Collecting Cool Rocks! Minerals, Crystals, Fossils, Geodes, etc.

[R2elk]

I'm sure there are diamonds under some bushes in your backyard somewhere, lol.

Nope but the basement is full of antique clocks. I certainly bought enough diamonds over the years but none are or ever were in my possession.

 

[Anime2lover]

It's hard to say, you can look into doing hardness tests and scratch tests to get a more accurate idea of what it is.

Maybe.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I find some sea shell fossils in our drive way gravel. Most of it around here is locally quarried so back to the ancient 'Missouri used to be a sea' theory. We can buy what they call Rip Rap which is large pieces of rock. When we had a load hauled in to stabilize the soil on the north side of our house which is on a slope, I spent months combing through it. There were some interesting crystal formations in it along with orange fossils about as big around as a soda straw and up to an inch long. I finally decided that it has to be fossilized coral. I've got it saved in a small jar somewhere. I'll hunt it up and take a picture.

Where do you all get your stones for tumbling? Beside on your own property that is.

My husband bought my Madagascar stones on Amazon. Lot of them cracked and broke while tumbling. Since this is my first foray into tumbling I had no idea if this was pretty standard or if he just got stuck with substandard rocks.

I'd like to get my hands on some obsidian to tumble and maybe Apache Tears but want to find a good source for rough stones.

These are the agates from The Rock Shed as I'm sending them off to the next stage. I'm pretty sure that's where I got these anyway...lol! There are Mexican Crazy Lace, Mozambique, and Blue Botswana in there. They're super hard though and even though they've been tumbling for over a month I had to put some back in stage one again!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I finished organizing my fossil shelf...for now...I'm not quite satisfied with it and need to do some more tweaking...or possibly need more fossils. Yes, that's probably it. lol

 

[janiedoe]

I finished organizing my fossil shelf...for now...I'm not quite satisfied with it and need to do some more tweaking...or possibly need more fossils. Yes, that's probably it. lol

View attachment 2686693

That is stunning! I agree, more fossils and of course, more room. time to build the addition onto the house.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

it just needs a chicken in there and the bag is complete! Lol

 

[EmmaRainboe]

Went rock hounding the other day. Not much. Just a few agates. And this, I'm not entirely sure what it is. Still new to rock hounding. White with pastel blue veins. Hoping to go to a rockhounding location known for quartz and amethyst crystals sometime soon.

 

[Madhouse Pullet]

These are the agates from The Rock Shed as I'm sending them off to the next stage. I'm pretty sure that's where I got these anyway...lol! There are Mexican Crazy Lace, Mozambique, and Blue Botswana in there. They're super hard though and even though they've been tumbling for over a month I had to put some back in stage one again!

View attachment 2685801

Those are incredibly beautiful

 

[Madhouse Pullet]

Went rock hounding the other day. Not much. Just a few agates. And this, I'm not entirely sure what it is. Still new to rock hounding. White with pastel blue veins. Hoping to go to a rockhounding location known for quartz and amethyst crystals sometime soon.


View attachment 2738078

Very cool!

 

[Chickpalooza]

View attachment 2445519
​

Have you ever been walking through a park, on a hike, or walking down a beach when a rock caught your eye? One that seemed special enough that it couldn't be left behind? That's where rock collecting starts for many of us! People that go out to collect their own rocks are often called "Rock Hounds" but some of us can't stop at collecting rocks in our general area and start branching off buying, and trading rocks and minerals from all over the world!

I got the rock collecting bug really young when I kept small stones that I thought were pretty and especially loved smooth, shiny stones that had been rounded from time in the ocean as the waves and sand washed over them.

View attachment 2445553​

Now that I've been collecting for many years I've acquired some really interesting specimens. Including fluorescent and even phosphorescent stones and geodes!

View attachment 2445574​

I also find all of the different formations really interesting. The image below is all examples of clear quartz, a geode, clusters, points, and a tumbled stone. All very different formations and clarity, yet they are the same!

View attachment 2445572
View attachment 2445577​

Some of my fossils and petrified wood.

View attachment 2445582
View attachment 2445653
View attachment 2445655

I would love to see some of what you collect too!

​

I feel like this thread was made for me lol. I have a couple different specimens, but I have a couple seabed fossils, however they have quartz crystals inside. No pictures rn but will add some when I get them. I live in central texas, very interesting to look at on a geological map. Apparently there used to be a ton but the previous owners buried them.