Wisconsin Geological Society

Red granite became the state rock in 1971. Granite is an igneous rock made up of a variety of minerals -- typically quartz, feldspar, mica, and hornblende. Granite is commonly used as a building and decorative stone.Shows

Wisconsin Geological Society
Greater Milwaukee Area 2012 Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show
The 55th Annual Wisconsin Geological Society Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show will be held on Saturday May 19th and Sunday May 20th 2012 from 10:00am to 5:00pm each day. The show will be held indoors at the Muellner Building at Hart Park in Wauwatosa, WI.
The Park Entrance is at 72nd and W. State St. Wauwatosa WI. (about 6 miles west of downtown Milwaukee)
Admission $3.00, 2 for $5.00, accompanied children under 16 Free.
The show features 22 dealers from all over the Midwest who sell lapidary supplies, tools, books, rough material, slabs, finished specimens, cabochons, jewelry, carvings, fossils, and more. Children’s activities, exhibits, displays, presentations, and food sales round out the show. 

Download the flyer here

February 26-27; Roseville, MN: Anoka County Gem & Mineral Club, Har Mar
Mall, 2100 Snelling, Sat 10:00-6:00, Sun 10:00-5:00, Contact Martha Miss, 8445 Grange Blvd, Cottage Grove, MN, 55016, rockbiz8@cs.com
March 12 - 13: MACOMB, IL: GESCI Show at Western Illinois University on Murray Street in Macomb, Illinois. Saturday 10-6, Sunday 10-5. For more info contact Jim Travis (309) 645-3609 or Regina Kapta (217) 233-1164.
March 26-27: Monroe, WI: Badger Lapidary & Geological Society, 41st Annual, Rock, Gem, Mineral, & Fossil Show. Monroe Senior High School, 1600 26th St., Monroe, WI 53566. Hours: 9am-5pm Sat & Sun. Contact Terri Marche, 5415 Lost Woods Ct., Oregon, WI 53575; tmarche@education.wisc.edu

For a complete list of the published show dates across the country go to:
www.rockngem.com or http://www.amfed.org/mwf/calendar.htm

Wisconsin State Mineral
Adopted: March 9, 1971 The Kenosha Gem and Mineral Society, to promote geological awareness, introduced the proposal for Wisconsin to adopt a mineral. Galena was chosen because of its immense role in Wisconsin's history and economy. After all Galena (lead) was what first attracted European settlers to Wisconsin.

Sedimentary rocks

  • Sedimentary rocks are the second great rock class. Whereas igneous rocks are born hot, sedimentary rocks are born cool at the Earth's surface, mostly under water. They usually consist of layers or strata, hence they are also called stratified rocks. Depending on what they're made of, sedimentary rocks fall into one of three types.