Holiday Gift Guide: What to Get for the Rockhound in Your Life

Posted on November 15, 2020 by rocky

Rocks! (Or maybe more properly in this case: "Minerals")

The holiday season is rolling in quickly and that means it’s time for gifts! But what do you get for that special rockhound in your life? We’ve compiled a holiday gift guide for you!

Disclaimer: Every rockhound is going to be a little bit different, but here are some ideas for you to consider. Once you’ve spotted the perfect item, we suggest a Google shopping search to find the exact model that will work for you. We can make some recommendations of items that have worked well for us, but take a look around and shop smart!

1. Rocks.

Rocks! (Or maybe more properly in this case: Minerals!)

Obviously. Because what rockhound doesn’t want more rocks? But let’s be honest, some of you might not have any idea WHICH rocks your rockhound will love. We have good news! Many mineral dealers, lapidary companies, and others in the mineral trade DO offer holiday gift cards and holiday promotions! Take the trouble out of choosing a rock and let your loved one choose their own!

Yeah, yeah, we know that gift cards kind of get a bad reputation. But from a true rockhound, the idea that I can go into a dealer’s inventory and pick out something I LOVE is definitely exciting in a way that a gift card to the local fashion boutique will never be.

So how do you find the right company to go through?

First, decide what kind of material you think your rockhound will love – some love mineral specimens, others love gemstones, and others love just rough lapidary material! Find a company that deals in the material you’re looking for.

Next, find a company that has a great reputation. Checking out Facebook and other reviews is a great way to establish whether a company has a good reputation amongst its customers. If you know that your Rockhound has had good relationships with a company in the past, go with that one! (And if there’s a small-time company in your area, think about sharing the love by shopping local!)

Finally, if the company you’ve found doesn’t have a posted notice about gift cards or holiday promotions – ASK THEM! Shoot them an e-mail or a message to their Facebook page – chances are, whoever receives your message will be happy to work with you!

2. Tools.

Every rockhound needs tools. Similar to a rockhound’s choice in rocks, a rockhounds choice in tools might be a little difficult to pin down. We’ve got a few ideas for you though, so take a look at some of these items to see if any of these seem like they fit your rockhound!

The Rock Scoop

A rock scoop in use by the Apollo astronauts to collect lunar samples! Because the suits worn by astronauts made bending over nearly impossible, the rock scoop allowed them to collect rock and soil samples for return to Earth.

Though your rockhound might not be likely to be collecting on the moon, this is a proven tool. A favorite amongst those who do a lot of beach combing, the rock scoop is a handy gadget that lets you scoooooop up your treasures without bending over. This saves your rockhound on back and knee strain! Of course, this tool works well in places other than beaches too (you know, like the moon!)! We wouldn’t recommend this for the rockhound that likes to hammer on rocks, but for the collector who likes to walk along and pick up treasures, this is perfect! (It can also double as a walking stick!)

There are a lot of different models of this tool out there. Some feature a scoop with holes to let smaller debris fall through. Some are collapsible for easy transport.

The Rock Hammer

The Rock Hammer – the most essential tool of the Rockhound!

Now, for those of you who have a rockhound who likes to do some damage on your hands, there is no tool more critical than the rock hammer. And even if your rockhound already has a rock hammer, check it! These tools wear out over time, so a new hammer is never a bad thing!

There are a lot of choices in this department, but make one important distinction: NEVER think that a regular hardware store hammer is the right tool. It’s not. Be sure that whatever product you choose is labeled as a rock hammer or a geologists’ hammer. (This author has had great experiences with the tools made by Estwing, but there are certainly other choices out there.)

Note: if you need a stocking stuffer to go along with your gifts, some eye protection is always a great idea when using these tools. Throw in some safety glasses!

The Geo/Paleo Pick

The Geo/Paleo Pick – perfect for a competition over who’s pick is the biggest…

Now, some of you might have a rockhound who’s mastered the rock hammer and needs something bigger. That’s where the Geo/Paleo Pick comes in. This tool features a longer handle for maximum power in the swing. It also has two tips: one pick-end for, you know, picking. The other end is broader and flatter and makes a great tool for scraping away debris.

There aren’t many choices available for this tool, so Estwing is a solid choice.

The Gad Bar:

The Gad Bar – for poking and prying.

