Rock Collecting Hobby
A Popular "Hard to Resist"
Hobby
If you find sport activities a bit taxing or not to your likeness, then you will
find the popular hobby of rock collecting just the right thing. It offers a good balance of a leisurely walk and a
hobby pursuit. So, while others get their walk spoiled by a small white ball, it's your turn to "spoil your walk"
by colourful rocks and pebbles.
Three types of rocks

Collecting and displaying rocks and pebbles makes for an interesting and
versatile hobby. |
Rock collecting is a fascinating hobby for kids and
adults alike. While rocks are common, cheap, and found everywhere, the variety is huge. Collected rocks can be
displayed in many ways, from rock gardens to neatly kept showcases, making rock collecting a versatile
hobby.
When collecting rocks, you will soon find out that they can be categorized as
one of three types. A sedimentary rock formed when sediments, such as sand or silt, were pressed together under
their own weight or the weight of water, and eventually became solid.
An igneous rock is one that was formed by volcanic activity. The third type of rock for rock
collecting is the metamorphic rock, which is like a sedimentary rock which has been changed through intense heat
and pressure.
Another type of rock collecting is collecting minerals, gems, and crystals. Pure
minerals are not technically the same thing as rocks, but they fit well in rock collections. Minerals include
things like pyrite, also known as fool's gold, and quartzite, which looks almost like a diamond.
Souvenir rocks

Beach or river pebbles come in many different colours and shapes, which can be used
to create interesting displays. |
For some people, rock collecting consists of saving a pretty rock from
different places they visit and keeping it as a souvenir. If these rocks are large, they can be used to outline the
driveway or start a rock garden. If they are small, they can line a windowsill. Label them with a fine point marker
if desired. Include the date and location the rock was found.
The souvinir type of rock collecting does not require much scientific
investigation, but identifying rocks and minerals does. The different types of rock can sometimes be differentiated
easily.
For instance, sedimentary rocks often look like particles glued together.
Sandstone is a common example of this. They also sometimes have visible flat layers. Metamorphic rocks, on the
other hand, sometimes have layers, but those layers have been bent so that they are no longer laying flat across
the rock.
Igneous rocks

When you find yourself in nature, on a rocky terrain, indulge in stacking and
balancing rocks, which makes for an interesting pass time hobby. |
When collecting rocks, the igneous rocks make some of the most exciting
finds. Obsidian is an igneous rock that looks like a broken piece of black glass. It is shiny and hard, and was
used to make arrowheads in the past by the native Americans. Pumice is another interesting igneous rock which is
porous, making it so light that it will float. This stone is used for cleaning and rubbing calluses off people's
feet.
Keep in mind when rock collecting that different regions of the world have
different types of rocks. In the American Midwest, for instance, there are many sedimentary stones, but metamorphic
and igneous rocks are less common. In the Appalacians, on the other hand, you can find metamorphic rocks such as
gneiss and schist.
Wherever you live, though, you are sure to find rock collecting a hobby that's
hard to resist!
If indoor hobbies have more appeal for you, then you can engorss yourself
in collecting pins.
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