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COLLECTING ROCKS AND MINERALS
Starting a collection
Most collectors begin by just accumulating rocks, minerals, fossils. As their collection grows,
they start being more selective, keeping only specimens with better colour, better
crystallization, or more interesting crystal forms. With widening experience, most collectors
begin to specialize. Some minerals come in such a wide variety of crystal forms that
a collection can be made of a single mineral; other
collectors may focus on ore minerals, or on minerals
from a particular locality. There are practical
considerations that limit the scope of most collections.
Some rare minerals are very expensive, and mineral
collections can
take up a huge
amount of
space. One
solution is to
collect tiny specimens called micromounts, whose
form and beauty can only be seen under
magnification.
ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT
At first glance it might seem that any hammer would do for breaking rocks, but this is far
from the case. Every year rocks collectors are
injured – including being blinded – by using
the wrong hammers. Geologist´s hammers
are made of special steels, and the striking
ends are bevelled to prevent steel splinters
from flying off them. Special geological chisels are made for the same
reasons.
Wearing safety goggles is highly
recommended when breaking or
splitting stone. Access to some
collecting
localities requires safety
equipment
such as a hard hat and
fluorescent
vest. A mobile phone is an
important piece of safety equipment – with fully charged battery. Carry it
with you even if you are only going a short distance from the car. A fall
into a ravine or other low spot may take you out of sight of potential help
and add hours to the time it takes to find you. In desert country, an
adequate supply of water is essential, and if you are in snake country take an appropriate
snake-bite kit. Clothimg suitable to the weather and terrain is, of cours, vital. Leave your low-
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cut shoes and trainers at home. Leather boots offer better protection from snake bites,
cactus spines, sharp stones, jagged metal, and rolling stones, and give much better traction.
COLLECTING SAFELY
While mineral collecting is generally a safe hobby, there are a few definite hazards that he
collector needs to be aware of. The most dangerous collecting locality is around old mines
and workings. Tunnels should never be entered – shoring timbers rot verry quickly, and
cave-ins and rockfalls are almost guaranteed to happen. In any case, there is often
remarkably poor collecting inside old mines. If anything looked good, the miners usually dug
it out. Mine dumps, by contrast, can be a good source of specimens, although be aware that
they are often loosely piled and can be unstable. When collecting in localitions such as beach
cliffs, road cuttings, and rockfalls, attention must be paid not only to loose material
underfoot but also to anything that may fall or roll from above. Collectors are injured every
year by falling rocks. And, unless you absolutely know the locality to be safe, leave small
children at home.