GeologyRocks

Hi Holly

Welcome to GR.  I'm glad you've found a new interest.  I've been into geology for about 50 years and it still fascinates me.  Tell your mates they're the ones who are boring, not you!

Absolutely.  After a while you will find people who don't talk geology become boring.....of course we wot chat geology all the time  NEVER ARE!!!!!

Now, I just replied to another of your posts, in which you talked about going into dealing.  Be very careful about buying if you really don't know much about geology/minerals. 

Some years ago a chap who was always hanging round the shows, never buying, just trying to extract info, apparent flew off to Brazil, went way up in the rain forest and bought a bag of 'precious stones'.  He is still trying to sell the rubbish. 

Buy precious stones- cut or uncut - from a reputable dealer, if you want high value stones. But not all 'precious stones' are high value.  I sell rubies at £4 each!  But they're not gem quality.

Be careful of fossils.  There are some really excellent fakes around, particularly from China, but unfortunately there is a lot of good stuff from China as well.  You need to be able to tell the difference.

Mineral specimens will come in all grades.  There is one dealer over here and he doesn't put much out under £500 going up to £5000 each at show .   Lovely specimens, but out of the reach of most peoples pocket.   Mine start at £1 and go upwards from there.  I do have expensive ones, but as the exception rather than the rule.  I sell more specimen, but don't take so much money.  But I also get a very wide cross section of people. 

So the rule is learn, learn, learn.  You will certainly get all the help you ask for on this site. - and you are still just a kid!  Plenty of time.

John

“Civilisation exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.” -  Will Durant