This colorful and easy-to-use reference guide dedicated to collecting rocks, gems and minerals is ideal for readers who want to expand their understanding without getting lost in a maze of science. Beautifully illustrated with 700 color photographs providing wonderful detail and smartly organized to take the hassle out identification, readers will enjoy the simplicity of the guide and the enthusiasm and knowledge of author Patti Polk, one of the top agate collectors in the world and a self-proclaimed rockhound. In addition to updating all values - a unique feature to the guide - author Polk is expanding her offerings to include new rare mineral specimens, as well as adding rough specimens to complement existing photos of finished samples Readers will also enjoy two areas that our competitors don't bother with: values and lapidary, which is the cutting and polishing of rocks and gemstones for jewelry or display. Impressively, the reference guide serves as a general escort for the beginning collector, yet it is comprehensive enough to cover all the important rocks, minerals and gems that any seasoned collector would need to refer to for information.