Rockhounding 101
What or who is a "rockhound"? Well, it is actually a term for a person who enjoys
collecting rocks, minerals and gemstones as found in their natural state. No, it
is not a dog who carries rocks, or a hound dog made out of rocks! If you are a child
who also likes to collect rocks along with your elders, you may be called a "pebble
puppy". Some people have been known to say they have " rocks in their head". Any
way you want to say it, the main idea is----you think rocks are worthy of a special
place in your living space and your life. It is hard to think of a better, more
healthful hobby, that can be participated in by folks of all ages and interests.
There are many kinds of rocks to collect, from gold to garnets, from granite to
gneiss, from fossils to fluorescents, etc. It also encompasses the study of chemistry,
crystallography, geology, metalsmithing, jewelry making, lapidary, to name just a
few. We use rocks in our daily lives without even being aware of it, as ingredients
in toothpaste, paint, food products and pharmaceuticals. The White Knob Quarry in
Lucerne Valley, CA is the source of the majority of the high quality calcite used
in these industrial applications. We drive on rocks whenever we use a paved road
or a concrete highway, enjoying a smooth ride as well as the beautiful scenery around
us.
People are collectors by nature, whether it be books, songs, travel destinations,
toys, games, shells, antiques, rocks, or good friends. Those of us who like to collect
rocks have found a way to collect several things at once-----good memories of great
trips taken with good friends resulting in wonderful rock specimens. You can just
pick up everything that catches your eye (provided it isn't too big to carry to the
truck), or collect only certain things like micro mounts or crystals. You might
want to collect only gemstones such as sapphires, emeralds, rubies and diamonds,
but you sure would be limiting your scope while making a huge hole in your pocketbook!
Some people only collect quartz, which comes in many forms and colors, and includes
amethyst, citrine, rose, smoky, agate, chert, and jasper. It is found in caves
and geodes, all over the United States, probably even in your own back yard, making
it fairly easy to amass a large collection in a short time. Most people are familiar
with Arizona petrified wood, with its beautiful purple, yellow and red agate. Well,
Utah has petrified wood that looks even more colorful, at the Escalante Petrified
Forest. If you check with the BLM office in Escalante, they may be able to direct
you to a public area where you can collect some of this wood turned into agate.
Rockhounds usually take some collecting tools with them when out in the field, to
make the job easier. You could use the specialized rock hammers, gads and chisels
that are available in stores and online, or you could go to a hardware store and
purchase the standard tools such as picks, small shovels, pry bars, stonemason hammers----you
get the idea----and save some money for the guide books and maps you will need in
your quest. The Gem Trail series by James Mitchell are useful in getting educated
about the hobby as well as for finding good collecting sites in your area. They
are printed by Gem Guides Publishing Co., and are readily available in bookstores
or online. There is also the Falcon Guide series of similar books such as "Rockhounding
California" and "Rockhounding Colorado" by other writers such as Gerry Blair and
Gail Butler. They are also excellent and full of tips, information, maps and pictures
to help you with your hobby. If you do some searching, you might be able to find
some of the older publications from the 1960's and 1970's such as "Desert Gem Trails"
by Mary Frances Strong or the "Gem Hunter's Atlas" series of books by H.Cyril Johnson.
The Western States are well covered by a number of rock guide books, while the Midwest
East and South are mainly covered by guides that list fee dig sites. North Carolina
in particular has collecting sites for most of the precious stones, while Arkansas
is favored by having the only known dig site for diamonds in the United States---Crater
of Diamonds State Park.
If you are new to the hobby and really want to get educated quickly about the ins
and outs of rockhounding, you should join your local Gem and Mineral Society or
Lapidary Society if you have one in your area. You could also take some classes
at a junior college such as jewelry arts or geology---chances are, you will find
some knowledgeable rockhounds there too. Perhaps you just want to collect beach
stones for collages or landscape rock for your yard---that too is part of rockhounding.
There are interesting rocks of all colors to be found at the ocean or in riverbeds,
gravel bars and lakes, as well as roadsides and quarries. Whatever it is that catches
your interest and imagination, you will find that other people have probably had
the same interests in the past---you can do an online search for information pertinent
to your interests which will save you lots of time, allowing you to skip some of
that "learning curve" and take advantage of all that knowledge just ready for the
taking!
I’ve recorded some Rockhounding tips for you, to listen, just use the player below.
Crossroads Treasures