Rock Collecting

While they may seem like regular rocks on the outside, geodes hold a surprise. Geodes are a type of crystal formation in sedimentary or volcanic rock. A result of crystals growing inside of rock...

Quartz crystal is one of the most common minerals found on the planet earth. It also comes in a variety of different colors, shades, sizes and qualities. For the avid collector one of the best...

Minerals exist everywhere in nature and you can identify all of them if you know what to look for. A number of different field guides are published to give collectors and geologists the proper...

Moonstones are found all across the globe in areas of feldspar mineral concentrations. These minerals are typically mined in areas of extremely old rock, such as in old mountain chains of the...

Chalcedony is a form of quartz crystal that can be found in many different colors when it is interspersed with other minerals through sedimentary processes. Agate is technically a form of...

The earliest form of brilliant cut diamonds, old mine cut diamonds date back to the late 17th century. Original old mine cut diamonds are counted among the most valuable available.

Although they suffered a mythological stigma as a bad-luck stone throughout the 19th century, opals have enjoyed renewed popularity in today's markets. An opal is a form of quartz crystal that...

Fairburn agates are a type of agate found in a specific geographic location, near their namesake, Fairburn, South Dakota. The town of Fairburn is located in Custer County, in the southwestern part...

Clean, smooth gems can be used to great effect in jewelry or in craft projects. Or, they can simply be decorations or additions to an existing rock collection. But when a gem is extracted from the...

Geodes are one of the exciting secrets of nature: a round rock that looks ordinary until it is split open to reveal beautiful quartz crystals in a cavity within. Because geodes look ordinary from...

Quartz stone can be found in most geographical areas of the world. Quartz is located on the earth's crust and forms in cracks of sandstone, granite and other types of rock. The quartz that is...

Semiprecious gemstones form naturally from minerals within the earth's crust. Learning about these minerals is an interesting way to examine nature. In addition to learning the mineral properties...

Gold sluices have been used for more than a century for small-scale prospecting in gold-bearing rivers and streams. Sluices operate based on the fact that gold is heavier than river sand, mud or...

Loose gemstones are collected by precious stone enthusiasts and jewelry makers alike. Because some gemstones are susceptible to scratches, you need to store them properly. The most important...

If you're a rock hound, or have visited a mining operation, you may have a collection of crystals and other rocks that are gathering dust because you haven't a clue how to clean them. Since many...

Geodes are true geological curiosities. They are basically hollow rocks that can range in size from small nodules to large boulders. Most can easily be held in one hand. The really amazing thing...

Geodes are pockets or bubbles that formed in rock when it was new. These voids were then exposed, over eons, to water containing dissolved minerals that were deposited on the inside of the void as...

The White's DFX is a high-quality metal detector. It consists of a sensing loop at the end of a wand that is attached to the detector electronics in a box housing. Results are shown on an...

Gemstones are real treasures that have fascinated people for centuries. However, the visions some may have of laborers working diligently in deep mines studded with gem crystals is far from...

Quartz is one the most abundant minerals on earth and can be found in many shapes, sizes and colors. Many experienced rock collectors can tell if a crystal is real quartz through careful...

Cracking open a geode rock will often reveal a cavity full of mineral crystals. This property makes them a popular collector's item, and people travel all over the world to geode sites to search...

Rocks sculpted by ceaseless river flow are popular materials for landscaping and nature study. Especially in regions of heavy vegetation and deep soils, rivers are also some of the likeliest...

The Apache and Comanche are the most well-known Native American tribes in Texas, but dozens more lived all over the region until the mid-1800s. They left behind thousands of arrowheads, which can...

When gold prices skyrocket, gold prospecting can be a lucrative hobby for individuals. However, buying modern equipment to efficiently find those elusive gold nuggets is expensive on the private...

Rubies, garnets, jaspers, bixbites and tourmaline are examples of precious and semi-precious red gemstones. Other natural red stones that can be valuable when properly identified, polished and cut...

Rock crystals are better known as quartz. They are hard minerals, and are also known as semi-precious gems. Crystals are used for aesthetic purposes, often for jewelry or decoration. They have a...

Fossil collecting is a popular pastime that requires specialized tools and care. Fossil collecting can be dangerous, and safety equipment is necessary when working in the field. In addition, tools...

Rhodochrosite derives its name from the combination of two Greek words; rhodon meaning rose, and chroma, meaning color. The mineral is typically found in various shades of pink, a deep rose and...

If you are a rock and mineral collector, you are probably already aware of how beautiful properly cleaned mineral specimens can be. If you are just getting started, beware. Once you clean one...

Since before written history, man has coveted gold. He has used it to adorn his body, as currency and molded it into the shape of his gods. Gold is heavy, heavier than most other elements that can...

Many helpful field guides to fossils, rocks and minerals in the Eastern part of the United States have been published both from professional, respected sources and online, via blogs from actual...

While buying a geode is always a guessing game, there are a few simple tricks you can use to increase your odds of finding one that is filled with beautiful crystals. Rather than randomly hunting...

Rose quartz is a type of quartz that is colored pink due to trace deposits of iron, titanium or manganese. It is a distinct addition to any mineral collection or jewelry collection. But to bring...

The mineral beryl is valuable in both industry and fashion. Its various forms are found everywhere from the aerospace industry to the rare gemstone market. Both beautiful and toxic, this mineral...

Kyanite gets its name from the Greek word kyanos, which means blue. Although blue is the most commonly found color and the most sought, kyanite can be found in green, colorless, white, gray and...

You can polish stones using grinders and sanders if you choose to not use a rock tumbler. The benefit of a tumbler is that you can set the machine up, start it and walk away while the stones are...

Tourmaline forms in igneous and metamorphic rocks. It is found all over North and South America. Pink, or rubellite, tourmaline, along with green, blue, orange, purple and many other shades, is...

A geode is a rock with a special surprise inside. From the exterior, a geode appears to be a boring round-shaped rock with little to capture one's attention. If a rock like this is broken open,...

Since prehistoric times, caves have provided humans shelter and locations for rituals. With the passage of time, everyday tools and cultural items were buried beneath the cave floor. With a little...

Apache tears are a type of obsidian. They are dark black, and when polished correctly, take on a deep, brilliant sheen. You can polish Apache tears in a rock polisher, but because obsidian is an...

Cape May diamonds are not actually diamonds at all. They are quartz crystals that have washed up on Sunset Beach in Cape May Point, New Jersey. These stones are clear. You can see through them,...

The chemical formula for quartz is SiO2, also known as silicon dioxide. The earth contains a large amount of silicon dioxide, since it is more common in the earth's crust than other more complex...

Polished rocks can take on a different appearance than their raw counterparts. For an avid rock collector, knowing how to identify polished rock can be important and can increase your ability to...

Rock collecting can teach you about the Earth's history. Not only can rocks be aesthetically interesting, but many may include fossils or layers that tell the viewer something about the world and...

Pet Rocks were a very popular fad in the 1970s and 80s, when Gary Dahl began marketing and selling plain rocks as the ultimate pet. Within six months, his idea, coupled with inventive marketing...