I often get asked this question and believe me, I’m no expert. However, over the past few years, I have become more familiar with different types of rocks. I’ve gained that knowledge from some good books (Collecting Rocks, Gems and Minerals by Patti Polk), trial and error, attending rock shows and researching the internet.
My little nieces and nephews think I’m an expert because they come to my shop and look in my rock drawers and say “Aunt Peg, what’s this rock?” and I can usually rattle off something that makes me sound smart. They even go out in my driveway and pick up rocks and I tell them they are “Leaverites” (Leave er right there) and they smile and search for the next interesting rock.
Why am I blogging about this topic? Well, I’ve found that I am very attracted to certain types of rocks based on their color and composition. A beautiful piece of Dinosaur Bone or Turquoise makes me weak in the knees and I can’t get enough. I swear I won’t buy anymore bone or turquoise and the next thing I know, I’m buying more. As I type this with my Turquoise nail polish, I love Turquoise because well, it’s turquoise. I love Dinosaur Bone for it’s variety of colors, cell structure, origin and how it makes me feel when I pick up a piece of bone.
Identifying rocks can be tricky. Some rocks are much more obvious like Turquoise or Jade, however, unless you know the origin, it may be a ‘guess’. While Dinosaur bone has a distinctive skin and cell structure, it can also be misinterpreted. There’s always the ‘scratch test’ to help narrow down the choices but rocks are often named after the place they were found. Some say “Yellow Cat agate” got its name from a mountain lion near the area and others say it was because there was a yellow Caterpillar tractor parked near the mine 😊.
The point of this blog is that sometimes, it doesn’t matter what kind of rock you have but what matters is that you love it and it speaks to your heart. So go ahead stick that rock in your blue jean pocket and and call it “My favorite rock”.
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