Over the past fifteen years that I have operated Great South Gems & Minerals I have had many parents call, write, or email me saying that they have a daughter or son that loves rocks. Well, I can relate to that. I understand. I’m still a little boy at heart and like rocks myself.
The question most parents have is “How can I be of help to my daughter or son in encouraging his/her interest in rock collecting?Where can I go, or, what can I do to help them enjoy, learn and grow in their interest?”
When I was quite young my dad passed away. My mom remarried a few years later to my step-dad who was a rock hound. I was 12 years old at the time and became fascinated by his rock collection. He had mineral specimens, beautiful crystals, the likes of which I had never seen, and rocks from all over the United States, most of which he had personally collected. Almost immediately I took an interest in rocks.
My step-dad was quick to notice my interest and, truth be told, I think he was delighted he now had someone to share his interests. From the very beginning he went out of his way to promote and encourage my interest in rocks and rock collecting. By the time I went into the Marines at age 17, I had learned quite a bit about rocks and minerals and had put together a not-too-shabby rock collection of my own. My step-dad built a rock tumbler with a five-gallon drum. We kept it out in the shop behind the house and I was plum fascinated by the gorgeous tumbled stones, many of which he and I had picked up on some of our collecting trips. (See link below for article in Ray’s Ramblings on Rock Tumbling) He also made a lapidary machine where we could cut and polish gemstones. By the time I was 15 I had gotten pretty good at cutting gemstone cabochons.
I remember when I was 16 years old, I was asked to give demonstrations on gemstone cutting to my science teacher’s class in high school. In this class I cut a piece of rose quartz that I had collected at the Hogg Mine in LaGrange, Georgia. I first cut the stone into a sphere, sanded and polished it to locate the star, and then made matching cabochons. I mounted the matching pair of star rose quartz cabochons into a pair of earrings. One of the teachers later purchased this pair of earrings from me for $20.00. Needless to say I was thrilled, not only that I had made the stones myself, but that other folks liked and appreciated what I did.
In 1959 my step-dad and I joined The Georgia Mineral Society in Atlanta. We religiously went to every meeting they had and went on every rock collecting trip that the club sponsored. Through rubbing shoulders with like-minded folks in the society, attending meetings where they always had guest speakers, and going on collecting trips each month was a big help in promoting my interest in this great and fascinating hobby. And, as you can see, it has stuck with me all these years. And, I have found that the more I learn about rocks, crystals, fossils, and such, the more fascinating they are. My interest in earth science, how the earth formed, the changes that have taken place on our planet, how living things turn to stone fossils, and the like, has only grown over the years. And, I credit my caring step-dad for having planted that seed in my life as a youngster. When my step-dad passed away about 15 years ago, he left a flame that is still burning strongly, in me.
NOW! What is it that YOU can do to help stimulate YOUR child’s interest in rocks? Do the same things that my step-dad did for me!
1) Encourage their interest. They may grow up to be geologist, paleontologist, volcanologist, or, just a plain old rockhound hobbyist whose life is greatly enriched by their interest in rocks and rock collecting.
2) Join your local Gem & Mineral Society. There should be one near you in the US. Go on-line and type in “Gem & Mineral Society”. There should be a listing of clubs all over the USA. Most of these gem & mineral societies have monthly meetings. They publish a monthly bulletin that is sent to their members. They go on monthly field trips where they collect as a group. The dues for membership in a rock club runs from $10.00 to $25.00 per year and entitles the member to attend the meetings, get the monthly Bulletin, and go on their field trips. (See link below for The Georgia Mineral Society, Inc., located in Atlanta, Georgia.)
3) Go to gem & mineral shows. Most larger cities in the USA have at least one show a year. In Atlanta, we have five each year, sponsored by different groups. This is a great place to look at all the rocks, minerals, fossils, carvings, and other rock related items available. I try to attend as many of these shows as possible. It keeps me abreast of what is out there, what new items are coming into the American market from other countries, how to identify items, what other retailers are charging for their material, and lots more. Going to the gem & mineral shows is also a great way to purchase items for your collection, and learn new things while you’re at it.
4) Go on rock collecting field trips. If you as a parent are not interested in rocks and don’t have any interest in going with your child to a collecting site, then have one of the other club members take your child. I’m a member of six different clubs. I go on lots of field trips. Often times I take a couple of young people along on the trip. No, it doesn’t slow me down or hinder me… it makes the trip more enjoyable for me. It’s a blessing to see a young person’s face light up with excitement when they find a really cool specimen.
5) Purchase books on rocks, minerals & fossils. There are lots of books out there on the subject. Get your child some basic books; there are many publications written for the young person and beginner. (See link below for our selection of books).
6) Get your child some basic collecting tools. You don’t have to spend a lot of money for this. A plastic pail, a cheap claw hammer, a long flat-head screw driver, a cold chisel, a small garden-type scratching tool, and pair of safety glasses is about all they will need to get started. Once you get them some basic collecting tools, you have said in effect, “I see you are serious about rock collecting, and I want to help you.” Thus, they will take it even more seriously.
7) Help organize their rock collection. You can get some type of inexpensive display case, cabinet, drawer, frame, or such to put his/her collection in. You can get the small, fold-up, specimen boxes for their specimens. (See link below for fold-up specimen boxes.) Show him/her how to label the specimens. This will make the collection more organized, more valuable, and more “showy”.
I hope this article will help you get your child interested in rocks. Your help and enthusiasm will be something the child will carry with them for the rest of their life, and they will recall with fondness the pleasure they had learning and exploring this fascinating hobby.
Happy Rockhounding.
By: Ray Hill
About the Author:
Article in Ray’s Ramblings on Rock Tumbling ([http://www.greatsouth.net/tumble_polishing_stones.htm]) The Georgia Mineral Society, Inc (http://www.gamineral.org/) fold-up specimen boxes (http://www.greatsouth.net/miscellaneous/p-MC416.html)
Ray Hill
Great South Gems & Minerals, Inc.
greatsouth.net
888-933-GEMS
