Digging

Starting out collecting minerals yourself, you’ll probably be picking up rocks from beaches or rivers. Always keep your eye out! These spotting skills will help you later when you’re looking for smaller minerals.

The first tool you should obtain is the basic pick or “rock hammer”. This is a hammer with both a normal end and a pointed or flattened end, useful for both digging (with the pointed end) and striking (with the normal end).

This one little tool will carry you far! You should take it anywhere you go - you never know when a specimen you can’t collect with your bare hands will show up.

When you get more serious, here are some useful tools and how you might need them:

To move dirt:

• Mini Shovel

• Full-Sized Shovel

• Trowel

• Handheld Rake

• Full-sized pick

To move rock:

• 3-lb handheld sledge

• Variety of cold chisels

• 2ft portable pry bar

• 4-5ft full-sized pry bar

Other Useful Items:

• GPS unit or phone with good GPS and mapping app

• Headlamp with spare batteries

• First-aid kit