Amateur geology or rock collecting (also referred to as rockhounding in the United States and Canada) is the non-professional study and hobby of collecting rocks and minerals or fossil specimens from the natural environment.[1][2] In Australia, New Zealand and Cornwall, the activities of amateur geologists are called fossicking.[3] The first amateur geologists were prospectors looking for valuable minerals and gemstones for commercial purposes. Eventually, however, more people have been drawn to amateur geology for recreational purposes, mainly for the beauty that rocks and minerals provide.
- ^ Sinkankas, John. Mineralogy For Amateurs. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1964. Print.
- ^ "How do you define the term "rock hound"?". Mindat.org. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
- ^ "Definition of Fossicking". Merriam Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 22 August 2019.