Category
Field Safety & Handling
How to Identify a Mineral in the Field: A Beginner's Testing Method
A step-by-step field identification routine — color, streak, luster, hardness, cleavage, and specific gravity — for narrowing down an unlabeled specimen without a lab.
UV Lamps for Rockhounding: What Longwave and Shortwave Actually Show You
Why some minerals glow under ultraviolet light, the practical difference between longwave and shortwave lamps, and how to run a fluorescence test properly.
Building a Rockhounding Field Kit: What to Actually Bring
A practical rockhounding field kit — from a rock hammer and hand lens to a field notebook and safety gear — built around what actually gets used, not what looks good on a shelf.
UV Fluorescence: What's Actually Happening When a Mineral Glows
The electron-level physics behind mineral fluorescence, three real matches from the fluorescence guide's curated dataset, and the shortwave eye and skin safety habits that actually matter.
Collecting Responsibly and Legally: Permits, Limits, and Leave-No-Trace for Rockhounds
Why collecting rules vary enormously by jurisdiction and land type, a worked example quantifying a day's haul by weight, and the Leave No Trace habits that keep sites open for the next collector.