Did you enjoy this video and find it to be informative? You can help ensure that more videos just like this get made by supporting the project on Patreon. www.patreon.com/currentlyrockhounding
@@CurrentlyRockhoundinggreat video will definately sub and check out your channel 👍🏻 i thought from the beginning either chert or yellow/brown jasper depending on 'WHO 'you ask lol it's a big debate but i say jasper because chert tends to have a less waxy and more 'dull rock' type of luster but both take on the same sort of finish when fully polished or tumbled!
I been studying and collecting rocks and minerals for over 35 years. The Peterson field guide series is one of the best. You just have to know how to use the key. But for general purposes the books you showed are good You did a great job explaing.
fracture and crystal shape helps a ton too. I hunt for crystals, minerals gemstones etc.. and as you probably already know color is probably the least useful thing to idenitfy something because soooo many rocks and minerals share same coloring so what helps me is looking at the fracture and crystal habit. like clear flourite and clear quartz can look identical but when u look at the crystal shapes flourite is triangular and quartz is 6 sided like the shape of a pencil. hope that made sense. the streak helps a ton too. hematite comes in all types of colors but the streak will always be red. great video! im not writing this to say your way isnt right just adding a couple things that help me.
I know this might be a long video but I think it will help a lot of people. A topic often talked about (especially in facebook groups) is rock and mineral identification. Most of what I see is people asking for a rock to be identified, and people throwing out guesses with no thought or consideration put into the process of actually identifying something. This is how I do it. If you have any advice on how I could improve my rock identification process I would love to hear it.
@currently rockhounding Minsocam.org mineral identification key is an amazing resource. It goes through a series of steps/questions that end with possibilities based on your answers. Step/question 1: is it metallic or submetalic? If you answer yes it takes you to the next question; will it leave a mark on a piece of paper (hardness off less than 2.5)? If your answer to question 1 is no it asks about streak. And so on. Most are yes or no questions though there are a couple that aren’t. Anyway, it’s super helpful, thought I’d share. Be safe, have fun, and don’t lick rocks!(my motto lol)
Another way to test if its magnetic (or at least attracted to a magnet) is to get a container of water and a sturdy piece of styrofoam. Place the rock on the styrofoam with the styrofoam on the water and place the magnet just on the side of the rock but don't touch it. If there is anything that would be attracted to a magnet in the minerals make-up, the stone should move towards the magnet. With it being on styrofoam in water, there is virtually no resistance. Also...you do great in your videos. You speak way better than I do! Haha
I thought for the longest time that Mohs measure of hardness was repetitive wording because I was under the impression that MoH stood for Measure of Hardness; Come to find out, the creator of the qualitive scale was a dood named Carl Mohs which is an awesome coincidence.
It is a fun fact for sure. I also think its kind of neat to think about a time not that long ago when we didn't have a universally accepted standard for minerals hardness.
Great explanations, and walkthrough, though you jumped the micro glass investigation - what to look for, but I’ll pick that up in one of your other videos. Thanks, I’m subscribed now.
Nice instructional video. I live in the Flint hills of Kansas and I see a lot of material that looks similar to your specimen. I find identifying flint, chert and jasper to be somewhat tricky just by looking at it. You did an excellent job of identifying the nuances.
Chert breaks with a conchoidal fracture, often producing very sharp edges. Early people took advantage of how chert breaks and used it to fashion cutting tools and weapons. "Chert" and "flint" are names used for the same material. You were right the first time I believe. Grain and fracture are two different things. You can have conchoidal fracture with crystalline grain. The conchoidal fracture tells me it's more likely chert. Thanks for the video.
Your videos that I've seen in the brief time since I found your channel are never too long. I can watch and listen to you for a long while, then I hit the books I have to continue the learning process you have started us on. Thank you for your time and sharing your experiences & knowledge!
Wow! I learned so much in your video. I'm never going to look at rocks the same way. What I like the most is that if I want to identify one, I have the method to find out. Thank you.
Good video! I’m no expert in identifying jasper-except by using the general characteristics as a guide. I would guess it is harder and more glassy than chert (but you probably more knowledgeable than me regarding that). I find chert to be more like a slightly muddy quartz. It starts as a siliceous ooze-and you may be able to see radiolarians in it with a hand lens. But the ooze part includes some muds-and is why it tends to have a dull color-similar to a piece of thick plastic or bone. It also has vague conchoidal fractures (b/c of quartz dominant but not pure quartz), but scratches glass with more difficulty than pure quartz (b/c of partly mud composition).
Thank you so much.. Every teacher should teach like this, but everyone just goes through the books, they don't talk about how important this practical knowledge is.. Hats off to your presentation.. You deserve more ..
Thank you very much! I try to make this material easy to digest. Throwing a like or a comment on the video helps youtube recognize that it's a good video so your comments here help!
