine. This podcast's mission is to encourage folks to explore the wonderful world of crystals, gems, minerals, and the various ways they are used in life, technology, and more.

    For more information on sponsoring, merch, and YouTube, visit gettingstoned.online.

  • In my last episode of Getting Stoned, I talked about Eterneva, a company that specializes in creating lab grown diamonds from the ashes of a pet or loved one as a way to honor that person's life. Upon hearing my short and sweet episode, Eterneva reached out to me and I am to delighted to share my interview with Adelle Archer, Co-Founder of Eterneva. Adelle lost a dear friend of hers and shared the story of the birth of this gem of a company.

    To learn more about Eterneva, you can visit their websites

    Webs; https://eterneva.com/

    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eterneva

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/eterneva

    About Getting Stoned.

    Getting Stoned is a podcast about gems, minerals, and fun conversations that may go off-topic--but that’s perfectly fine. This podcast's mission is to encourage folks to explore the wonderful world of crystals, gems, minerals, and the various ways they are used in life, technology, and more.

    For more information on sponsoring, merch, and YouTube, visit gettingstoned.online.

  • Today I want to tell you about this company I found while scrolling through TikTok. I have become slightly addicted to the app and have learned a lot from it. Tons of jewelry artisans, gemologists and mineral lovers fill my feed with dazzling content and I stumbled upon one company, Eterneva, which has a unique product.

    Eterneva specializes in lab grown diamonds from your loved one's or pets ashes or hair. This may sound morbid at first, but I think it's a neat way to honor a loved one.

    Their prices range from $3,000 to $50,000 depending on the carat weight of the stone and its color. I invited them to come on to the podcast via Instagram, but so far no response. I admit, the podcast is in its beginning stages--it’s not even a year old. However I would love to know the inspirational story behind this company.

    When you bring a human element such as a story, it makes a product much more endearing--creating an emotional connection. The idea of memorializing a loved one by turning them into a gemstone is unique. Eterneva also offers grading, engraving and jewelry setting for your diamond.

    Links

    Eternava.com

    About Getting Stoned.

    Getting Stoned is a podcast about gems, minerals, and fun conversations that may go off-topic--but that’s perfectly fine. This podcast's mission is to encourage folks to explore the wonderful world of crystals, gems, minerals, and the various ways they are used in life, technology, and more.

    For more information on sponsoring, merch, and YouTube, visit gettingstoned.online.

  • This wasn't intentional at all. I've shared bits of this story and people are always asking me to share details so I decided to make a podcast about it. Long story short, I had placed my Golden Herkimers with my regular Herkimers and grabbed one to meditate with. Placed it in the cup of a candle holder (where the oil goes for tea light candle holders) and had an explosive meditation session, to say the least. 

    About Getting Stoned.

    Getting Stoned is a podcast about gems, minerals, and fun conversations that may go off-topic--but that’s perfectly fine. This podcast's mission is to encourage folks to explore the wonderful world of crystals, gems, minerals, and the various ways they are used in life, technology, and more.

    For more information on sponsoring, merch, and YouTube, visit gettingstoned.online.

  • Did you know that we have magnetite crystals inside our brains? Magnetite is a mineral made up of iron oxide but it has equal amounts of iron (ii), which is ferrous oxide,  and iron (iii) which is ferric oxide. Ferric oxide has three electrons--represented by the number 3 and one of those came from ferrous oxide--represented by the number 2.

    Both produce numerous types of materials such as plastics, heat-absorbing glass, ceramics and even rubber. Special high purity iron oxides are used in the production of ferrites, a type of ceramic magnet used in electronics such as speakers, TVs and computer memory cores.

    Magnetite is found in all types of rocks--igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary and yes it is magnetic. And this stuff is in our bodies and more primarily, our brains.

    Physics Today published an article back in 2018 titled 'Mapping magnetite in the human brain.' In 1992, researchers discovered the magnetic crystal in human brain tissue and it's thought to have formed biogenically with some possibly originating in ferritin which is an intracellular protein that is found in many organisms.

    The article goes on to say that various studies have shown that brain cells respond to external magnetic fields. There's also a link between elevated levels of magnetite and neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers noted that there were elevated levels of magnetite in brain tissue from Alzheimer’s disease patients.

    Two scientists from the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, geophysicist Stuart Gilder and neuroscientist Christoph Schmitz, carried out the first systematic mapping of magnetite nanoparticles in the human brain.

