Dana’s Super-Awesome Guide to Last-Minute Geological Gifties

Dana Hunter

Hey-o, it’s two weeks til Christmas, and that means fewer than fourteen shopping days! Onoes! Look, relax, it’s fine. I’ve got you covered. Herein you will find gifts suitable for a myriad of holidays and occasions. If you have a reader on the list, my Super-Gargantuan Book Guides will direct you to the appropriate tome. And if you’ve got a geologist on your list, I’ve found a plethora of awesome geological gifties for all ages, and most are available on Amazon. If you have a Prime membership, you’ll get them super-quick! Even without, there’s plenty of shipping options that will get them there in time for gift giving fun times.

Of course, you may be reading this at 11:59 p.m on December 24th. No time? No problem! As long as you have your giftee’s email address, you can purchase them an Amazon gift card and send it direct. You can even write a little note including this the url for this post, if you like.

All purchases made from this page support my blogging, so you can do a bit of painless shopping and ensure I have the resources I need to bring you fantastic geology content in the future. How outstanding is that?

Let us proceed to the awesome presents I found for ye!

Stocking Stuffers

Clothing

Toys

Educational Art

Kids’ Toys

Tools for the Practicing Geologist

Books

Genuine Sandstone Coasters

 

STOCKING STUFFERS

Made by your own Dana Hunter! I have Holy Schist with Guaranteed Garnet, and Gnaughty or Gneiss cards with real coal and gneiss in stock at my Etsy store. All items are hand collected and hand made. Okay, so I had to order the coal, but the garnet mica schist and the gneiss are local rocks collected by my own self. Each item includes an information sheet explaining how the rocks in them came to be. They’re super-popular, so get yours fast!

These are the items you’ll want to order right away, since the cut-off date for getting them by Christmas is 12/19/2015.

Image shows Misha with a selection of Gnaughty and Gneiss cards and Holy Schist. There's a stocking full of Holy Schist hanging behind her.
Misha with a selection of stocking stuffers suitable for geologists with a punny bone. They’re very gneiss! Image by Dana Hunter.

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SHIRTS

Image shows a dark-colored t-shirt with I heart Geology printed in white lettering with a pink heart.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

I really like this one lots. Not only is it a very simple and true statement, it comes in men’s, women’s, and children’s sizes! It comes in black or navy, and is 100% cotton.

A light blue-grey t-shirt with a cartoon of the continents coming apart, sticking their tongues out at each other. Caption in black at the top says, "We are never ever getting back together!"
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

Plate tectonics humor! This one is unisex, but in a less-boxy cut than normal. Read the reviews for sizing advice.

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TOYS FOR ALL

Image shows a wee plastic volcano with lava painted on it. There's a hole in the top that will fit a ping pong ball. Beside it is a stack of yellow chips and a white ball with the Pong Cano logo printed on it.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

An adorable volcano game! You can even use the ball to explain the concept of a volcanic bomb. Awesome!

Image shows a card game with actual rocks and minerals.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

This is like the greatest thing ever! It’s an educational game you play with actual rocks! You can have up to six players, and it’s got 18 cards full of geology info, plus 18 specimens and over 40 polished rocks. Great for children 5-105. Get this for the kids, teachers, and adults who want a fun new game on your list.

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EDUCATIONAL ART

Image shows a placemat, with a bit of grass at the top with the words "Rocks and Minerals." There are photos of rocks set up to look like they're underground under the grass, and all of them are labeled with lots of info.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

Turn meal times into happy fun geology time! This placemat teaches all about various rocks and minerals. It’s also super-easy to clean!

Image shows a set of four posters demonstrating the Rock Cycle, Identifying Minerals, Three Types of Rock, and Minerals.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

These posters are excellent teaching tools for classroom or home use. They’re ruggedly-made, include worksheets and a teacher’s guide, and are an awesome way for kids to learn their rock facts!

Colorful poster set showing the basics of earth science: earth's structure, plate tectonics, the water cycle, and weathering and erosion.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

Another set of fabulous posters for earth science! These also include the worksheets and teacher guide.

Colorful poster showing the geologic time scale, an illustration of the various plants and animals found within it (well, except for the periods before life began!), some typical fossils, and the configuration of the continents. Very, very neat item for a child's bedroom or classroom, and come to think of it, adults would love it, too!
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

This Eras of Life poster is a fantastic way to learn the geologic time scale, plate tectonics, and the history of life on Earth.Very, very neat item for a child’s bedroom or classroom, and come to think of it, adults would love it, too!

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KIDS’ TOYS

Image shows a rock kit, which is a box filled with rock samples for each of the three main rock types, a little book, and a magnifying lens.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

Get them hooked on rocks young! This rock kit contains five different samples of each of the three main rock types: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. It includes an informational booklet, a streak plate, and a magnifying glass. Perfect!

