Find success on your rock hunts for popular gems and minerals by selecting the best locations to look for them. Agates, copper, gold—you want to find them! But if you’re searching without a plan, the odds are stacked against you. Whether you’re new to rock hunting or already hold an interest, prospecting is the way to maximize your success. This beginner’s guide by rockhounding expert Jim Magnuson helps you to confidently hunt for a variety of collectible and valuable gems and minerals, including agates, fossils, geodes, and gold. In each chapter, Jim introduces sought-after targets (from Lake Superior Agates to Keokuk Geodes). Then he provides a simple, step-by-step process to finding, collecting, and identifying them in the Upper Midwest. Full-color photographs show the specimens as you’re likely to see them in the field, and range maps tell you if you’re in the right place. Jim points you to locations where you’re allowed to hunt and collect, and he also includes need-to-know information about equipment recommendations, safety, and the legality of collecting. Inside you’ll find: Expert advice: discover what to look for, where to look, and how to prospect Professional photos: see specimens as you’re likely to find them in the field Essential information: learn about collecting rules, safety, and affordable equipment Bonus content: get advice on polishing your finds, metal detecting, and more Perfect for residents and visitors of Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, Rockhounding & Prospecting: Upper Midwest is everything you need in one handy guide.

This informative guide takes an in-depth look at the most sought-after treasures of the Upper Midwest and teaches how to find and even prospect for each kind.

Explore the mineral-rich region of Wisconsin with veteran rockhound Robert Beard’s Rockhounding Wisconsin and unearth the state’s best rockhounding sites, ranging from popular and commercial sites to numerous lesser-known areas. Featuring an overview of the state’s geologic history as well as a site-by-site guide to the best rockhounding locations, Rockhounding Wisconsin is the ideal resource for rockhounds of all ages and experience levels.

This is the go-to instructional guide for the beginner rockhounder and prospector.

This volume gives you the basic tools to transition from "pebble pup" to expert rockhound and explains everything from geology basics, identification tips, tools of the trade, how to record your findings, and how to set up a lab or gem shop. Before you know it, you'll be driving the open roads and traveling home with dusty pockets full of rocks, gems, minerals, fossils--and maybe even gold. Features: * geology basics * popular collectibles, including rocks, gems, fossils, meteorites, and gold * tools of the trade for every level of collector * rules and regulations * polishing, preserving, crafting, and displaying your treasures

Your Must-Have Guide to the Rocks and Minerals of Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa Get the perfect guide to rocks and minerals in the Heartland This book by Dan R. Lynch and Bob Lynch features comprehensive entries for 96 rocks and minerals of Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, from common rocks to rare finds. Learn from the fascinating information about everything from agates to zircon and fossils to gold. The easy-to-use format means you'll quickly find what you need to know and where to look. The authors' incredible, sharp, full-color photographs depict the detail needed for identification--no need to guess from line drawings. With this field guide in hand, identifying and collecting is fun and informative.