The 6 Best Field Guides To rock And mineral (2023 reviews)

We know from years of feedback from readers, customers and amazon sellers, what most people want in a guide. The national audubon society field guide to rock and mineral is exactly that - it's a simple guide that hits all the right notes. This book has mostly gemstones and minerals in north america than any other available guide. It offers the most in depth, yet easy to understand information. It breaks the minerals down into color groups (green, red, metallic, etc) and then shows high quality photos of the different minerals. These are arranged into "mineral", "gemstone", & "rock. These are only pictured rough or in landscape to see how they form as bedrock.

This area contains approximately 30 pages of photographs, including their corresponding page number to its classification information page. It is perfect for mountain climbers and hikers, this valuable reference covers more rocks and minerals in north america than any other available guide. It's a must have for rock hounds and fossil hunters.

Why We Like This:

Recommended to people anywhere who need a solid rock and mineral guide
Perfect book to take out in the field
Great book for rock and mineral hounds

Best For rock: Sarah Garlick Field Guide To rock And mineral

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We know from years of feedback from readers, customers and amazon sellers, what most people want in a convenient and appropriate guide. The sarah garlick field guide to rock and mineral is exactly that - it's a simple guide that hits all the right notes. This handy field guide is a perfect size to toss into your back pack or vehicle and take to the hills. It contains a good number of minerals and crystals. It includes the name of the item, it's class, chemical formula (for minerals), key facts (like hardness and where to find them), two full-color photos, and a descriptive paragraph. It is useful for collecting raw materials for rock tumbling.

This book uses clear graphics and language for the novice who is out rock. It is a great item to inspire a family hike. They have not only a lovely photograph of each item but also a line drawing which, in many cases, offers a clearer idea of just what you're looking at. This is a great book for beginners or people who like rocks.

Why We Like This:

Wonderful to take camping and hiking
Great for rock hounds, amateur geologists and prospectors
Lots of good info and images on a variety of minerals and rocks
Great book for hiking and easy to read

Best For any rock hound: Dan R Lynch Field Guide To rock And mineral

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If you often find yourself scrambling for convenient and suitable guide, dan r lynch field guide to rock and mineral is your end point. This is a great guide for anyone who likes to rock hunt in Michigan, for beginners or true rock lovers. It is perfect for your beach bag, it's tiny. It includes an occurrence map, as well as details about the types of places where the rock or mineral is typically found. It can take on a rainbow of colors depending on impurities.

It is very convenient and compact, fits in a shoulder bag or big pocket with no trouble. It is easy to carry when rock hounding. It is a great gift for any rock hound. It is a great guide for anyone who likes to rock hunt in Michigan, for beginners or true rock lovers.

Why We Like This:

Clear, concise, full-color pictures, easy-to-understand text
Handy guide for rock hound beginners
Great for anyone who loves to rock hunt

Best little Guide: Bob Lynch Field Guide To rock And mineral

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The bob lynch field guide to rock and mineral is capable of outshining several other guide featured in this list in overall features for the price point. If you want to collect rocks, gems, and minerals this book is a MUST have. It is perfect for the amateur geologist's pack. There are around 200 colorful images with a variety of methods & descriptions to help you identify about any rock you will find while out exploring the desert. The pictures are thorough and show the natural state of the rock as you will see it in the wild as well as polished.

The book is sturdy in binding, and is 4" wide by 6" tall by 1/2" thick. It has a section on testing your sample such as hardness, streak test etc. It is clearly written and easy to understand for both the novice and the expert alike. The color pictures are excellent, there are regions where you are likely to see the rocks, it's in alpha order and it has a quick guide.

Why We Like This:

Well made pocket guide to rocks&minerals indigenous to arizona
Locations to hunt, and the notes on each mineral are concise, yet informative
Excellent photo examples and well written text
Very nice color photos on high quality glossy paper for each entry

Best For those: Pough Field Guide

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Not everyone likes to purchase guide for their daily purpose, but the pough field guide would be an anomoly. If you're into rocks and rockhounding, this book gives you plenty of information. This guide does not go into detail on mineral lattice structures. It has color pictures and text book sections to help narrow down your searches by trekking you what to watch for in land formation. The minerals are listed by color, making it easy and fast to learn the different minerals from rocks.

The descriptions of minerals are very in-depth and good for those who understand what it's describing, but not so good for the layman. This book is arranged according to the mineral classifications, which is good if you know your minerals. It is small enough so it can be carried into the field.

Why We Like This:

Excellent book for serious rock hounds & geology students
Small enough to carry in a pocket
New, sturdy great quality, fast deliivery

Best For kids: Pough Field Guide To rock And mineral

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This is a more detailed identification guide than golden guides but is very easy to use. Even if you buy bigger, more complete rock and mineral guides, it is well written and gives an overview of geology you can read in a couple of hours. It is a quickie, but it is also a decent reference guide to the most common rocks, metals, and crystals. They are ideal for kids as they are small with lots of colorful pictures.

This book is small, easily fits into your pocket, sturdy for its tall size, and filled with brilliant photos or examples with short descriptions as the pages go on. You can easily take it on road trips without the bulk. It is a good text for beginners. This would be a great guide to the starting geologist or student hungering for a hobby.

Why We Like This:

Useful for reference for middle schoolers
Illustrations are good and easy to understand descriptions
Good brand reputation