    They found magnetite concentrated in the same places in the seven brains they analyzed. They noted that the magnetite was mostly in the cerebellum and brain stem and that there was a striking asymmetry in the distribution of the magnetite particles between both hemispheres of the brain. In animals such as homing pigeons and honeybees, magnetites enable them to sense magnetic field lines. As for humans, we don't seem to sense those magnetic fields. Perhaps we are simply not in tune with our bodies anymore? Think of when a natural disaster is about to happen and animals start to flee. This is because they are able to sense a disturbance, but we are unable to.

    For more information, explore the links in the podcast description.

    LINKS

    https://info.noahtech.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-ferrous-and-ferric-oxide

    https://physicstoday.scitation.org/do/10.1063/PT.6.1.20180830a/full/

    https://physicstoday.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.2897947

    Photo in podcast cover from Arkenstone https://www.irocks.com/minerals/specimen/46980

    About Getting Stoned.

    Getting Stoned is a podcast about gems, minerals, and fun conversations that may go off-topic--but that’s perfectly fine. The mission of this podcast is to encourage folks to explore the wonderful world of crystals, gems, minerals, and the various ways they are used in life, technology, and more.

    For more information on sponsoring, merch, and YouTube, visit gettingstoned.online.

  • Today on Getting Stoned, I’d like to share with you how a piece of Elon Musk’s rocket found its way to me.

    Before sharing how I got so lucky, I'll give you a quick recap of Starship Serial Number 9 (SN9 for short). Back in February, SpaceX, which has been testing its Starships that will one day take us to Mars, tried to land Starship SN9.

    The rocket did this really cool flip maneuver then exploded. The cause was one of the Raptor engines not relighting and this caused SN9 to land at high speed, thus experiencing rapid unscheduled disassembly.

    Fast forward to July and a piece of that rocket is sitting next to one of my apophyllite specimens. My friend Gail, who often goes to Starbase, had a few twisted metal pieces from the explosion gifted to her. She gave one to me.

    About Getting Stoned.

    Getting Stoned is a podcast about gems, minerals, and fun conversations that may go off-topic--but that’s perfectly fine. The mission of this podcast is to encourage folks to explore the wonderful world of crystals, gems, minerals, and the various ways they are used in life, technology, and more.

  • Today on Getting Stoned, I want to talk about a lovely mineral called Phenakite. Phenakite, spelled with either a c or a k, is a rare neso-silicate mineral with beryllium ortho-silicate. It's often found sold as a crystal and used in spiritual practices or worn as jewelry.

    Southern Jewelry News shared some great info on Phenakite which is a great gem alternative to diamonds while not actually trying to be a diamond. Phenakites have a colorless variety (they also have peach and gold) and although they are known are a rare stone, they are, in my opinion, easily obtainable. I have some and have wrapped and sold some to customers.

    Phenakite gets its name from the Ancient Greek word, phenakos which means deceiver and this is because of the gem's appearance. The gem is similar to quartz. Rough Phenakite sometimes may display trigons which would lead one to think they've found a diamond and ranks 7.5-8 on the Moh's scale.

    PalaGems pointed out that Phenakite was first found with an emerald and alexandrite embedded in a mica-schist in the Ural Mountains. It was also found in the Urals on Lake Ilmen at Miask.

    Here’s an interesting fact about Phenakite and the U.S. Navy. The USS Phenakite was a converted yacht used by the Navy during both World Wars and was built in 1902 as the yacht, Celt. It had other names as well. As the USS Phenakite, it patrolled the waters off of the Florida Keys during World War II.

    https://southernjewelrynews.com/columnists/the-story-behind-the-stone-finding-phenakite/

    http://www.palagems.com/rarer-gems

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Phenakite

    About Getting Stoned.

    Getting Stoned is a podcast about gems, minerals, and fun conversations that may go off-topic--but that’s perfectly fine. The mission of this podcast is to encourage folks to explore the wonderful world of crystals, gems, minerals, and the various ways they are used in life, technology, and more.

    For more information on sponsoring, merch, and YouTube, visit gettingstone.online.

  • Today on Getting Stoned, I want to tell you about some cool lava specimens I got in the mail last week. Earlier this month, a volcanic eruption in Iceland erupted and one of my friends actually was able to go and collect lava samples.