The gad bar is a tool with a little more subtlety than the hammers and picks, but it is incredibly useful. This is the rockhounds version of the pry bar. There’s a pointy end for sticking into crevices, and a chisel shaped end for wedging into cracks. This tool is great for working in areas where you don’t have the space to make big swings with a tool, or in situations where all you need is a little leverage. (Note: this is the author’s favorite field collecting tool.)

3. Information

One of the most important things you can gift a rockhound is the gift of information! Here are a few different resources you can tap to help your rockhound get more educated!

Field Guides

Fred Pough’s classic Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals

Field guides come in all shapes and sizes. Some will cover topics related to field identification of rocks and minerals. There are lots of options in this department! Pough’s Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals has long been a favorite of rockhounds. The author also recommends Sorrell’s Golden Guide to Field Identification of Rocks and Minerals.

Others tackle the subject on a more regional level and will give your rockhound ideas about new places to go and what can be found there. Check out our section on Field Guides for more regional guides.

Magazine Subscriptions

Rocks & Minerals Magazine

Books are a great gift, but several rockhound magazines are also available. Of course, the major perk to a magazine subscription is that you get new information delivered monthly or bimonthly! Several well established magazines are out there, including Rocks & Minerals magazine (offers a wide variety of topics at different levels, though primarily directed towards mineral specimens), Rock & Gem magazine (suited more for those interested in lapidary hobbies), the Mineralogical Record (specializes in mineral specimens) and the Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist (specializes in lapidary and jewelry). Magazines are a great way to keep your rockhound regularly inspired by new information.

4. Technology

As we move into increasingly advanced times, technology is one of the greatest tools we have accessible. Just because your rockhound is concerned with ancient, dirty rocks doesn’t mean they can’t be aided by technology!

The Dino-Lite Digital Microscope

The Dino-Lite Digital Microscope – for looking at small things.

The Dino-Lite Digital Microscope offers a series of microscope options, from handheld USB models to eye-pieces designed to convert traditional microscopes. These tools allow your rockhound to examine the small things! Microcrystals to wood grains in petrified wood, this is a tool that has a wide variety of applications that will allow your rockhound to nerd out at the highest of magnifications.

The Ultrasonic Cleaner

The Ultrasonic Cleaner – reduce the wear and tear on your household supply of toothbrushes!

Ultrasonic cleaners are a device used to submerge an object in liquid, which is then vibrated with high-frequency sound waves. These waves act to scrub the object of grimes, and hit all the surfaces of an object including pores and cavities. Ultrasonic cleaners are often used for cleaning machining parts or jewelry, but they also work wonders on rocks! Take away the burden of hours of tedious scrubbing by investing in one of these machines! (Disclaimer: do not put your water soluble minerals in here unless you want them so clean that they’ve disappeared entirely.)

Handheld GPS Units

GPS Devices - help your rockhound know where they are and where they're going!

Handheld GPS Units – help your rockhound know where they are and where they’re going!

For those of you who have a rockhound who loves being out in the field, one of the greatest resources you can give them is GPS! Handheld GPS devices can be used to navigate to a new digging spot, or mark an existing one for easy navigation later! Many GPS units feature topographic maps and land status maps, which give your rockhound even more information about where they are and what they can and cannot do while they’re there.

Rock Trimmers

Rock Trimmers – for precision splitting of rocks!

Rock trimmers are perfect for the rockhound who carries home boulders for a small vug of crystals on one side. These tools can be tricky to find, but a variety of models are available – from small and simple, hand-crank units, to large, hydraulic-powered units. All rock trimmers work off the same concept: a rock is placed between two chisel-tipped points and pressure is used to pinch the rock and split it. This method of splitting is not without risk to specimens (sometimes it is going to split where you don’t want it to), but it offers far more control over beating on your rock with a hammer and results in a more natural finish to a specimen than a saw cut. These units can also be adapted to be used in the field, which saves your rockhound the trouble of lugging that boulder home in the first place.

Bonus Section: Stocking Stuffers!

They say it’s the little things that count – so here are some smaller, but very useful items you can throw into your rockhound’s stocking!

Headlamps

Headlamps – for hands free lighting!

