Rocks, Fossils and Minerals

Make Rock Collecting Your Hobby

Rock collecting is a fascinating hobby for kids and adults alike.  While rocks are common, cheap, and found everywhere, the variety is huge.  Collected rocks can be displayed in many ways, from rock gardens to neatly kept showcases, making rock collecting a versatile hobby.

When rock collecting, you will soon find out that rocks can be categorized as one of three types.  A sedimentary rock formed when sediments, such as sand or silt, were pressed together under their own weight or the weight of water, and eventually became solid.  An igneous rock is one that was formed by volcanic activity.  The third type of rock for rock collecting is the metamorphic rock, which is like a sedimentary rock which has been changed through intense heat and pressure.

Another type of rock collecting is collecting minerals, gems, and crystals.  Pure minerals are not technically the same thing as rocks, but they fit well in rock collections.  Minerals include things like pyrite, also known as fool’s gold, and quartzite, which looks almost like a diamond.

For some people, rock collecting consists of saving a pretty rock from different places they visit and keeping it as a souvenir.  If these rocks are large, they can be used to outline the driveway or start a rock garden.  If they are small, they can line a windowsill.  Label them with a fine point marker if desired.  Include the date and location the rock was found.

The souvinir type of rock collecting does not require much scientific investigation, but identifying rocks and minerals does.  The different types of rock can sometimes be differentiated easily.  For instance, sedimentary rocks often look like particles glued together.  Sandstone is a common example of this. They also sometimes have visible flat layers.  Metamorphic rocks, on the other hand, sometimes have layers, but those layers have been bent so that they are no longer laying flat across the rock.

When rock collecting, the igneous rocks make some of the most exciting finds.  Obsidian is an igneous rock that looks like a broken piece of black glass.  It is shiny and hard, and was used to make arrowheads in the past by the native Americans.  Pumice is another interesting igneous rock which is porous, making it so light that it will float.  This stone is used for cleaning and rubbing calluses off people’s feet.

Keep in mind when rock collecting that different regions of the world have different types of rocks.  In the American Midwest, for instance, there are many sedimentary stones, but metamorphic and igneous rocks are less common.  In the Appalacians, on the other hand, you can find metamorphic rocks such as gneiss and schist.  Wherever you live, though, you are sure to find rock collecting a hobby that’s hard to resist!

About the Author

Read about garden phlox, grape plants and other information at the Gardening Central website.

Iron Pyrite + Zinc + Sea water– Battery.ASF

Rocks, Copper Photo Mugs Native copper, cuprite, azurite (blue oxide of copper), malachite, copper pyrites, peacock copper ….

Live At Paint the Town Red $7.92 …

Pyrite Pedestal $1.98 …

Pyrite & Gold $8.99 …

Pyrite – 24W x 18H – Peel and Stick Wall Decal by Wallmonkeys $33.99 WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won’t damage your paint or l…

Pyrite Crystals in Shale – 24W x 16H – Peel and Stick Wall Decal by Wallmonkeys $33.99 WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won’t damage your paint or l…

Toysmith 4 M Gold Mining Kit #03259 $5.00 Mine, Mine From Kidzlabs® comes the Gold Mining kit, with (6) chunks of pyrite (“fool’s gold,” but don’t take it personally) embedded in a big hunk of plaster, a digging tool, brush, magnifier, storage pouch and instructions on excavating your treasure. Careful parents might want to have the kiddles wear safety glasses (not included) when working in the mine. For ages 8 and up….

Fools Gold $6.95 Strike it rich with our box of fools gold! Pyrite, or fool’s gold, as it is known, have fooled a lot of prospectors looking for real gold. Brassy yellow in color and chunky in appearance, it is a brittle metalic mineral that is more than 50% sulfur in composition. Our pyrite pieces come in a clear plastic display box. They would make an excellent party favor. Box measures 1.5 x 2 inches. Not for c…

Crystal Mining – Excavation Kit – Find Fool’s Gold or Pyrite $11.99 …

Kavu Synthetic Strap Visor $21.99 Lightweight laundered Taslan, black underbill, patterned nylon tubular webbing with KAVU on-head adjustment. One size fits all. Limited quantity for #251036….