Amateur rockhounding must-haves?

[tatswell]

As a (complete!) amateur rockhounder, I am interested in what accessories and tools you all use for rockhounding. Perhaps beginner books, apps, identification resources (for the home or on the go)? Specific tools- rock picks, tumblers, amateur equipment, streak testing "stuff" and stores or websites where these can be found.

 

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[Bajahunter]

Finding and identifying rocks is different than working with them.
Start with a good field guide. Then add a quality hand lens, followed by a hammer, streak plate, a hardness test kit, and a small bottle of acid. These simple tools will enable you to identify almost every rock you find.
The most important tool is training your eye to see the little things. Most gems and minerals you find won't look like the museum pieces you see in the books.

 

[Brian T. Booth]

Finding and identifying rocks is different than working with them. Start with a good field guide. Then add a quality hand lens, followed by a hammer, streak plate, a hardness test kit, and a small bottle of acid. These simple tools will enable you to identify almost every rock you find. The most important tool is training your eye to see the little things. Most gems and minerals you find won't look like the museum pieces you see in the books.

Bajahunter is right. You have to train and educate yourself. Educate yourself on the different types of rocks and what types of minerals are associated with certain types of rocks. Educate yourself on crystal structure and crystal habit. Train your eye identifying crystal faces and mineral structure. This can be very hard. For example, the picture below is of the mineral corundum var. sapphire. To the untrained eyed they look like rocks, but notice the hexagonal crystal structure of the corundum. To successfully collect specimens in the field, educate and train yourself. Good luck. Happy hunting.

 

[Eu_citzen]

I have very little to add to Baja's and Brian's tips.

However a normal magnet can be useful as well.

 

[tatswell]

I certainly don't expect to go out on the field tomorrow and identify everything I have done a little lapidary work but I would prefer of course to identify and understand first what I am finding for curiousity keepsakes.
What are some helpful resources you count on to help train your eyes?

 

[Bajahunter]

Everything you need to look for will be described in a beginning section of any good field guide. The hard part is applying what you read to what you find. I don't really know any easy way, you just need to pick up a lot of rocks then come home and do the tests.
It always helps to have someone that knows the rocks of your area. Look for a local rock and mineral club. Most rockhounds I know are happy to help identify a rock. Any rockhound will be able to tell you more about your rock by having it in their hands than we can do via photos.
Lots of great websites as well. Just do a web search I don't keep any of them bookmarked. Dedicated gem and mineral sites will have more trustworthy photos than google images.