Absolutely! A Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals, Rocks & Minerals of Washington and Oregon, and Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks & Minerals. Also you can find links to them in the description box on the video.
This was great. I wondered if it was chert, but glad to see it was narrowed down to Jasper. It tells me that you cannot go by your eye alone. Love your channel. Cannot see why anyone would criticize your calculator usage. Every one seems different to me!! Waiting patiently for your next video. 💎👍
Awesome video bro. I will share this a lot in most of the FB groups I’m always scrolling through on trying to help people identify. I haven’t found any video either that really explains this. I use all those techniques except the gravity test. But will add it on. As well I have been meaning to check and see is a mohs hardness kit existed hut always forgot to check. So I will definitely be buying one. I was thinking that was Chert as well lol
Thanks man, I appreciate the shares. It's more about the process then the rock in the video you know. There's other mohs hardness kits out there without the plastic case and they are slightly cheaper.
Great down to earth and straight forward video. This is the kind of thing that is great for people just starting out that aren't looking to jump right into full-on scientific research. Yeah, it's probably Jasper. Yeah, it may not be, but sometimes 'close enough' is all you need. Great explanation and demonstration on specific gravity also.
Thank you, there surely is a time and place for scientific research but for most people I think they just want to know what is the rock they found and if you can't get an exact ID on it lets get close enough.
Dude, love your vids. Me and my lady are getting into this rockhounding stuff / lapidary, so your knowledge on this is super helpful, keep up the good work and content! High five, From ontario,,, , , CA not Canada. 😅.. btw eye am knot a bot!
I speed all videos up all bit. Your a great teacher. I wish other people would break it down like you. I love rocks but idk what they are half the time so I put them with look alikes but after a pile I see the differences and it's sort of drives me crazy
Good info for sure. I called it right for a change. I am glad you showed the specific gravity test. I had forgotten how that was done. Nice vid Jared and as usual havagudun my friend.
I had no idea there were kits to test the hardness of each stone, I thought I would have to just figure it out, I know I must sound stupid, I just wanted to thank you for helping me find the tools I need to help me identify and sort my collection, it will help so much when I start tumbling so I don’t put soft stuff in with harder material Thanks again 👍🏻
I'm glad you found this video to be helpful. I think you will find it really useful when you start to tumble, far too often the mistake people make is mixing hardness.
I live in northeast Oregon, in the blue mountains where the rocks are fabulous. I have a few specimens that you just taught me are probably jasper. Thanks!
Excellent video! Great and realistic for all, step-by-step instructions. I had a grasp of the basic concept of specific gravity, but now know how to find it with simple tools - Thanks!
Jared...you nailed this. Can't think of a single thing to add... Other than I'm so jealous of your scratch test kit... I've been wanting one. Cheers to a great informative video🐾
Thanks for this! Really appreciate your no frills way of teaching real accurate information for us numbnuts man! Can't wait for the snow to melt so i can go rock hunting again! Cheers from Montreal Canada!
I like videos that get to the meat of the subject so I try to make stuff like that. It feels like spring here where I live but you still have some time to go.
OUtstanding video .. thank you for putting it together .. sheds light on identification in ways I had never thought of .. makes it much less complicated .. I really enjoyed it !
Omg I started trying to learn how to identify rocks by watching science mom..I got so bored and looked for another video. Then I found yours. I must say I enjoyed it tremendously you were very entertaining..lol and comical even though I don't think you were trying to be. This was great. I am now a a follower
Thank you 🙏🏻 that’s is the best , most informative rock video!! I have been so overwhelmed looking this up. I have the other Smithsonian Rock & Gem book I take on every trip. But I’m going to get that one now too. Great video!!
I really like this video. I am currently taking a small break. sending you some images and locations of finds. It would be nice if those categories were on the side of the waterproof paper 1. origin, 2. magnetic, 3. hardness, 4. metalic, 5. specific gravity (really enjoyed this helpful how to) 5. luster, 6. color, 7. grain shape what magnification would be best for a field lupe?
I would also add fracture type to the list. For example it’s sometimes quite hard (at least for me) to tell the difference between chert and jasper, I’ve read that chert often has a semi-conchoidal fracture (although I will have to do some more research on that) Jasper on the other hand pretty much always gives a perfect conchoidal fracture which I know because I’ve made a few arrowheads out of it. The more clues the better right? Edit: oh, actually I see you pretty much got the same information from the grain structure. I didn’t wait till the end to comment haha.
Jasper and chert sure can be hard to tell the difference between at times and sometimes the two can be mixed together which can be even more of a challenge.
Fabulous 🎥. Thanks for the information. I’m deep diving into identification. Reading and watching everything I can to better educate myself. Thanks for the 🎥. Stay Crystal 💫
I'm very impressed that you mentioned specific gravity. That is something I haven't heard in the other videos I've watched And part of why I had felt they were poorly made.
