Page 40 - BSAM 2015 Q1

This highly irregular shape of this hard siliceous stone was formed by sand-laden winds in the western Gobi Desert. The intricate hand-carved base attempts to match the shape of the stone. Together, they form a portal to another world. It is 12 cm wide, 12.5 cm high, 8 cm deep (4.7 x 4.9 x 3.1 inches). This is a true fengli or “wind blown” stone. Not all Gobi Desert stones are fengli stones.
This yellowish layer stone is rhyolite from the Mojave Desert. The layering nature of this stone was created by the softer stone wearing away leaving the harder rhyolite. This stone is 14 cm wide, 12.7 cm high and 10.2 cm deep (5.5 x 5 x 4 inches).
Facing page: Top left; This rugged mountain stone has three small plateaus due to the presence of hard quartz which slows the weathering process. 26.7 cm wide, 11.4 cm high, and 11.4 cm deep (10.5 x 4.5 x 4.5 inches).
Middle left; The multi-colored Mojave Desert rhyolite with quartz stone forms a very rugged mountain. This stone and base is 25.4 cm wide, 12.7 cm high, and 17.8 cm deep (10 x 5 x 7 inches).
Top right; This strongly eroded, rugged, mountain-shaped stone illustrates the effects of many years of weathering by wind and sand. It is a combination of limestone and quartz and measures is 28 cm wide, 12.7 cm high, and 15.2 cm deep (11 x 5 x 6 inches).
Middle right; An overhanging ledge is formed on the upper part of this highly eroded piece of rhyolite stone from the Mojave Desert. It resembles a bluff facing the strong winds. Most rhyolite stones are light-colored and make excellent rugged landscape scenes. It is 38 cm wide, 12.7 cm high, and 28 cm deep (15 x 5 x 11 inches).
and northeastern Arizona. It is commonly divided into the high desert—regions above 635 meters (2,000 feet) elevation—and the low desert—regions below 635 meters (2,000 feet) elevation. The high desert re- gions experience freezing temperature in the winter months while the low desert has the highest summer temperatures measured in North America. This oc- curs in Death Valley—the lowest elevation at nearly 90 meters (282 feet) below sea level—where summer temperatures can reach 45° to 49° C (to 120° F).
Even though stone appreciation originated in China long ago, rock connoisseurs began collecting stones in regions of the Mojave Desert such as Death Valley in the 1950s and 1960s. This part of the Mojave Desert was a wonderful place for stone collectors for nearly 25 years up until Death Valley was made into a National Park on October 31, 1991. Since that time, stone col- lection is not allowed. Thus, the stones that were col- lected prior to this date have become more prized In contrast, it wasn’t until the mid to late 1990s that view- ing stone collectors realized the vast wealth of suitable stone to be found in the Gobi desert. The early Gobi Desert collectors sought out dry lake beds, fault lines, ancient volcanic cones, and other sites for fantastic stones. The lake beds especially yielded a vast trove of stones with a wonderful variety of shapes and colors. The popularity of Gobi Desert stones spread rapidly throughout China and soon the rush was on for Gobi stones. Large market places developed in Urumuqi (western Gobi) and in Alashan and Yinchuan in the south-central and southeastern Gobi. Gobi stones have become some of the most sought after stones in the vast Chinese stone appreciation circles, and as a result, some of the most expensive viewing stones in China today.
The two widely separated geographically desert re- gions share some of the environmental factors that helped form the fascinating stones collectors seek. They both occur in geologically active regions that have undergone dramatic changes. Some parts of these regions were once vast shallow seas but now are arid. They are situated where former volcanic activ- ity and earthquakes have helped shape the current topography. They both experience a wide range in
40 | BCI | January/February/March 2015