Rock Collecting for Beginners

Author: jangkrikjr

21 Jul

Let’s say you started a rock collection. In time, you will have a lot of them and unless these were catalogued then stored properly, you will surely have a difficult time identifying one from the other. So if you are serious about this hobby, here are a few rock collecting things you should know.

First and foremost, you have to develop a system to help you identify and label your rocks. You can try what a lot of rock collectors are doing which is to paint a small oblong of white lacquer on the corner of each specimen and paint a black number on the white oblong.

Here, you put the rocks number, the rocks name, date collected, description of collection site, geologic formation, geologic age and other pertinent information. You can also put this information on a card together with a sample on a plastic bag. The other option will be to write these down on a small notebook.

This will make it easy to carry one if you decide to go to a rock convention which is the proper venue for rock collectors to meet and trade rocks. If you don’t want to trade it, sell it.

The rocks you collect will come in different sizes and shapes. Since this occupies a lot of space in your home, it is best to trim them down to a common size. Your options are 3 by 4 by 2 inches that display the rock features very well, 2 by 3 by 1 inch or 3 by 3 by 2 inches.

If you are not sure if the rock you are collecting is worth anything, review your rock identification book so you can decide whether to throw this away or bring it home. The rocks that you decide to keep should be placed in separate plastic bag then labeled so this can be cleaned and further analyzed later on.

Rock collecting can be done just about anywhere but if you decide to do this on private property, make sure you ask the permission first of the owner. You are not allowed to collect rocks from national or state parks and from monuments however you can get a few samples from large buildings or cemeteries because the rocks used here come from long distances and are usually quarried.

If you are just starting out, it is best to obtain samples within your area. If you want to collect more, you will have to go elsewhere because the distribution of these rocks is a natural phenomenon.

Rock collecting should never be done alone. You should always go out with a buddy and wear the property safety gear to avoid injury.

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