Dragon .Mountain Treasures Make your Mineral Collection Grow!

Newsletter
Volume 7 • November 2008
Make
your
Mineral
Collection
Grow!
I
f you’ve been a rockhound for a while, you’ll eventually find out that we, as rockhounds, have an addiction. An addiction that is just as bad as a compulsive gambler.
An addiction that makes us want more specimens! From browsing on internet stores
to going to shows and shops, we are addicted to getting that special rock or mineral;
the one we just need to have. Most rockhounds will go after everything and I mean
EVERYTHING. I’m here today to go over some very useful tips to follow when looking
to buy specimens to satisfy your
addiction. These tips will not only
make your collection more valuable
money-wise, but also make it more
valuable history-wise. Fifty years
from now when you’re showing your
kids all the neat rocks and minerals
you had as a kid, you will be able
to tell them exactly how you got it,
where you found it, and virtually
everything about the mineral.
Published by
Dragon
.Mountain
Treasures
A Division of Westvon Publishing
Copyright © November 2008
All Rights Reserved
First things first. Make sure you
label each and every mineral you already have and continue to label each mineral as
you buy it. Keep a label with each mineral that has at least the name, where it was
found, and a number. Then, you can put that number in a notebook or on a computer
that has all the other important information about the mineral. Put down everything
you know, all of it. Every last bit of information you can find out about your rock or mineral should be included in the catalog. This helps a lot, especially years later when you
are showing your minerals to friends. You will be able to tell them everything about the
mineral. Even if you decide to sell the mineral, the history you took the time to write
down will greatly increase the value of your mineral. Another important thing: keep all
previous labels. Let’s say you bought a mineral from a dealer and that dealer gives
you one of his labels with the mineral. That label is now part of the important history
of the mineral. It also helps the value, especially if it is a historic label from a museum
collection or famous dealer/collector. However, I will get into this later.
Make your Collection Grow! Part 2
The next most important thing to remember is, when buying mineral specimens, purchase only the best quality you
can afford. Get the biggest and best your money will allow.
I think it’s safe to say that one $100 specimen is worth a lot
more collector-wise than 10 $10 specimens. Another thing to
remember when purchasing your minerals is to never, ever
pass up a good deal and think you can find something better
somewhere else, it just won’t happen. If you see something
you like, buy it. That’s the whole reason we collect minerals:
because we like them.
Another important thing has to do with when you are at
shows. Browse all of the tables at the show to get a good
idea of who has the best minerals for the best prices. It’s
always best this way. If you only look at one table, you could end up spending all of your money there, not realizing that a
table 3 spots over had much better minerals for half the price.
A next thing to remember is to chat with dealers. Get on their
good side. Leave your name, email and phone number with
them. If you build up a good reputation, the dealer may let
you in on the best deals and give you discounts before those
minerals ever show up for sale to the rest of his customers.
If you have a list of minerals you are interested in buying,
give it to the dealer also. One important thing to remember
is that you will have to buy the minerals if he offers them to
you. You don’t have to buy everything, but you will have to
buy most of his offerings in order to keep your reputation.
Finally, I will discuss eBay. Most of you have probably seen
the endless selection of minerals available on eBay. However, many are fakes, expensive, etc, but you can find good
deals. Always look at the size of the mineral and the price.
Also, look for any historic labels like Smithsonian, The Rocksmiths, etc. Make sure you’re buying from a known dealer with
good feedback.
I hope you all have enjoyed this article. If you follow these quick suggestions, you will be well on your way to having one of
the best collections around!
Written by Guri Zeigerman
© 2008 Rockhounding Florida
A site by Guriel Zeigerman.
Sale Now
Extended Till
November 31!!!
Page 2
• November 2008
• Rock Hound Kids Newsletter
Rock of the Month
MARBLE
Calc-Silicate Rock
Hardness: 3 ( hardness can increase depending on the type or amount of silicate minerals )
Marble is one well known rock, and for good reason since it has been used for centuries. For over 2,500 years,
marble has been used as a decorative stone. This is because it is easy to work with and polish. Most of the ancient
world’s statues are made of marble, and was loved by both the Greeks and Romans.
Metamorphic rocks like marble formed when a parent rock is
changed into another when extreme heat and pressure is applied. Marble is formed when limestone or dolomite is subjected
to contact metamorphism, which is one of the main branches of
metamorphism. Pure limestone creates the creamy white color
that sculptors love, though marble can also be many other colors
due to the impurities of the parent rock. These impurities act like
coloring agents, like when you mix two colors of play-doh together, and also like play-doh if you don’t mix it all the way you get
veins and splotches of different colors. This effect is described as
“marbled”. Now I wonder where they got that name?
