How to Identify Backyard Rocks
Igneous Rocks: examples: granite, basalt, diabase, diorite, gabbro, obsidian, pumice, rhyolite, scoria. Sedimentary Rocks: examples: limestone, sandstone, shale, breccia, conglomerate. Metamorphic Rocks: examples: marble, gneiss, quartzite, schist, hornfels, slate.
Two fantastic free apps for Earth Science are Mineral Identifier and Common Rocks Reference. These apps are full of information for students who are identifying rocks and minerals.
Follow this easy, step-by-step activity:
While many gem collectors get their rocks from rockhounding shops, you would be surprised at how many gemstones you can potentially find right in your own backyard. ... Areas of the American West, such as California, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah, are some of the easiest places to find gemstones.
Try to scratch each rock with your fingernail, which can help you identify it by its hardness. The harder a rock is, the more likely it is to be valuable; geologists use the Mohs Hardness Scale to gauge rocks.
Agate is identical to quartz in terms of composition and physical properties. To identify rough agate, consider its translucence, size, weight and banding, and look for surface marks, irregular fractures and waxiness.
The harder a mineral is, the more likely it is to be valuable. If you can scratch the mineral with your fingernail, it has a hardness of 2.5 Mohs, which is very soft. If you can scratch it with a penny, its hardness is 3 Mohs, and if it takes a piece of glass to scratch it, the hardness is 5.5 Mohs.
The Five Most Expensive Types of Rocks in the World
Black rocks can be easily found in various places, including mountains and coastlines. However, a shiny black rock may not be that common. These types of rocks could be valuable gemstones or minerals that could be used for jewelries or they could also be made into a collection.
Metamorphic rocks such as marble are tough, with straight or curved layers (foliation) of light and dark minerals. They come in various colors and often contain glittery mica.
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