The most common question I receive is some variation on “Wheredo I find somebody who can tell me what my rock or mineral is?”, “Where do Ifind somebody to tell me what my rock or mineral is worth?”, “Where do I findsomeone who will custom cut my rough rock?”, or “Where can I learn more aboutcollecting or cutting rocks or minerals?”.
Unfortunately there isn’t an easy answer. There are very few brick and mortar storesthat actually have people who are knowledgeable about rocks and minerals. Here in The U.S. you can find people who liketo rockhound (go hunting for rocks), or collect rocks and/or minerals, but Ibelieve that the general public has no idea of what treasures come from ourearth and how unique and valuable they are. Often I hear people say “You get that much for a rock?” And of course my favorite, “I have rocks likethat all over my backyard.” It often blowsmy mind what people will pay for a painting or a ceramic pot, but they wouldn’tdream of paying that for a unique and rare mineral that is millions of yearsold.
You might find somebody who can identify a rock as quartz orjasper, but there are so many variations of the material based on its origin,color, or pattern, that it’s really hard to find somebody who can absolutelyidentify some of the rarer varieties and their origins or trade names, AND thevalue can vary widely based on that information. There are also very fewlapidary artists who will custom cut material. The truth is it is a highly skilled occupation, but people are notusually willing to pay for that expertise.
My answer to the above questions is always the same. The first step is to see if there is alapidary club in your area. Lapidary clubs, like most clubs, are groups ofpeople who meet to discuss their hobby. Some clubs actually have lapidary shopsand hold classes or have people willing to help you learn to cut. They may even have people who are willing tolook at your rocks or minerals and try to identify them or refer you tosomebody who can cut them for you.
There is an excellent resource put out by Bob’s Rock Shop here:
http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/clubs/arizona.shtml
Also there is a club list at www.rockngem.com put out by the Rock &Gem magazine.
The next suggestion is to see if there is a rock and mineralshow near you. There are literally thousandsof these across the country every year, from very small to the world’s largest heldin Tucson, Arizona every February. Someare put on by the lapidary clubs, some are put on by nonprofit organizations andsome are put on by professional show organizers. Usually these trade shows have several rockand mineral dealers who love to talk to people, and love to help educatepeople.
Here is a great page that gives worldwide information fromXPOpress:
http://www.xpopress.com/shows-expos.html
Perhaps you are one of the lucky ones, and there is alapidary supply store or rock shop near you. Through our travels I have found many great shops, but they tend to bein small towns and out of the way areas. In my experience rock shop owners are very friendly and willing to sharetheir knowledge. The best way to checkfor these is through the Yellow Pages, either in the book or online. You can also check with your Chamber ofCommerce to see if they have suggestions. Sometimes bead stores or even jewelry stores might have some people knowledgeableabout rocks or minerals. Find a small familyowned store. In my experience most largeor chain jewelry stores only know the big ones: diamonds, rubies, sapphires, etc.
Sometimes you might be lucky enough to have a local, usuallycommunity, college which offers earth science or even better, lapidary classes.If they have a lapidary shop they may havepeople who will cut for you or teach you to cut.
And finally look for a Rock and Mineral museum in yourarea. Though these are rare, they often havea great collection, and sometimes an actual lapidary shop too.
And, of course if you are computer savvy-the internet is awonderful resource for more information.
My section here: http://www.oakrocks.net/list-of-semi-precious-gemstone-types/ gives a lot of information on variousmaterials.
www.mindat.org is an awesomeresource too.
There are plenty of how to videos on YouTube and plenty ofbooks available that give information on rocks and minerals and even ones thattell you places to hunt for rocks.
The value of your rock is much harder to determine. Once you have the rock “identified” you cando an internet search to see some of the asking prices-but that is unreliableas there are so many things that determine the value of a rock-its beauty, itsrarity, even the price the person selling it paid for it. It is truly a market where its worth ismostly based on what someone is willing to pay for it! Keep in mind, without formal payment for anappraisal, and testing with equipment-if a rock or mineral expert identifies arock or mineral for you, it is their besteducated guess. If you need anofficial identification you can ship your rock or mineral to the GemologicalInstitute of America. If you or somebodyyou know does custom rock cutting, or custom jewelry work, wire wrapping,etc. I would love to add your info to mysite. Please feel free to send me yourcontact information!
Thank you for your interest and Happy Hunting!
