Guides
Identification & Collecting Guides
Browse by skill level and field task.
This is the main guide library for the site: beginner setup, field identification, rules, safety, and the practical mineralogy that helps you make better calls once you are outside.
Use this page for
Learn in the order that makes field sense
Start with beginner setup, move into identification and rules, then use the mineral cards when you need a faster reference.
Guides
13
longer walkthroughs for beginner trips, field ID, safety, and technique.
Mineral cards
43
quick specimen references when you need an answer faster.
Core orientation for first trips, first tools, and first decent decisions in the field.
Which shores and sites you can collect on, and what each one is known for.
Pick a state, then pick a site. These guides help you plan.
What to look for when you are trying to separate common finds from the real thing.
Rules, etiquette, and trip habits that keep access open and people unhurt.
The underlying mineral structure and vocabulary that make field observations more useful.
Practical collecting, planning, and specimen-handling methods that matter once you are out there.
Guide shelves
Guide shelves
Browse the knowledge base by the kind of problem you are trying to solve in the field.
Getting Started
Core orientation for first trips, first tools, and first decent decisions in the field.
When is the Best Time to Go Rockhounding? (Seasonal Guide)
A seasonal rockhounding guide covering the best times to collect by region, terrain type, and target mineral. Includes spring, summer, fall, and winter strategies for productive trips.
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Can You Take Rocks From BLM Land, Forests, or Parks?
BLM land, national forests, national parks and state land all have different rock collecting rules. See which allow it, which do not, and what to check first.
Read article →Where to Go
Which shores and sites you can collect on, and what each one is known for.
Exploration
Pick a state, then pick a site. These guides help you plan.
Where to Find Geodes in California: Spots & Access Rules
A practical guide to geode collecting in California. Covers the Wiley Well district, Hauser Geode Beds, Cinnamon Beds, and other productive spots with access rules, tips, and seasonal advice.
Read article →Best States for Rockhounding in the US (Ranked for 2026)
The best US states for rockhounding, ranked by mineral diversity, public land access, and real collecting quality. Covers what each state is known for and where to start.
Read article →Identification
What to look for when you are trying to separate common finds from the real thing.
Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic: A Field Guide
A practical guide to the three rock types, with field clues, examples, and USGS-backed explanations of how each one forms.
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Using the Mohs Hardness Scale in the Field
A practical guide to scratch testing minerals with common household items. Faster and more reliable than you’d think.
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Rock Identification Chart: How to Identify Rocks
Use a simple rock identification chart and field tests for texture, streak, hardness, cleavage, magnetism, and acid reaction.
Read article →Safety & Ethics
Rules, etiquette, and trip habits that keep access open and people unhurt.
Rockhounding Ethics: Collecting Responsibly
A practical ethics guide for rockhounds — how to apply Leave No Trace, handle permission responsibly, limit site damage, and know when the right move is to leave material behind.
Read article →Rockhounding Safety: What Every Collector Should Know
From eye protection and proper hammering technique to desert hydration and mine hazards — stay safe in the field.
Read article →Mineralogy
The underlying mineral structure and vocabulary that make field observations more useful.
Techniques
Practical collecting, planning, and specimen-handling methods that matter once you are out there.
Field reference
Quick mineral cards
A tighter preview of the mineral library for the specimens you are most likely to double-check in the field.
Need the full library?
The minerals section holds the complete set of specimen cards, photos, and detail pages.
All mineralsQuartz
A complete guide to quartz - how to identify silicon dioxide in the field, how quartz forms, where it is found, and how to separate it from common lookalikes.
Quartz Crystals
A field guide to quartz crystals — how to identify crystal-form quartz, what good terminations look like, where quartz crystals form, and what separates crystal material from plain massive quartz.
Clear Quartz
A guide to clear quartz — how to identify colorless quartz crystals, what affects clarity, where clear quartz forms, and how collectors judge specimen quality.
Quartz Clusters
A practical guide to quartz clusters — how intergrown quartz crystals form, what makes a cluster attractive, and how they differ from single terminated points.
Double-Terminated Quartz
A practical guide to double-terminated quartz — how to recognize natural terminations at both ends, how the habit forms, and what makes these crystals so desirable to collectors.
Matrix Crystals
A guide to matrix crystals — what the term means, why many collectors value attached specimens, and how matrix changes the way a crystal is judged and prepared.
Chalcedony
A practical guide to chalcedony — how to identify cryptocrystalline quartz, how it differs from agate and jasper, and where collectors typically encounter it.
Amethyst
The purple variety of quartz, colored by trace iron and natural irradiation. One of the most popular collector minerals worldwide.
Ready to put this knowledge to use?
Find a site, grab your gear, and go. The best way to learn is in the field.