Customer Reviews

Collecting Rocks, Gems & Minerals: Easy Identification - Values - Lapidary Uses

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I bought this for my rock hounding kids and I as we learn about the various rocks we hound. Though we already have all of the common rock & mineral books, this one is clearly the best of the best! The photos are extraordinary and unmatched by any other book on the market. The information is clear, concise and very useful. It includes sections on the basics for rock hounding with is excellent for beginners and useful for the experienced.

This is clearly a must have book for anyone interested in rocks and minerals. If you had any doubt before reading this review, trust me, you have to buy this one over all others.

This is a gem of a book, if you will pardon the pun, and a welcome addition to my collection. I already have seven books on identifying gems and minerals and another twenty or so on where to find them, so what is special about this book? First of all I noticed the pictures, beautiful pictures, but more importantly pictures which I could relate to. In my other books I get an erudite description, but usually the pictures do not look much like the rocks I find or see at shows. Patti has chosen the rocks to photograph so well that they all look like the rocks and minerals I have, or have seen. I found the introductory thirty pages on equipment and practical collecting very clear. If I had never been on a field trip I would now know what to expect: the picture of a flat tire in a remote area is a timely warning that there are risks in our hobby. But it was the 230 pages of examples of uncut materials, polished items and completed jewlery which really caught the eye. The classification and illustration of the various categories of agate is splendidly done as are the other groups and minerals. Bravely Patti has added the 'value' of each item, listed by pound, ounce or gram. This is a very valuable resource, although it may go out of date very quickly depending on the value of the dollar and popularity and availability of each item. It has led me to rethink what rocks and minerals I have now, and to look again at the items which I have partially discarded as my 'yard' rocks. Patti Polk's enthusiasm for our hobby flows through this book and we must be thankful that she has filled a gap in the literature available to rockhounds.

In "Collecting Rocks, Gems & Minerals: Easy Identification - Values - Lapidary Uses", author Patti Polk draws upon her more than twenty years as a skilled lapidary artist and gem cutting expertise and experience to compile a profusely and beautifully illustrated, 272-page compendium of superbly organized and presented minerals for amateur 'rockhounds' and professional collectors alike. Each entry is enhanced with detailed information about that particular gem or mineral's characteristics. "Collecting Rocks, Gems & Minerals: Easy Identification - Values - Lapidary Uses" is more than a simple encyclopedic presentation of assorted gems and minerals as Patti Polk also provides informed and informative information on what these gems and minerals are, as well as their uses for lapidary and display. Of special note is the entry on 'Buying and Selling Rocks, Minerals, and Gemstones'. Providing an illustrated wealth of information and examples, "Collecting Rocks, Gems & Minerals: Easy Identification - Values - Lapidary Uses" will proved an enduringly popular and valued addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library reference collections.

All my life I've picked up rocks and brought them home, but I didn't know a thing about what I had in hand. As a matter of fact, my home and yard are filled with rocks I've picked up along the way -- and the ones I couldn't pick up I had trucked in. I finally decided enough was enough: I needed to know what I was doing. Thanks to this book I now do. The photographs (650 color images) are beautiful and the format handy. Really happy with this book, but my wife now thinks I have rocks in my head. She might be right.

I have learned so much from this book and found it to be very well-written and well-organized.The photographs are simply spectacular and it's wonderful having all this information in one book.
The author tells us everything we need to know about these stones, including price, characteristics and uses.

THis book will is a great reference guide for rockhounds, people about to purchase jewelry or people who want to learn more about rocks.

This book is truly outstanding! The photography is wonderful and covers everything that most collectors actually want to see and are interested in. The 270 page book contains hundreds of quality color photgraphs for identification. The agate and jasper coverage is top notch and very useful to collectors like me. In addition to extensive coverage of minerals, it covers fossils as well. This book is maybe the first I have seen which includes typical prices for buying and selling, which will be extremely useful. Last but not least, the cost of the book is a real bargain considering all the color photos. I have a number of geology books and guides and would rank this as one of the very best. All in all, it is a fabulous book!

The photos in this book are MUCH better than in other rock books. And the book is much better organized and easier to use. It has colored thumb tabs for quick reference. You don't have to be a geologist or know how to identify and distinguish halides from sulfides, or sulfates from phosphates, etc. to figure out which section to look in to identify a rock. Although it does have all the standard identification information like chemical group, luster, opacity, cleavage, fracture, specific gravity, environment, streak color, crystal systems and habits, it's written in layman's terms, not techno-jargon. This book is perfect for the collector because it's practical. It has a laminated cover for use in the field and has values and information about lapidary, so you know which rocks will be good for making jewelry. And it has information about precious metals and organic materials like shell, bone, amber, coral and pearl.

This book is absolutely beautiful. The color reference photos are amazing in accuracy and detail - the best I've ever seen. I originally purchased this book for my teenage niece, who is interested in minerals and agates. However, because it is so informative and easy to use, I'm keeping this for myself! Clear and concise, every page is laid out in an easy to read format. Handy page tabs take you directly to the item you are looking for. There is also a "how to" section that prepares novice rock hounds for the dig with helpful advice on tools and safety. I love the photos of the pretty jewelry made from the stones.

I have been a member of rock and gem clubs for over 40 years and I have read many books on the subject. In her book Patti Polk has done an excellent job in presenting material that can satisfy the concerns of collectors, rockhounds and resellers of rocks and gems. Her style, and photography is hard to beat and she has pulled together an easy to read and understand work. This book should appeal to beginners and experts in the hobby and also to geologists. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Bob Burness

This is an awesome book for rockhounds. The information is outstanding, superb photographs, and helpful pricing notes. It is affordable, compact and simple to use. Hope there is a Volume 2 on its way soon!

Nancy