Beginner · 12 min
Rockhounding 101
Your first field kit, where to go legally, and how to spot promising ground.
Permits & accessTools & safetyReading geology
Learn Center
Become a Gem Master
Bite-sized lessons from field collecting to gemological lab work. Start anywhere.
Beginner · 8 min
The Mohs Hardness Scale
How to scratch-test a specimen, what each level means, and common reference minerals.
Talc to DiamondField testingMineral pairs
Intermediate · 15 min
Crystal Systems Explained
Cubic, tetragonal, hexagonal, trigonal, orthorhombic, monoclinic, triclinic — and how to recognize them.
SymmetryHabitsTwinning
Intermediate · 18 min
Mineral Testing at Home
Streak, specific gravity, fluorescence, cleavage and fracture — affordable kits and trustworthy methods.
Streak platesSG by water displacementUV lights
Advanced · 25 min
Gemstone Identification
Refractive index, dichroism, inclusions, and synthetics vs naturals — the gemologist's playbook.
RefractometerLoupe workTreatments
Intermediate · 20 min
Intro to Lapidary
From rough to polished cab: saws, grits, dop sticks, and the cab-cutting workflow.
SlabbingCabbingPolishing
Advanced · 14 min
Pricing & Valuation
How dealers price by carat, clarity, origin, treatment, and rarity — and how to read comps.
Comps & auctionsOrigin premiumsCert reports
Advanced · 16 min
Meteorite Hunting
Magnets, classification, fusion crust, and the legal landscape of meteorite collecting.
Iron vs stonyStrewn fieldsAuthentication
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