If you want to excel as a rock collector, you have to be able to identify one from the other because if you don’t, you are just wasting your time and energy when you could be doing something else. So before you decide to get into it, here are a few things you should know about rock collecting.

First, you have to know the different types of rocks. There are three of them namely igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic.

Before you look up how each one looks like, you have to study its origin. For instance, once magma cools, you now have igneous rocks.

Naturally, these are different from sedimentary rocks because these are formed from the process known as deposition and solidification. The most unique of the three are metamorphic rocks because these were either igneous or sedimentary rocks at one point in time.

Knowing the different types of rocks will also let you know where these can be found. You can only find igneous rocks in areas where there has been volcanic activity. Sedimentary can be only extracted from bodies of water like the lake, ocean, river or stream. You can look to the hills or mountains if you want to find some metamorphic rocks.

Depending on where you start to do your rock collecting, you will generally find just one of the three types of rocks. As you look closer, you will notice that there are differences in the texture which is why there are different samples of each type.

Examples of igneous rocks are basalt and granite. For sedimentary rocks, you have coal, limestone, quartz and mudstone. For metamorphic rocks, there is gneiss, marble, slate and schist.

Aside from looking at your rock collecting guide book when you go rock collecting, you can perform certain tests to identify them. For instance, if your pour vinegar over a rock, you can tell whether what you have is a sedimentary rock like limestone or a metamorphic rock such as marble.

Pay attention to the arrangement of crystals, the color of its holes or the size of the particles. If you see small particles, then chances are you found sandstone but if these are large particles then you have with you a conglomerate that happens to be another type of sedimentary rock.

If you stumbled upon some rocks that have holes, examine the coloring. If the holes are light colored, you may have found a sedimentary rock called a tuba. If these are dark it could be an igneous rock such as pumice.

Does the rock have layers? If it does, you could be looking at a metamorphic rock which is commonly found in slate and schist rather than a type of sedimentary rock.

It is not easy to distinguish one rock from the other by just looking at it. This is why you should do some research so you are able to classify each of them properly which is what rock collecting is all about.

Related posts:

1. There Are Different Types of Rocks for Those Who Pursue
2. Telling the Earth’s Story Through Rock Collecting
3. Types of rocks, a rock collecting basic
4. What to look for in rocks for your collection
5. Rock collecting can be addictive