Modern Rockhounding and Prospecting Handbook

This volume gives you the basic tools to transition from "pebble pup" to expert rockhound and explains everything from geology basics, identification tips, tools of the trade, how to record your findings, and how to set up a lab or gem shop. Before you know it, you'll be driving the open roads and traveling home with dusty pockets full of rocks, gems, minerals, fossils-and maybe even gold. Features: * geology basics * popular collectibles, including rocks, gems, fossils, meteorites, and gold * tools of the trade for every level of collector * rules and regulations * polishing, preserving, crafting, and displaying your treasures

Garret Romaine is an avid gold prospector, rockhound, and fossil collector with years of experience in the field. He is a longtime writer for Gold Prospectors magazine and is the author of Gold Panning the Pacific Northwest, Gold Panning Cailfornia, Rocks, Gems, and Minerals of the Southwest, Rocks, Gems, and Minerals of the Rocky Mountains, and Rockhounding Idaho, all from FalconGuides, as well as Geology Lab for Kids, Gem Trails of Washington, and Gem Trails of Oregon. Garret is a former executive director of the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals in Hillsboro, Oregon, and served on the board of directors for the North America Research Group (NARG), a fossil-collecting organization.