    She did so safely and there's even a video she posted on her YouTube channel--the link will be below. Anyway, she was kind enough to send me a few samples. I took video and photos before applying glaze over the samples. She told me they would oxidize if I didn't apply any type of protective coating. She also told me that these samples came straight from the earth's magma.

    In her video, you can clearly see her in a protective suit as she walks up to the lava flow which is black on the top yet liquid magma on the bottom. Using a tool, she digs into the molten lava and scoops it up--you can see her walking with the shovel carrying the molten lava. She deposited it into a container and the video ended.

    I also created a video of the specimens and the link is below.

    My friend’s video of her gathering lava.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yorpe54bDaM

    My video of the samples.

    https://youtu.be/SNdR83Q-3cY

    About Getting Stoned.

    Getting Stoned is a podcast about gems, minerals, and fun conversations that may go off-topic--but that’s perfectly fine. The mission of this podcast is to encourage folks to explore the wonderful world of crystals, gems, minerals, and the various ways they are used in life, technology, and more.

    Sometimes I interview guests and other times I’m sharing something neat I found. If you enjoy this podcast please feel free to subscribe to my new YouTube channel, Getting Stoned Online.

    I also have sponsorship opportunities starting at just $1 per month. Sponsors get early access to Getting Stoned podcasts and free access to my online gem library filled with digital art and ebooks that I’ve created. Visit my website, gettingstoned.online to learn more.

  • I want to talk about green gold. It’s a hard-to-find type of gold that when occurring in nature, it is an alloy known as electrum.

    Manhattan Gold & Silver has a blog post about it and they said that the green tint in this form of gold is subtle. Only a trained eye would be able to quickly spot it. The blog also dove into the history of green gold. In the Old Kingdom of Egypt--sometime around the third millennium BC, it was used as a coating for the capstones that sat on the obelisks and pyramids.

    Ancient drinking vessels and even the first metal coins were made from electrum. Also, Nobel Prize medals were made with it for several years. In jewelry, it's often used as an accent color or the main material. However, the alloying of gold and silver doesn't make it stronger. Usually, green gold will have zinc or nickel to strengthen--but be careful with nickel. Many people are allergic to jewelry with nickel.

    It’s so uncommon that when I looked up where to buy the metal, I found a jewelry forum with someone asking the same question I was searching.

    She was told that her best bet was to make the alloy herself with 50% fine silver and 50% gold. My jewelry supplier where I get my precious metal wire from doesn’t have it, sadly.

    Electrum Magazine took a dive into the historical linguistics of electrum, which is the Latin version of the word, electron. According to the article, Amber was connected to the word, elector, which means 'beaming sun,' and was also related to fire.

    The Ancient Greek word, electron, was another word that described the alloy of gold and silver. Homer even mentioned Electrum in the Odyssey. when Telemachus spoke of the splendor of the Palace of Menelaus.

    “Son of Nestor, dear to this heart of mine, mark the flashing of bronze throughout the echoing halls, and the flashing of gold, of electrum, of silver, and of ivory. Of such sort, methinks, is the court of Olympian Zeus within,  such untold wealth is here; amazement holds me as I look.”

    Electrum Magazine poetically writes, "Thus, the continuity of expanding meanings for electron and electrum from the ancient world through the present is an exciting exploration in philology, ancient material culture and economic history. The finely-detailed insects embedded in fossil amber for millions of years, preserved for near eternity, remind us that electrum can last far longer than the ancient cultures who valued it as a precious substance. This long timeline ought to be humbling to mortal humans."

    Link to the articles.

    https://www.mgsrefining.com/blog/2020/10/28/what-is-green-gold/

    http://www.electrummagazine.com/2010/12/electrum-from-ancient-to-modern-meanings/

    Podcast cover created with an image by Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. http://www.cngcoins.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72722827 

    About Getting Stoned

    Getting Stoned is a podcast about gems, minerals, and fun conversations that may go off-topic--but that’s perfectly fine. The mission of this podcast is to encourage folks to explore the wonderful world of crystals, gems, minerals, and the various ways they are used in life, technology, and more.

    Sometimes I interview guests and other times I’m sharing something neat I found. If you enjoy this podcast please feel free to subscribe to my new YouTube channel, Getting Stoned Online. I also have sponsorship opportunities starting at just $1 per month. Sponsors get early access to Getting Stoned podcasts and free access to my online gem library filled with digital art and ebooks that I’ve created. Visit my website, gettingstoned.online to learn more.