I'm an amateur geologist with a degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Alaska. I moved to Alaska in 1977, and since then I just can't stay away from the far north. I spend our long summer days hiking and exploring all around Alaska. In a good summer, I will backpack over 500 miles (or 800 kilometers). I look for and collect various pretty rocks to polish and make into items from bookends to jewelry. Each stone is identified by naming the rock or mineral of which it is made, and the geologic location of its origin.