Headlamps are an invaluable tool – whether your rockhound is out in the field or trying to organize a dimly lit garage, lighting is always helpful! Headlamps allow your rockhound to have their hands free while still providing plenty of light. These are available in many different brightnesses and light modes.

Chisels

Chisels – necessary, but always disappearing…

Chisels are another indispensable tool for your rockhound. Chances are they have some – chances are that they’ve also lost some! These are easy to misplace, but the good news is they’re easy to replace too! Be sure that you are looking at “cold chisels” when shopping for your rockhound – wood chisels, etc., are not the right tool. Chisels come in a variety of sizes and lengths, and every one of them is necessary for a different situation!

There are an abundance of great gifts for your rockhound – please drop us a note if you’ve got an idea that we missed!

Visit the Trilobyte Me! Quarry in Delta, Utah for a Gourmet Trilobite Buffet to Snack on!

Posted on June 29, 2020 by rocky

Known as the most prolific trilobite specimen source worldwide, the Trilobyte Me! Quarry operated by the folks at High Desert Gems and Minerals is where you can dig your own specimens of those iconic Utah trilobites. These classic specimens, most notably of the species Elrathia kingii are preserved in exquisite detail in the Wheeler Shale formation of Western Utah. The Wheeler Shale is a truly ancient rock and is 505 million years old, a time when Utah was very tropical, oriented close to the equator. The Trilobyte Me! Quarry gives the public a chance to explore one of the world’s best quality, most finely preserved fossil occurrences. Not only are a variety of trilobites found here, but other ancient sea life such as brachiopods, sponges, primitive crustaceans, and rare soft bodied animals.

Photos from the mine operators. The operators state on their site that the pile represents approximately the finds from just two days of basic digging! The trilobite specimens in matrix show what you might find splitting rocks

What is a Trilobite?:

Trilobites are ancient arachnomorph (arachnid-like) class of arthropod invertebrates, meaning they are related to insects, crustaceans, and arachnids. Despite their crustacean like appearance, they are most closely related to spiders, horseshoe crabs, and scorpions. They were among the most diverse classes of life on earth during the lower paleozoic but many became extinct in the Devonian, and were all finally wiped out in the Permian mass extinction event.

Trilobites remain so well preserved in the fossil record because of their hard exoskeletons, which were easily replaced by calcite over time. They range in size and shape greatly from a few millimeters to about a foot long and are found in paleozoic rocks worldwide. Trilobites have large, prominent compound eyes and a pair of flexible, sometimes long antennae as well as many pairs of segmented legs for moving and feeding, similar to a pillbug. Some trilobites had elaborate spines, but those species are not often seen in the Wheeler Shale. Many species could even roll up in a ball for defense. Trilobites were mostly scavengers or sifted through the substrate for food, but there is some suggestion a few species were carnivorous. A great diversity of well preserved species is found in the Wheeler Shale, and the Trilobyte Me! Quarry is an extremely rich source.

The Trilobite body is divided into three main parts that can be thought of a head, torso, and tail. See the above figure, the head is called the cephalon (1) , the torso is the thorax (2) , and the tail is the pygidium (3). Lengthwise the body is divided into three lobes, the right pleural lobe (4), the axial lobe (5), and the left pleural lobe (6)

Some examples of trilobites found in the wheeler shale

Some species of trilobites encountered in the Wheeler Shale. Source: https://u-digfossils.com/trilobites/

Geology and Paleontology:

The area where the Trilobite me Quarry would have been 50 million years ago

The approximate location of Utah in the early Cambrian period (~505MYA) Source: https://www.trilobites.info/Utah.htm

The Wheeler Shale of Western Utah dates back to the early Cambrian period, representing a period in which oceanic invertebrate life greatly diversified. This unit consists of mudstone, shaley limestone, and a platy limestone. Before the Cambrian, most vertebrates were soft bodied, poorly preserved as fossils, and difficult to classify. The Cambrian is the period where arthropods such as crustaceans and trilobites, cnidarians like jellyfish and corals, and brachiopods came into existence and started to thrive. During this time Utah was located along the equator and the Wheeler Shale is the bottom of a shallow, warm sea. Think of the water being similar to a tropical destination like the Caribbean. That is the type of climate these trilobites thrived in. Elrathia kingi is the commercial trilobite species most sought after by collectors. It is the iconic trilobite from this formation and is one of the most abundant. Elrathia kingi specimens are the most commonly encountered American trilobite on the market. However, there is variety at the Trilobyte Me! Quarry and about 15 genera of trilobite total exist in the Wheeler Shale.

