Mineral & Fossil Glossary

An access easement is a legal right to cross or use part of someone else’s land. For collectors, it can determine whether you can reach a public parcel without trespassing.

Applying dilute acid to see if a mineral fizzes (effervesces), indicating carbonate content; commonly used to distinguish calcite and other carbonates from look‑alikes.

Fully fossilized tree resin that hardened through polymerization over millions of years.

A star-shaped light pattern (often 4 or 6 rays) produced by oriented inclusions; typically visible on cabochon-cut stones and used as a descriptive/valuing feature.

Label and bag each find immediately with a unique number and micro-location so specimens never lose provenance in the field.

A direction note (compass bearing/azimuth) that tells you where you moved or which way a feature trends.

Layering produced during deposition; bedding style affects how rocks split and where fossils and textures are preserved.

A quick record of how a layered rock unit tilts and trends at the spot you’re collecting.

The natural surface between sediment layers; bedding planes often split easily and preserve fossils or trackways.