Image shows a rock science kit box, showing the rock specimens in a plastic tray.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

If you’re on a super-tight budget, this rock kit also contains 15 specimens and a booklet, but don’t have a streak plate included. It’s a great value for under $10.

Image shows the box for a volcano making kit, which shows a plastic model with a cartoon eruption cloud.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

Look at this super-cute volcano making kit! It has a reusable mold for making the perfect volcano-shaped vessel for your baking soda eruptions. Use Vaseline on the magma chamber bit for easy removal. It includes paint, but you might want to pick up some extra plaster for extra volcano-making fun! Baking soda and vinegar will be needed to make it go esplodey.

Image shows the box for the Polarizing Microscope.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

Get an early start on petrology with this awesome polarizing microscope! Study guide included. Studying thin sections of rocks is a critical part of a geologist’s career, and tells us much more about a rock than just looking at it through a hand lens. This is a really neat way to get kids started.

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GEOLOGICAL TOOLS

Image shows a USB microscope.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

Here’s a bonza USB microscope for studying and photographing your awesome specimens! It works on a variety of operating systems.

Image shows a compact green microscope.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

Look! A tiny microscope that fits in a pocket! Super cool for zooming in on various and sundry in the field. Also a useful thing to give any biologist-type person you’re dragging into the field with you – it’ll keep ’em busy while you play with your other toys.

Image shows a rock hammer with a blue handle.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

Every geologist needs a rock hammer! Estwing is one of the most trusted brands in the business, and this one’s a perfect basic hammer for any budding geologist. Don’t forget safety goggles, too!

Image shows a rock chisel in blue with a red butt.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

Does your geologist already have a hammer? Make sure they’ve got a chisel – eminently useful for breaking stubborn rocks in the field!

***IMPORTANT NOTE**** Do not under any circumstances use regular hammers or chisels. They’re not tempered to handle rocks, and can shatter, posing an extreme safety hazard. Be safe out there!

Image shows a tan leather hammer holder with a belt loop. It has the Estwing logo stamped on it.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

And, of course, it’s always very handy to have a sheath for your lovely hammer!

Image shows a Brunton compass.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

This is the Ferrari of geologic compasses, the Brunton. If you have a professional geologist or graduate student on your list, and they have often sighed in your presence wishing they had a Brunton, and you love them enough to spend a considerable amount of money on them, this is what you get. They will weep. They will adore you. This will be their best gift ever.

Image shows a black compass with a clear top and a sight.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

This is an excellent compass for someone who wants a Brunton but can’t afford the price tag. It’s a workhorse that will get the job done.

Image shows a military-style compass. Inset shows a glow-in-the-dark dial.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

This is a fantastic and economical compass for the amateur geologist, or someone just discovering whether they love geology. It even glows in the dark!

Image shows a BelOMO triplet hand lens.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

A hand lens is essential for identifying the minerals in rocks in the field. This compact little lens will fit right into a bag or pocket and come in very handy.

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BOOKS

Image shows the cover for 101 American Geo-Sites You've Gotta See
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

Now that you’ve got all that nifty stuff for the field, and know all about your rocks and minerals, you’ve gotta have field trips! Here’s a book that will get you started finding some great places to do geology. For more awesome science books, see my Super-Gargantuan Guide.

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GENUINE SANDSTONE COASTERS

I have a set of these coasters, and they are fantastic. They’re made of natural sandstone in a variety of patterns. They’re durable, and they soak up liquid like nobody’s business – great for those summer days when every cold drink is dripping with condensation (desert folk, you’ll just have to trust that this is a thing that happens). They work great as little decorative items as well as coasters, so don’t worry too much if your recipient hasn’t got a table. As long as they like rocks, they’ll love these!

Image shows a sandstone coaster that looks like a slice of geode. Colors are tan, brown, gray, and white.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.
Image shows a round stone coaster with tan Liesegang banding.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.
Image shows a set of square coasters in the Liesegang banding sandstone. They come in a box with a twine bow.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.
Image shows a natural sandstone coaster with a sand dollar outlined on it in black.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.
Image shows a sandstone coaster with an irridescent pastel dragonfly printed on it, with green reeds in the background.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

And, of course, they’ll need a coaster holder, right? This lovely wrought iron one holds all the above shapes.

Image shows a wrought-iron scrollwork holder with little round feet for the coasters.
Click the picture to purchase! Image courtesy Amazon.

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***Update: Removed the volcano desk thingy and replaced it with the Pong Cano. I hadn’t noticed the terrible reviews when I chose it due to the ZOMG ADORBS! factor. I don’t want to recommend stuff likely to break.***

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Dana’s Super-Awesome Guide to Last-Minute Geological Gifties

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