Many unusual fossils including peculiar ancient crustaceans and soft bodied animals have been found in the Wheeler Shale. Some of these fossils are not easily noticeable but may be significant or important. If you see an unusual fossil, even if faint, keep it and try to get it identified. There have been many important fossils of soft bodied animals found in Utah. In addition many fossils of trilobite-like fossils have been found. These organisms are closely related, but not true trilobites.

Pseudoarctolepis sharpi trilobite fossil

A fossil of a peculiar ancient crustacean from the Wheeler Shale- Pseudoarctolepis sharpi, a Phyllocarid. It is definitely important to look out for strange fossils at the Trilobyte Me! Quarry, you might find something rare and unusual. Source: http://www.fossilmuseum.net/Cambrian-Explosion/Utah-Cambrian-Explosion.htm

Collecting and Supplies:

To collect these trilobite fossils you will be splitting shale, which has a particular technique to it. Hit the shale in the direction it splits with a geologists pick or crack hammer and thin chisel. Use a sturdy tap, when this rock splits, it often happens all at once. For digging in the quarry, bring a prybar, pickaxe, and wedges to remove and split bigger pieces of shale. Also bring a screen to go through finer material, a bucket, gloves, and safety goggles. Bring plenty of food and water, sunscreen, and bug spray. From the High Desert Gems and Minerals website, several collecting options in different price ranges are available, but all give you the experience of digging tons of your own awesome quality trilobites!

Dig Gemstone Fossils
Open Daily April 1 – October 10th 9am – 5pm
No reservations required, just show up, any day!

Basic Trilobite Collecting

Split the shale or screen dirt for shale and find matrix specimens or loose jewelry grade trilobites.
Adults $50
8yrs-14yrs $35
7yrs/ under Free

Quarry Bank Digging

Dig and split shale using hand tools in the actual freshly exposed trilobite bearing shale layers of the quarry
Adults $100
8yrs-14yrs $50
7yrs/ under Free

E x c l u s i v e Digging Options…..
High-End Quarry Bank Digging

Our exclusive digging area reserved for our commercial trilobite operations.
Adults $200
11yrs-14yrs $100
10yrs/ under Free with paying adult

“Trilobite infested” Ore Pile

Our trilobite pay dirt shale dug up with our machinery and put in a pile for your convenience to sort.
$150/ pile
Price includes whole family

High-Grade “Trilobite Swarm” Ore Pile

Our exclusive commercial trilobite bearing shale dug up with our machinery and put in a pile for your convenience to sort.
$300/ pile
Price includes whole family

Directions: See Map

Driving Directions
From the West: use Hwy 50 in Nevada at the state line border drive 56 miles into Utah.
From the East : use Hwy 50/ 6 out of Delta, Utah drive West 29 miles.
On Hwy 50/ 6 at mile Marker 56 & 1/2 turn onto dirt road North (Known as Long Ridge Reservoir Road).
0.0 reset odometer at the U-Dig Fossils sign/ cattle guard.
4.9 drive over cattle guard.
6.3 drive over another cattle guard.
Slow down! for tight curves in road.
10.1 intersection for Margum Pass sign.
15.0 intersection for Swasey Spring sign.
Slow down! curvy road.
18.8 intersection for U-Dig and Death Canyon, stay on road as it bears right.
18.9 immediate right turn into driveway of Trilobyte Me! Quarry.
Parking: cars continue on through the gate, RVs and trailers park before gate!
Follow these directions! The internet may get you lost!

Accomodations: Free camping and RV accomodation on site! Pet friendly! Bring your own food and water. There are hotels near Delta, Utah also available. Rancher Motel (435) 864-274, Delta Inn Motel (435) 864-5318, Days Inn (435) 864-3882, Antelope Valley RV Park (800) 430-0022

Sources:

https://www.highdesertgemsandminerals.com/html/trilobyte_me_quarry.html

http://www.fossilmuseum.net/Cambrian-Explosion/Utah-Cambrian-Explosion.htm

https://www.trilobites.info/Utah.htm

Trilobites

Michigan’s State Stone – Fossil Coral called Petoskey Stones and YOU can find one!

