If you hang out around rockhounds for long, you will discover that they have a vocabulary of their own, some of which will seem unintelligible to the newcomer. Let's fix that!

Word of the day: Leaverite

Applied to rocks that are deemed unworthy of collection. As in, "Leave 'er right where you found 'er."

Usage: "Throw it back, that's just a piece of leaverite"

Leaverite is a stone often collected in copious quantities by inexperienced rockhounds, who have not yet seen what really good material looks like. Its has an infinite variety of forms, but it is almost always dull in color, crumbly or fractured, or just plain ugly.

Frequently, it is possible to accidentally collect the prettier specimens of leaverite, simply because all the other rocks in the area were even uglier, rendering it pretty by comparison. You will realize your mistake when you set it beside the rest of the rocks at home, and its oxide-stained, muddy-looking colors begin mock you.

Old mine locations can be a wonderful resource for any rock collector. Not only can you (if on public land) go through the tailings piles and often find great specimens, but even knowing the general location and what was mined there can help you understand the geologic environment of the region and what you could potentially find nearby.

I was recently contacted by Ivan Herring, an author who has spent the last several years gathering and preserving information on the mines of the American West, county by county.

​If any of that sounds interesting, or if you'd like to support his project, you can view his amazon page to see the full selection. 

Curious about fossils? Of course you are, or you wouldn't be on this site! Here is a brief overview of the common types of fossils, and a few cues to look for that may help you recognize when you've found something worthwhile.