The Rockhound's HandbookLearn about rock and mineral formation, tools, identification, finding minerals in the field, legal aspects, preparation and preservation, cutting and polishing, and making jewelry from your finds. Numerous illustrations and B/W photos. |
Common terms and phrases
acid agate and/or areas Azurite barite beads Beryl bezel blue cabochon calcite cavity chalcedony Chapter Chrysocolla clean Clues For Identification collectors color Colorless Glassy Common Color(s Conchoidal contact zone Corundum cracks Crystal System Diagram diamond drill exhibited faceting feldspar field trip Fluorite fossils Fracture galena garnet gemstones Glassy Hexagonal Conchoidal Glassy Isometric Conchoidal gold green grinding grit guidebooks Halite Hardness heavy minerals hematite Isometric jasper jewelry lapidary light limestone look malachite maps material metal detector metamorphic rock mica mineral's minerals Minerals Frequently Found mining molten Monoclinic necklace opal opaque P.O. Box Pearly Monoclinic pegmatites PHOTO polishing prongs pyrite quartz regions rockhounds seams sedimentary rock Serpentine shape silver solder sometimes Specific Gravity specimens Splintery spot stone Streak surface tion tourmaline transparent Triclinic trim tumbling types U.S. Geological Survey Uneven or Conchoidal usually variety Waxy wheel White Glassy Hexagonal White Glassy Isometric yellow