About

What’s this? Rocks and minerals?

Welcome to my world! A world that I was inspired to build when I collected my first Paleolithic flintstone. I became fascinated with the idea that every rock carries a story: imprinting itself with every environment and process it is ever exposed to. And so, I began collecting rocks at the age of seven, bringing one home as a souvenir from every holiday. I catalogued them when they got too many; what you see today are only a handful of over 500 rocks and minerals that I have collected so far.

You just called it a Paleolithic flintstone. Last I knew, he was called Fred.

For all of us who were born in the pre-liberalization era of India, Cartoon Network, along with Fred Flintstone, didn’t come to us until the late 1990s. So yes, my version of a flint is still the hard, sedimentary, cryptocrystalline chert (and probably Stone Age tool) I picked up in 1995.

These look unreal. Especially that free-standing sample of citrine.

All specimens on this website have been graciously photographed by Rahul Maheshwari, creative head at Studio Pomegranate, with his Nikon D600. Rahul divides his time between travelling on National Geographic expeditions with Steve McCurry (yes, the Afghan girl) and mastering the famous Indian Rope Trick – quite successfully, if I may add, as demonstrated by the photograph of the citrine crystal. 

Do you have moonrock?

Sadly, no. I’ve only ever touched some at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. However, I’ve personally collected, purchased or been gifted specimens from all over the world: geologically interesting areas such as Cappadocia in Turkey and the Grand Canyon, to historically significant places such as Machu Picchu and Robben Island (the limestone quarry where Nelson Mandela once worked) to places along my journey – the Australian outback, Indian Deccan plateau, and most recently, Mt. Kilimanjaro.

You’re crazy.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, I’m not the only one. There are many more silly, passionate folks out there, including Apple Macintosh pioneer, Bill Atkinson. Check out our inspiration, and his book, Within The Stone: http://www.amazon.com/Within-Stone-Natures-Abstract-Rock/dp/0763181897