Rockhound
Insider Info
You can't go anywhere without stepping on them. You look for flat ones
to skip across the water. As a kid, you stuffed them into your pockets. Rocks
are fascinating to collect because they are unique and because there are so
many things to do with them.
Lapidary, the cutting and polishing of colored stones, is a lifelong hobby
for many people. Lapidists, the people who do the actual cutting and polishing,
are passionate about their hobby.
Many treasure hunters were lapidists who were looking for gems, gold or
silver. Some dreamed of getting rich, but most dreamed of discovering that
one special find.
The biggest and most expensive rock (diamond) ever found was in South Africa
in 1905. It weighed 3,106 carats, which is over one pound. After the rough
diamond had been cleaved (split), cut and polished, it became nine large gems
and 96 smaller stones.
The largest stone weighed 530 carats and was named the Cullinan, or Star
of Africa. It remains part of the British crown jewels, a gift from South
Africa to its monarch.
Even if diamond finds by individuals are rare, they are not impossible.
Diamonds can be found in North America.
Kimberlite, a rare rock that forms pipe-shaped bodies and once filled the
throat of some volcanoes, has been known to have diamonds form inside itself.
Kimberlite has been found in Arkansas, Colorado, Michigan and Montana.
Some collectors look for specimens unique to the area in which they live.
Others bring back rocks as vacation or travel souvenirs.
Regardless of how or why rockhounds collect their finds, they want to display
their treasures. There are almost as many ways to display rocks as there are
rock collectors.
Collectors have two primary collections: the rough rocks they have found
on the field before they have been cleaned and polished, and the finished
stones. The rocks are divided and stored in boxes, crates and piles. They
are placed on shelves, floors and in closets.
It is a hobby that will easily expand to fit all available space. The finished,
polished stones are often mounted in cases on light-absorbing material, like
velvet. Crystals are often mounted on pedestals so the play of light can highlight
the facets.
Some rockhounds don't collect stones at all. They collect fossils, searching
for dinosaur bones and artifacts. The passion and the principles are the same,
although the treasure is different.
Regardless of whether you collect interesting shaped rocks, beautiful stones
or fossils, rock hunting is a lifelong adventure.
People who love collecting rocks may enjoy a career in mining, geology
-- or any other rockin' field.
Getting Started
If collecting pretty stones isn't your style, rockhounding can still be
fun.
You can pan for gold or search for silver in any number of abandoned mines
using maps and geological surveys. You must remember to check the sites you
plan to explore carefully.sub-section
Many sites have been claimed. People, organizations and companies have
paid for the right to search, keep and sell the minerals they find on and
in the area they have described in the claim document.
The claims are often poorly marked, and it would be easy for a rockhound
to accidentally pick over an already claimed property.
This can be avoided if you join a local rock and mineral club. There are
clubs in most cities. Dues are often minimal and the help you receive is invaluable.
Your local university will have one as part of their geology department.
Government departments of natural resources also carry information about
the geological profiles of areas. They are also great sources for maps and
data regarding specific locations, if you are planning to treasure hunt at
a particular site.
Associations
Geological Society of America
P.O. Box 9140
Boulder
,
CO
80301-9140
USA
E-mail
:
member@geosociety.org
Internet
:
http://www.geosociety.org/index.htm
Publications
The Mineralogical Record
Internet
:
http://www.minrec.org/
Brain Press Books
Internet
:
http://www.ganoksin.com/kosana/brain/brain.htm
Links
Bob's Rock Shop
An electronic bulletin board and a collection of articles
Ganoskin.com
A library of articles on jewelry-related topics
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