Also called amateur geology or rock collecting, the hobby of collecting rocks, minerals and fossil specimens from the natural environment. The practice grew out of commercial prospecting for valuable minerals and gemstones before evolving into a recreational pursuit whose enthusiasts today are often drawn simply to the aesthetic appeal of what they find. A collection can begin with something as ordinary as picking up a rock from the ground, and many rockhounds have organized into clubs where members search together and compare finds, with local groups locatable through libraries, bookstores, gem and mineral shows and tourist centers.
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Associated With
Fossil collecting and rockhounding are commonly practiced together as earth-science field hobbies.
Rockhounds who collect gem-quality material commonly cut and polish it themselves, making lapidary work a natural extension of rockhounding.
Meteorite hunting overlaps substantially with rockhounding in technique and community, both searching likely terrain for distinctive stones.
Sources
1. Amateur geology (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section, hobby classification (Amateur geology)Quote, Lead section, hobby classification (Amateur geology)
Amateur geology or rock collecting is the non-professional study and hobby of collecting rocks and minerals or fossil specimens from the natural environment.
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