Water-carved rock formation
The study of geology reveals the history of the earth. Curious "rock hounds" enjoy the beauty of natural rock formations and collecting interesting and beautiful specimens. These include a treasure chest of rocks, minerals, fossils and organic substances such as gemstones and amber, geos, petrified wood, the remains of once-living organisms or even meteorites from space. It's an exciting moment when you walk along a creek or river bed and find something yellow and shiny where gold has been discovered. Although it can be a dirty job, collecting rocks can be a challenging but rewarding experience.
Instructions
1. Do some research to see if there are any gemstone mines open to the public, clubs or organizations that go on field trips, and gemstone shows to attend that offers buying opportunities and a chance to talk to experts. Visit the libraries, natural history museums and bookstores and start building a reference library of your own. Get on an email list to receive rock hobby newsletters (see Resources). Perhaps you have friends or relatives who also share an interest in rock collecting.
2. Know that when you're out in the field, there's a "collector's code" and a few common sense and courtesy rules to abide by. There should be minimal disturbance to the environment and take only what you need to build your collection. Never go on someone's property without permission or put yourself in danger.
3. Consider that minerals are the easiest to identify when you can view its appearance in light. Most require no equipment. These include calcite, fluorite, quartz, topaz and diamonds with a hardness scale from 1 to 10 (diamonds). A mineral's transparency refers to how much light passes through it. Metals include silver and gold.
4. Be aware that gemstones refer to any mineral or organic rock that can be used for adornment. They have three general characters: beauty, durability and rarity. Fossils are another exciting area of collecting that include ammonites, vegetation, insects and extinct reptiles such as the woolly mammoth.
5. Build a rock collection as a long process. It can span a lifetime. Rock sites include volcanoes along subduction lines, sedimentary remnants, river bends, caves, lava tubes, gorges and canyons, meteorite craters and glacial valleys.
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