Find a Rock and Gem Club
Interested in that strange rock with the shiny crystals that you may have found in the road, or in a store? You may wonder,"Where do I go to find more of those?"
Contents
Steps
- Go to your nearest book store. If you live in an area that's far from the city,then you will need to go to a web bookstore,if you have a PC. You will not be looking for a rock or gem book, but a magazine that is made for people like you. One that is usually readily available is "Rock and Gem" magazine.
- Look in the magazine for "Show Dates". This is a listing by months of all the club shows going on in the United States. By carefully going down the list, you will find the city or town closest to you. Often, the show person will have his or her number listed. You can call and find out if there is a club closer to you,and find out when and where the meetings take place.
- Go to the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies website [1] and follow the links to find a club near you. There will be contact information that you can use.
- Go to the meeting and consider joining the group. Once you are at the meeting, you will find yourself being introduced as a new potential member. The great thing about being in a club is the social interest in many of the same things you like about rocks, minerals, fossils or gems. You will have a world of experience around you to help, and at the same time a deeper appreciation of how our everyday life comes from deep within the earth.
- You may find there are several clubs near you and those clubs may have different interests. For instance, some clubs have many field trips while others have few. Join one or join them all.
Tips
- For those of you who have been collecting but may not have a club nearby to join and need a more challenging magazine, try "Rocks and Mineral" magazine.
Warnings
- Don't limit yourself to just the books or magazines, also go on the Internet,if possible. Inside the magazines are website listings of dealers. Check out their websites to view minerals from different countries and compare them to what you have. It's a great way to view minerals that are not listed in your books or magazines.