Posted on September 10, 2015 by rocky

Hexagonaria percarinata close view - photo by Wilson44691

Unpolished Petoskey Stone with cm scale – photo by David J. Fred CC

Take the Petoskey Stone. Don’t worry, hundreds of thousands of these stones have been picked up from the beaches, fields, quarries and roadsides near Michigan’s Traverse Bay. Local tourism welcomes you to take a few home with you fromTraverse City and upwards through the towns of Ames, Elk Rapids, Torch Lake, and up to Charlevoix, where many suggest visiting the beaches in order to find these stone fossils. These stone replaced corals are abundant and often take a fine polish, used for tumbling, cabbing and slabbing. The floral patterns and semi-hard, easy to polish, calcite replacement make this a stone that was sure to bring rock collectors of all walks of life to this area of the world.

This vast area of Michigan was once covered by an ocean full of corals, the Hexagonaria percarinata, among others, which at some point in time were covered up with rock, turning into vast limestone deposits with countless bits of these dead corals well preserved, from millions of years ago. Bring the glaciers into the picture and suddenly the stone corpses of these corals are spread out all over the state, wherever the glacier dragged chunks of this limestone about. People have experienced finding these Petoskey stones all over the state, however, the most popular locations for collecting are on the shores of Lake Michigan, as the frost and rain pushes and pulls the sands and gravels, revealing more each year.

Hexagonaria percarinata close view – photo by Wilson44691

This rock collecting area is all about exploring. You can find hot spots where the specimens seem to crop up everywhere, you can walk for a half mile and not see a one. Anywhere there is gravel, that is a great place to hunt. There is a world of information about these stones, so many websites, books, articles, parks, dedicated to these funky fossils. This year it was all about the 90ish pound boulder specimen pulled out of Lake Michigan. I personally saw the photo pop up on instagram, then get taken down. The state has a limit of 25 pounds collected at a time! There is a photo of President Obama with one of these stones on his desk. It is the state stone of Michigan and certainly a draw for tourism. So, I highly suggest grabbing a copy of this book, The Complete Guide to Petoskey Stones
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Check out the following links below for more information on Petoskey stones and click here or on the banner below to check out Petoskey Stones available for sale on eBay.
The Petoskey Chamber of Commerce has a great website detailing information about Petoskey Stones and where they can be found and purchased, locally, in Michigan!
You can check out our friends at RockTumbler.com for information on tumbling, polishing and grinding your specimen of Petoskey Stone. That site has great information.
Here is an article about Obama’s very own pet Petoskey Stone
Here is an article about the Petoskey Stone that cause the big news in 2015.

Photo of a polished Petoskey Stone, Hexagonaria percarinata – Photo CC

The best thing about hunting Petoskey Stones is the beauty that is Upper Michigan. The beach views of Lake Michigan are said to be breathtaking, the landscape is full of greenery and wild flowers in the spring.

Sideling Hill – A Cross Cut View of the Fossil Rich Shale in Maryland and Pennsylvania

Posted on October 29, 2012 by rocky

Fossils are plentiful in the shale deposits all around the mid-Atlantic states. Without getting technical, shells of a variety of marine animals are found in the shale, readily accessible via road cuts and rock quarries around Western Maryland, central Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Sideling Hill is a wonderful example of the typical construct of the rolling hills of the area.

The tight bands of rock layers, along with the HUGENESS of the roadcut are fascinating. The layers of the mountain are very interesting, consisting of alternating bands of shale and big bands of alluvial conglomerate. The top layer of shale is also coal rich, which is thickest on the north side of the road cut. You can see the dark layer towards the very top of the hill.

The rest area used to host a Geological Center, a fun place to check out, a place to stop and view this geological wonder and find out a little more about the earth around us.

The Geological Center is closed now, but the exhibits have been moved to Hancock Maryland.

A short distance away in Pennsylvania, we found several shale deposits on the side of back country roads.

Any place you can find loose shale, if you flip over a few pieces, often, fossils will be found.

The shale from this area breaks up into small bits. That makes big matrix specimens very uncommon!

Brachiopod specimens are very common through out the area, along with tightly wound trilobite specimens.

