Howdy!

Old friend and fellow mineralogist Vandall King recommended that I start a blog, so here it is. In future installments, I hope to tell stories about minerals and gems, so stay tuned!

But first, some words from my sponsor. My company, Mary Johnson Consulting, has a website with my background. The site, www.maryjohnsonconsulting.com, is active but updated infrequently. (The site includes some of my zoo sketches as well.)

I also have an exciting service for anyone who needs ideas about minerals, gems, their durability, curation, display, etc.: one half-hour discussion for new clients for $25. For half of the time we discuss your problem and for the remaining 15 minutes we brainstorm on possible solutions. Contact me at mlj@cox.net with BRAINSTORM as the subject line if you are interested.

Finally, my book Gemstones: A Complete Color Reference for Precious and Semiprecious Stones of the World, by Karen Hurrell and yours truly, is available from Barnes & Noble (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Gemstones/Karen-Hurrell/e/9781435106109#TABS). Reviews have been quite positive, and the first edition, out now, has an enjoyable typo on page 184.
ISBN: 1435106105 or ISBN-13: 9781435106109.