Rock Collecting is Good for the Body and Soul

Rock collecting is a fascinating hobby for kids and adults alike. You don't have to spend money to collect rocks -- you'll find a huge variety out your back door.  Rock collecting is a great hobby because there is so much to learn, and you can get some great exercise and visit new places when hiking around, looking for rocks to add to your collection.

Collected rocks can be displayed in many ways, from rock gardens to neatly kept showcases, making rock collecting a versatile hobby.

Types of Rocks

When rock collecting, you will soon find out that rocks can be categorized as one of three types:

1. Sedimentary rocks were formed when sediments, such as sand or silt, were pressed together under their own weight or the weight of water, and eventually solidified.
2. Igneous rocks were formed by volcanic activity.
3. Metamorphic rocks are somewhat like sedimentary rocks, but the sand, silt and sediments formed into rock by intense heat and pressure.

Rock Collecting Hobbies and Great Places to Visit for Collecting

Collecting minerals, gems, and crystals is considered rock collecting, although pure minerals are not technically the same thing as rocks.  Minerals include things like pyrite, also known as fool's gold, and quartzite, which looks almost like a diamond.

People love to visit Hot Springs, Arkansas, and its surrounding regions in order to collect crystals.  The crystals are large and beautiful, and often referred to as the "Arkansas Diamond."  Of course, New Age people claim that these crystals give them special insights and healing powers.  Regardless of your beliefs, crystals are a stunning addition to your rock collection.

Blurb Alert! Even adults can appreciate the information in the "Let's Go Rock Collecting" series of kids' books. Let's Go Rock Collecting Children's Books / Ages 4-8 Fiction ; Science & Technology - Earth Science, Let's Go Rock Collecting

Souvenir rock collecting is done by people who save pretty rocks from different places they visit.  If these rocks are large, they can be used to outline the driveway or start a rock garden. If they are small, they can line a windowsill. Label them with a fine point marker if desired. Include the date and location the rock was found.

Although petrified wood is not exactly a rock, many rock collectors love to add it to their collection.  You shouldn't remove it from a public park, though!  If you visit the information center at the Petrified National Forest in Arizona, you'll see all kinds of letters where people had snuck some petrified wood home, only to find that their lives seemed to be cursed until they sent the petrified wood back! 

The souvenir type of rock collecting does not require much scientific investigation, but identifying rocks and minerals does. The different types of rock can sometimes be easily identified. For instance, sedimentary rocks often look like particles that are glued together. Sandstone is a common example of a sedimentary rock. Sedimentary rocks may also have visible flat layers. Metamorphic rocks, on the other hand, sometimes have layers, but those layers have been bent so that they are no longer laying flat across the rock.

When rock collecting, the igneous rocks make some of the most exciting finds. Obsidian is an igneous rock that looks like a broken piece of black glass. It is shiny and hard, and was used to make arrowheads in the  by the native Americans. Pumice is another interesting igneous rock which is porous, making it so light that it will float. This stone is used for cleaning and rubbing calluses off people's feet.

Keep in mind when rock collecting that different regions of the world have different types of rocks. In the American Midwest, for instance, there are many sedimentary stones, but metamorphic and igneous rocks are less common. In the Appalachians, on the other hand, you can find metamorphic rocks such as gneiss and schist. Wherever you live, you are sure to find rock collecting a hobby that's good for the soul because you'll learn so much, a great for the body since you'll do a lot of hiking and exploring to find your treasures.

"Rock Collecting is Good for the Body and Soul," contributed by Evan Rowe