First Things First:

Let me start by saying that I HATE jewelry. I have never liked it, and probably never will. The first diamond I saw in person as a child was about as exciting as a trip to the doctor to get a shot, and I have never found them to be anything but boring....no matter how big or supposedly beautiful. Rubies and Emeralds are nice, as are others such as Topaz and Tanzanite........BUT.......in their finished, cut and polished form, to me they are boring....and in fact for me, they are ruined. You see, I am a MINERAL collector.....and I became a mineral collector by total chance.

My daughter was doing a science report on rocks and minerals in school, and my wife thought it might be nice to visit a GEM and MINERAL show that is held every year in Costa Mesa, California.....at that time, we lived just a few miles away(this show is held in MAY at the Holiday Inn). We went to this show, just looking for info on rocks and minerals, and came home amazed, with a few actual specimens that we had purchased. I was hooked. Now it was off to find a book that would give me the information I needed to tell me what it was I had just bought......as well as to give me ideas about other minerals.......I always thought a mineral was a vitamin you take every day. Anyway, over the next 3 months I looked here and there, buying a couple of books that were interesting, but a little too technical for me(at the time). Then I came across this book....and it was just what I was looking for.....

But at this point I might be starting to bore you, so now to the RUBIES and EMERALDS......I actually own not just some, but MANY of BOTH ! ! !How you ask? Well guess what.....all they cost me were a few days of my time and the ability to get up off my lazy ass and go find them! That's it......no millions of dollars to spend or invest........I just took the time to research my MINERALS book, find out where specific minerals are located, and off to the races we go...and it's a great way to spend a vacation outdoors doing something the entire family can enjoy......you can find area's that might be on the way to your vacation destination, stop off and do some searching, or actually make the searching place your vacation itself......with one rule about collecting...and it is THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE OF ALL. IF you are going to be on anyones private property, GET PERMISSION FROM THE LAND OWNER TO BE THERE and EXPLAIN what it is you are doing. This is covered in the book as well. I can't stress this enough. But, I'm getting ahead of myself now.

AND NOW, THE BOOK

The purchase of this book, which on the average is between $15 to $20 is the best way to get started. It lists hundreds of minerals that are found here in the United States, as well as where they have been found in the past as well as currently. Most locations are generalized, but with a little more research on your own you can usually locate information as to where you can go to do some collecting in the field, or you can visit a number of mines that charge a reasonable fee to look for minerals. What do you look for, and how do you look.....that's the easy part.

Color photos of minerals in their differing forms are included, as well as a information as to their chemical make up, streak, specific gravity, cleavage (not that kind of cleavage!!!), hardness using the MOHS scale, colors that the mineral is normally found to have, crystalline structure, and rareness. This sounds like a lot, but it is very handy to know, because if you are out looking around and you find a blue crystal, you eventually have to determine what it is.....is it Topaz, Aquamarine...or something else? Which also brings up an interesting subject....

Do you know the difference between a RUBY and a SAPPHIRE? Do you know the difference between an EMERALD and AQUAMARINE? The book will tell you....but I won't let you wait to read it. A RUBY and SAPPHIRE are both the same mineral called CORUNDUM....the difference.....the color. That's it. Now the color that these minerals have is due to impurities that occur to the mineral during formation, hence different impurities, different colors. As for EMERALD and AQUAMARINE.....they are both the same mineral known as BERYL......the difference being color once again, and for the same reason.....different impurities. That's it. All this, and more, await you when you purchase this field guide, and it is INDEED a field guide as well, because it is small enough to take with you on a field trip, even though there are over 800 pages. Carry it in your vehicle with you as a reference to specimens you might find, and then use it to check out your findings....or even take it to a GEM AND MINERAL show to help you find information about a specimen you might be interested in. This book will also describe how to care for your specimens, as well as give you info on what you might like to have along with you as far as tools, such as a small rock pick, cold chisels, and a place to keep you specimens in.

Of course, if you can't pull yourself away from the PC long enough to go on a field trip, you may want to try any number of gem and minerals shows in your area, as well as any local rockshops. Even if you wish to go out on a field trip, it is a good idea to hit a show or a dealer and see in person what it is you might be interested in looking for.......a ROUGH RUBY or EMERALD is not the same as the pretty stone you see on the Gold ring at Service Merchandise.....although sometimes they are!!! And you can even find GOLD too.....

If you are just totally stuck, and can't get away from the PC, you can always go and look right now on E-Bay under Jewelry/Gems/Rocks/Minerals/Rough/Specimens. You will find more than enough to keep you busy for a while.

This book is buy far the EASIEST of all the books available today....it does get slightly technical in certain areas, but these parts can be skipped over until you feel you are ready to expanded your own knowledge, if that is your goal. This is an excellent book to own and one of the few that I continually use. On the scale of 1 to 10, 10 being best, I give it a 10+. In fact, I own two other of the AUDUBON SOCIETY FIELD GUIDES and they are just as good as this book.

WHAT'S NEXT

On my Epinions Profile page you will find a link that will take you to a list of places where you can get information on mineral collecting....from field collecting sites, to dealers who sell minerals, mineral and gem shows, information from the US Geological Survey(including most states) where info can be obtained as to each particular states' mineral resources and public collecting areas.

and finally.....

Let me leave you with these thoughts......they are not in the book...

On the Home Shopping Network, they sell a stone called TANZANITE. This mineral is actually called ZOISITE. Even though TANZANITE comes from AFRICA, did you know it can also be found here.....in the United States?....You just have to know what is is you are looking for, and where to look.

.....and as for Diamonds.......I still do not like them. I now however, do have an appreciation for them as a mineral.....which to me is really the only way to have one....... why???????

Number 1: I'm a mineral collector.

Number 2: I have never found them interesting.

.....and here's the important one, so if you skip this you'll be sorry.....

Number 3: As I grew into an adult, I started feeling that there was something hokey about diamonds, but I never gave it much thought, because I didn't like them anyway, and I knew nothing about them.
What would you say if I told you that, YES, a diamond is a rare mineral, and yes some are very beautiful.
BUT..........that the price they command was created many, many years ago......for one sole purpose.........to create a false market.

You don't believe me?.....Do some research....if a diamond is so rare that it's price has to be sky high.....that it is also a matter of supply and demand that creates the high price.......then

Riddle me this, Batman....

How many diamonds have you seen in your lifetime...in all the stores you have visited.....as well as on HSN, QVC, Service Merchandise, and all the FINE DIAMOND stores all over the place?

Gee......there sure seems to be a pretty large supply, so that can't be it.
If it's so rare....what accounts for the large supply.......?

EXACTLY.

But wait.....maybe it's because they are flawed.....

If I were to tell you what the REAL HONEST TO GOODNESS value of a diamond is, Flawless or not, you would never believe me, so I won't. I will say that I have over two dozen minerals that are over 10 times more rare than a diamond is....

But, you spend the money on a diamond because after all it's the thought that counts......right? Right....and that's fine.


Oh, did I forget to tell you that you can find diamonds in the United States and Canada, too..........

........just a little something for you to think about the next time you go on vacation or go camping, and want to be able to talk about something other that how the BIG ONE GOT AWAY......they don't have to get away you know.....they are there......just waiting........................










Recommended: Yes