Excellent video! One correction, a pocket knife blade is much harder than a standard steel nail, so I think they got these two reversed in the hardness chart you showed in the early part of the video. You can scratch window glass with a pocket knife. I have a great mineral identification book from a geology course I took in college that allows you to identify almost any mineral with almost 100% certainty and and your video contains almost all of the methods from that text book.
I'm glad you liked the video. There is a number of those little images floating around is a number of variations on them. I know there are additional methods to identification but I think from a practical stand point this will get most people in the right place as far as rockhounding goes.
I realize that you left this comment a long time ago, but I was curious if the textbook you mentioned is still in print or if it’s perhaps available for sale on Amazon (I know that textbooks are generally quite expensive). If it is, would you mind sharing the title & author or publisher?
@@RuinedTemple I should have said I had it. My class was back in the late 60s and I haven’t seen that book in years. My brother took the same course and he may be able to get information on the book for me. It was a serious identification book for geologists.
@@RuinedTemple He found the jacket cover - I’m having trouble attaching the image but the book is Mineral Recognition by Iris Vanders and Paul F. Kerr, John Wiley & Sons. If he finds the book he is willing to put it on EBay and I’ll let you know what price he’ll be asking.
It would be interesting to make an excel sheet, with all the characteristics listed in the video. by filling in the answer boxes of the excel, a summary identification should be obtained
Hello there, I'm a first time viewer. Me and my daughter are amateur rock hounds. She has found quite a few specimens that contain quartz, Pyrite and a third mystery mineral. I'm concerned that it might be lead ore. If I were to send you a photo would you help us identify it? She is finding them in her grandpa's gravel driveway. Any help would be appreciated. Trying to avoid lead poisoning.
Thank You I'm trying to learn about rocks I've been carrying them home for over 50 years but I can't tell one from another I go by their Cool Factor! I would really like to be able to tell them apart but it seems to me it depends on who is identifying them there's no set rules for so many things I don't think I will ever learn to identify all of my rocks I guess I will have to be happy with the Cool Factor I know I am right about them then. All joking aside I do want to learn what ever I can about rocks and I want to thank you again for teaching everyone you can keep up the good work!
I think bring home things you like is great! I do think it's important to point out that the hobby of rock and mineral identification is really its own thing that is separate from rockhounding in many ways. It really doesn't depend on who is going through the steps of identifying the rock in question so long as they are follow the same steps of identification. I have ton of videos on the channel that are quite educational that I think you will like.
That was great!! Rockhounding is pandemic born for me, so I am new to it! The Geologist clips are great on YT as well, but I'll start here.... 😵😵😵...😂 Thank you for keeping it simple!😎
@@CurrentlyRockhounding it was thank-you! I got overwhelmed when I started watching these YT videos. I had to revert back to some high school science to comprehend what everyone was talking about 🥴 I'll be checking out more here 🙂
When testing for magnetics handing a small powerful magnet on a string is best as it registers the smallest attraction. I have one piece that repels a magnet.
I've heard that before. I guess my thought has always been that if a small magnet on a string will register small attractions then a super power magnet that's fixed will detect the same amount of attraction. I first saw that advice given in a book from the 70s, a time well before neodymium magnets were readily available. I guess this is something I should test.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding well for stronger attracting rocks it works but a weak attraction is sometimes not enough to hold the magnet to the rock or feel it with your hand, all of my star garnets are magnetic i have tourmaline crystals that are also magnetic. Its worth a few tests trust me.
We moved from Walla Walla to Fayetteville , Arkansas. There are crazy neat stones EVERYWHERE here! I am a new convert to the hunt. This has been a super helpful. I think i know what ive picked up... only to find 10 other things it may be. You rock! (Dad joke)
@@CurrentlyRockhounding Thanks! I really appreciate your attitude and wish I could go rock hounding with you. I quit 2 groups because people got obnoxious about sharing information, unwilling to help newbies, and mocking questions on trying to identify rocks.
I called it chert from the get go I have a question though isn't chert concoidal isn't that what the majority of arrow heads are made of it has to fracture that way maybe I'm wrong
Cherpser?, Jaspgate? hard to place the silicates as they so often are somewhere on a spectrum as opposed to being clearly one thing or another. from eyeballing (from your video) I would have guessed a chert, but eyeballs can deceive you. At least with the SG and hardness it is reasonable to determine microcrystalline quartz.
Without seeing a cross cut view of the banding/grain, I'm gonna guess the more specific SE OR locations of Owyhee or McDermitt Picture Jasper. Got any other picture jasper rough for sale?
Love this video!! You read our minds!!! Thank you for teach us o many things !!! Are you a professor?? If not , you no need a tittle, you are natural!!!