Packing the specimens is a delicate job, so a roll of toilet paper for wrapping is always handy!

Bi-valve fossils, Gastropods and many others, all found swimming around in the soup of the Devonian era!

At this road cut, randomly, a vug of quartz was found, breaking up into oddly shaped crystals.

So, do not be afraid to stop and check out any exposed shale in the mid-Atlantic states! Often times, simply flipping over some loose shale chunks will reveal a trilobite, a gastropod or a cluch of Brachiopods!

Field Guide Review: Minerals, Fossils and Fluorescents of Arizona

Posted on October 12, 2012 by rocky

Minerals, Fossils and Fluorescents of Arizona is a thick field guide to 90 locations across the state of Arizona, most still available for collecting in 2012!

Originally published in 2006, this book contains complete, easy to follow maps and directions to each location, along with colorful photos by Jeff Scovil.
For the absolute beginner, there is a nice chunk of informative reading in the front of the book, giving the basic information for several minerals, along with global mineral information like cleavage, hardness and luster. A bit of time is spent on rock formations and geologic conditions, which will help understand the basics behind why minerals are found where they are.

The copy we have has been used to travel to nearly half of the locations in the book. The book gives clear instructions for reaching a location, along with GPS directions, which are easy to punch into google maps while en-route to a location. In addition, each location pinpointed in the book has produced the material described and only once has there been claim markers up on a location showcased. We have collected Hematite crystals, UV minerals, Dendrites, Calcite, Selenite, and Serpentine. Several trips inspired by this book have resulted in fine specimens that are in our permanent collections.
Clicking the book cover will show you available copies for purchase on Amazon.

Check out eBay for copies of this book for sale and other minerals of Arizona

There are a lot of field guides to choose from, each with their own unique features. In addition to the easy to follow directions, colorful photos and the accuracy of the information presented, the book also does a great job covering the state, listing collecting spots all over the state, with close proximity to other states. For instance, the residents and visitors to Saint George Utah might be surprised to find that a deposit of Gypsum/Selenite is available in the hills stretching out into Arizona, available from the back roads connecting through Utah. More locations spill across into New Mexico and several of them are a perfect distance between Los Angeles and Phoenix.

Many field collecting guides are simply shelf filler, this book has a wide variety of information, collecting options and we can not recommend another mineral field collecting guide more.

Fossil shells replaced by calcite found in the roads of Central Texas

Posted on October 11, 2012 by rocky

The Central Texas counties surrounding Limestone County are full of beautiful ancient marine shells replaced by calcite, both massive and crystallized. Luckily for the collectors of minerals and fossils, hundreds of miles of low traffic roads in Central Texas contain a wide variety of ancient sea life replaced by calcium carbonate. They are up on the surface of gravel and dirt roads, as snowy white gravel, stretching down the country lanes.

This area of collecting is centrally located between Interstate 35 and 45. Those highways run through Texas, connecting San Antonio, Austin, Houston and Dallas. In between this area, vast deposits of limestone of a very high quality are found and mined for agricultural and industrial use. It is often found as crushed aggregate used to cover the stone roads of back country Texas. Spiraling out of the central texas area like a web connecting new developments with well maintained farm routes, the white roads of Texas are often found to contain calcite crystals and calcite replaced marine shell fossils. Clams, Brachiopods, Turritella, Ammonites and other interesting shells are found, often with cores and voids filled with crystals of calcite.

Getting to a collecting location is simple! Simply pull up Google Maps and take a look at a satellite view of Central Texas. As you get closer, look out for maintained county roads, which you will see, are bright white. This white color is caused by this limestone gravel. Make a note of these roads to inspect and take a trip to Marlin, Mart, Rosebud, Franklin, Calvert, Madisonville, and Crockett. Since there is ample loose gravel, do not DIG into the road or bother to take tools with you. Loose Gravel. Mostly made up of calcite replaced shells. What an amazing collecting experience. Simply opening your car door will result in you finding a loose fossil. With smartphones, androids and iphones, simply using google maps while navigating will be all you need for a spur of the moment collecting trip. This area is a little over 3 hours from San Antonio, a quick 2 hours from Austin, Houston and Dallas. It is a PERFECT field trip in all weather besides tornadoes and snow!

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