Rockhounding - A Beginner's Guide

Rockhounds come in many categories.

Some focus on perfect mineral specimens for collections. My obsession is wulfenite.

Fossils thrill others. They're found worldwide and connect you to Earth's past.

Kids love shiny things. Some adults collect only crystals.

Lapidary rockhounds hunt cutting rough to grind, cut, carve, and create beauty.

As many rockhound types exist as rocks themselves.

Even picking a shiny backyard stone to identify counts as a true rockhound moment.

Safety comes first for rockhounding.

Carry a first aid kit, bug spray, pocket knife, waterproof matches, water, energy bars, and bandanas.

Bandanas prove surprisingly useful in the field.

A cell phone helps, but it may fail in remote areas.

Always tell someone your plans and return time.

Leave a note in your vehicle for remote spots.

Stay aware of surroundings. Pack sunscreen or a hat if needed.

Never go alone!

Equipment depends on your location and targets.

Sometimes, two five-gallon buckets suffice: one for tools, one for finds. Other times, use a pack basket or backpack.

My field kit adds to safety basics: Estwing hammer, 2-pound sledge, chisels, jeweler's loupe, pickaxe, water spray bottle, 35-foot nylon rope, potato rake, gloves, small bottles, and paper towels.

Sometimes include a rock guide and camera.

It seems like a lot, but match it to your hunt.

Get a good rock and minerals field guidebook.

It helps identify your finds.

I like the Golden Guide to Rocks & Minerals. It's a small paperback for my pack.

For home, try 'Peterson First Guide to Rocks and Minerals' by Frederick H. Pough.

This starts you off. As you advance, find your favorite resources.

Start basic rockhounding on your next beach trip or woods walk.

Pick up any interesting rock.

At home, use a book to identify it.

You'll discover the wonders beneath our feet.

Decide how to label and display your treasures.

A small collection fits nicely in a bookcase. Label each with name, location, and date.

As it grows, try lapidary work. Start with a tumbler, then add a saw, flat lap, cabbing machine, grinders, or faceting machine.

Soon, rocks take over the kitchen, basement, or garage. Piles form inside and out.

One day, you realize: you're a rockhound!

Plan rockhound excursions with a 'Gem Trails' book for your region.

These books list finds, equipment needs, road conditions, hikes, and photos. Authors share personal experiences at sites.

Read all warnings.

Land changes hands, and new owners may ban trespassing.

Follow legal and moral rules for rockhounding.

Always get permission from private property owners before digging.

Check for miner's claims, which give mineral rights to the registrant.

Visit your county clerk's office or call the state's Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

Use common sense. No Trespassing means stay out!

You also need to know where and what you cannot hunt. It is against the federal law to remove rocks, fossils, artifacts, minerals etc. from any and all United States Parks Service properties, including parks, Monuments and Wilderness areas! For full details please check out these government websites:

United States National Park Service
https://www.nps.gov/

U. S. National Parks Geology
https://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/

U. S. National Parks Paleontology
https://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/paleontology/

Bureau of Land Management
https://www.blm.gov

U. S. D. A. National Forests
https://www.fs.fed.us/

U. S. D. A. National
https://www.fs.fed.us/grasslands/

There are also specific rules for collecting petrified wood.

For personal use, you may collect up to 25 pounds per day, plus one additional piece, but no more than 250 pounds in a year.

Fossil hunting has limits.

You need a BLM permit for any vertebrae fossils.

Non-vertebrae specimens are fair game and often very cool.

Always check rules before a serious excursion.

Now for my personal favorites, the 'moral' rules.

• Always fill any holes you dig back in and tamp down, especially those dug under and around tree roots. (While you're at it, fill any holes left by folks who
came before you too!) This can help to prevent damage to both your and other people's lower extremities, as well as to any animals who live there.

• Do not leave your non-organic trash. If you carried it in, carry it out, along with any left behind by less conscious people.

• Do not purposely cut, scar and or damage trees! One can always find dry wood around if a small fire is needed, or a hiking staff.

• If a fire is desired on a cold day or a long dig, build a small fire ring away from any shrubs or trees and be very sure to put out every ember and then cover the fire area with dirt when you are finished.

• If needed, dig a small latrine and fill it in before you leave!

• Do not harass local creatures ~ they were there first.

• Do not allow children to run amuck!

• At the end of the day, gather all of your finds and carefully sort through them, taking only those you really like/need for your collection or lapidary needs.

• Leave only footprints behind.

And last but not least, my personal favorite rule: 'If you want it and you can haul it, you can have it.' Just remember that heavy rocks get even heavier as you carry them back to your vehicle!

Here, I have given you just a taste of the information available; there is so much more to learn about collecting rocks and minerals! Visit your local library and see what they have to offer.

Spend an afternoon at a local museum and check out their mineral display.

Use your favorite search engine to find the closest rock and mineral club to your hometown and pay them a visit.

Be safe, have fun, and remember the words of Chief Seattle: "The Earth does not belong to us, We belong to the Earth!"