Rockhounding for Star Garnets in North Idaho

Tue, 01/24/2012 - 12:47

6-point Idaho Star GarnetThe Star Garnet is a beautiful stone found primarily in Idaho. The only other known location to find star garnets is in India, but Idaho has much richer deposits of the gem and is the only place to find the rare six point star garnet (pictured). The Star Garnet has been Idaho's state gemstone since 1967.

Garnets are hard stones that have been used as gemstones and abrasives since the Bronze Age. The name comes from genet, a 14th century Middle English word meaning dark red, derived from the latin word granatus which was a reference to the pomegranate with fruit that is similar in size, shape, and color to many garnets.

There are many historical and mythological references to garnet use. It is said that Noah used a garnet lantern to help him steer the biblical ark through the night. Garnets have been found in jewelry from early Egyptian times, as well as throughout the Greek and Roman eras. In medieval times garnets were worn under the belief that they had healing or other beneficial properties. Various colors were used to enhance strength and endurance, relieve skin conditions, and cure heart, blood, and lung diseases. Certain colors of garnets are also said to cure depression or even enhance business and personal success.

Garnets range in color from red and orange to green, blue, purple, brown, black, pink, and colorless. The rarest color is blue, and the rarest variant is the star garnet. Star garnets typically have 4-point stars, however in Idaho it is possible to find garnets with six-point stars. The star pattern is caused by a unique inclusion of rutile, a mineral with one of the highest refractive indices of any known mineral.

This Week in Coeur d'Alene (January 23 - January 30, 2012)

Sun, 01/22/2012 - 17:07

After a late start to Summer 2011, we're now seeing late start in winter, having just gotten our first major snow of the season, even though it's been cold for awhile already. Check out the Coeur d'Alene events calendar below to find some fun activities to shake those winter blues!

Additional Information: 

Please note that the Lake City Center collects fees from participants depending on the activity. Usually $1 per participant. Not all events listing the LCC as their location actually happen on-location. Please contact the LCC for clarification about any of their events.

If you have an event you would like LoveCdA to include in our weekly community calendars, please email the event details to stan@lovecda.com. You can also submit any corrections or other details to the same address.

If you would like to contribute content to LoveCdA.com, please sign up for the site, and use the Create Content links in your sidebar to do so. Content will be added to the site as administrators approve it. Blogs will be added to the site when you post them.

Past Events

Snow Day! - January 20, 2012

Fri, 01/20/2012 - 05:32

It's a snow day for pretty much everybody who goes to school in the area!

Coeur d'Alene School District - Closed, all activities canceled
Cornerstone Christian Academy, PF - Closed
Kootenai School District - Closed
Lake City Jr. Academy - Closed
Lakeland School District - Closed
Lewis & Clark State College, CdA - Closed
North Idaho College - Closed
Post Falls School District - Closed
University of Idaho, CdA - Closed

We'll edit this list as more schools announce their closures. Enjoy a fun, safe snow day!

Coeur d'Alene's Snow Removal Policy

Wed, 01/18/2012 - 15:41

Photo by 29k Productions, LLCOn this lovely January afternoon with a fresh blanket of snow on the ground it seems like the perfect time to review Coeur d'Alene's snow removal procedures. The following is from the city's FAQ's.

When Will Coeur d'Alene's Streets Be Plowed?
The city's arterials, collectors and bus routes are plowed first, and residential streets are plowed last. Crews commence arterial plowing after an accumulation of over 2 inches. Crews will commence plowing residential streets only after an accumulation over 5 inches. When citywide plowing is warranted, our goal is to complete the citywide plowing within 40 hours. Generally, neighborhoods north of Appleway Avenue are plowed at night and areas south of Appleway are plowed during the day.

What are the city's snow removal policies?
By City Code, citizens are requested to keep their sidewalks free of snow and throwing or snow blowing of snow into the street is illegal. City plow crews use "snow-gates" to reduce the amount of snow left at driveways on residential streets (except on arterials and streets plowed under agreements with the highway districts). Snow gates only reduce, not eliminate the magnitude of snow berms. Snow deposited from plowing operations at mailboxes, parked cars and sidewalks generally cannot be avoided and are the citizen's responsibility to remove. Special requests are considered only as time warrants upon a compelling circumstance.

This Week in Coeur d'Alene (January 16 - January 23, 2012)

Sun, 01/15/2012 - 12:32
Additional Information: 

Please note that the Lake City Center collects fees from participants depending on the activity. Usually $1 per participant. Not all events listing the LCC as their location actually happen on-location. Please contact the LCC for clarification about any of their events.

If you have an event you would like LoveCdA to include in our weekly community calendars, please email the event details to stan@lovecda.com. You can also submit any corrections or other details to the same address.

If you would like to contribute content to LoveCdA.com, please sign up for the site, and use the Create Content links in your sidebar to do so. Content will be added to the site as administrators approve it. Blogs will be added to the site when you post them.

Past Events