As I mentioned before, marble has been used for centuries and
continues to be used today. While it’s still used for statues and
other decorative things, it also has many other uses. You see
marble is also one of the more important industrial rocks, used
crushed in concrete aggregate, filter beds, and railroad ballasts. Also, dolomite rich marble can be used as a source
for magnesium and in the manufacture of refracting materials. There are many places in the U.S. where marble can
be found which include California, Idaho, New York, and Utah. Outside of the U.S., Italy has some of the world’s finest marbles and can also be found in the Mediterranean countries.
Did You Know???
Contact metamorphism is when a large underground body of magma
alters the surrounding rock. This process involves high heat but low
pressure. The other kinds of metamorphism are regional, and dynamic.
Regional metamorphism is the most common type it involves high
heat and pressure, and is associated with mountain building. Dynamic
metamorphism has low heat but high pressure, and is a result of meteor
impact crators.
Rock Hound Kids Newsletter
• November 2008 • Page 3
Word
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Amethyst
Amazonite
Beryl
Carnelian
Dalmation
Diamond
Emerald
Flourite
Gems
Geology
Howlite
Jade
Kynite
Lapis
Marble
Minerals
Opal
Pyrite
Quartz
Ruby
Tiger Eye
Topaz
Unakite
Zeolite
Wo rd Search
Puzzle by:
Maggie Chekal
Page 4
• November 2008
• Rock Hound Kids Newsletter
The
Geology
of
Fantasy
Written by Jessica Chekal
You can find geology just about everywhere, even in some unusual places. One of these unusual places is in the world of
fantasy. Dragon’s treasure hoards, magic stones, living swords,
and dwarven mines are all examples of fantasy geology. But,
what I find interesting is in these magical worlds many of the gems
and metals are real ones found in our non-magical world. In fact,
geology is just as important in fantasy as it is in the real world. The
knight couldn’t kill the dragon without his sword of steel, and even
the frog prince wouldn’t have gotten his kiss if the princess hadn’t
dropped her ball of gold. One of the reason writers put these real
minerals in their fantasy worlds is because they are real, thus,
causing the fantasy world to seem real and familiar.
Even video games use real minerals to save the world from the
dark forces. World of Warcraft is a good example, with it’s mining
and jewel crafting professions. Most of the jewels you find are real jewels; moonstone, topaz, citrine, aquamarine,
and tigers eye just to name a few. Plus, you can even find some
minerals with metals they’re commonly found with or are associated
with, like malachite and copper, and jade and iron. So you can see
that the creators of World of Warcraft did their homework. Writers
don’t need to come up with new geology, because there is all ready
so much in the real world. Now all I have to do is wait for some one
to write a story or make a game about a geologist who saves the
world one rock at a time with their magical rock pick and a +2 bag of
greater rock holding.
Page 5
• November 2008
• Rock Hound Kids Newsletter
Cool Web Links
www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/
www.childrensmuseum.org/geomysteries/
navigation/home.cfm
This site was actually shown to me during my geology lab. It’s
really got some good animations about how different rocks form,
plus some little quizs. All the animations are in the visualizations
section, but there is also good information in the other sections.
And just think, you’ll be looking at a site my college lab instructor
uses to teach.
index3.html
Come solve geo mysteries with Rex the dino detective, and have
a blast. There is three different mysteries to solve, and each one
is a lot of fun. Also, make sure you check out the the fast FAQ
for common rock and fossil questions, and the field tips for field
trips so you can be prepared when you go rock hounding.
science.qj.net/category/Geology/cid/2373
www.stellarium.org
While this site isn’t exactly about geology it falls into the
category of earth science or maybe outer earth science.
Here you can download a program called Stellarium,
which is basically a planetarium for your computer. All
you have to do is set your coordinates and you get a view
of the sky like you would if you were using binoculars, a
telescope, or just your eyes... it’s so cool!
Do you have a need to be up-to-date with the latest geology
news? Then, this is the site for you. With lots of articles about recent news, that are informative and funny at the same time. After
all, how many other news sites describe the meteor that killed the
dinosaurs having “death from above” written all over it.
If you find or have any websites you think should be added
tell us, and we’ll be sure to mention them.
[email protected]
• Do you have minerals and crystals all over your house, car, yard and dryer?
• Do you need help feeding the desire to learn
and explore the fascinating world of geology
and earth science with your children?
• Are you looking for the perfect birthday or holiday gift for a Rockhound Kid?
• Are you looking for the
COOLEST birthday party ideas?
Rock Hound Kids Newsletter
This
is
the
site
for
you!
• November 2008 • Page 6