Philately is to Stamps as ____ is to Rocks.

November 3, 2012 1:42 PM

Stamp collecting is philately. Coin collecting falls under numismatics (perhaps as a subdivision). Rock collecting is not really geology in the same way as the above terms are used. Is there a similar term for rock collecting?
posted by Jahaza to Writing & Language (7 answers total)

Best answer: The ones I know call themselves rockhounds.
posted by bukvich at 1:43 PM on November 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

The more technically-oriented rockhounds you could could mineralogists. But for the typical hobbyist-level rock collector, bukvich nailed it.
posted by pla at 2:15 PM on November 3, 2012

Thirding rockhounding.
posted by vers at 2:24 PM on November 3, 2012

Every rock club I've been in used "rockhounder."
posted by jetlagaddict at 2:48 PM on November 3, 2012

Best answer: Actually, mineralogists are scientists who study minerals. Minerals are not rocks, they are inorganic crystalline solids. Rocks are composed of minerals. Mineralogy is a sub-discipline of geology.
posted by DoubleLune at 5:06 PM on November 3, 2012

If they're doing things with the stones (slabbing, cabbing, carving, etc.) they can call themselves lapidaries.

Otherwise, nthing "rockhound".
posted by Lexica at 6:39 PM on November 3, 2012

Yeah, we're rockhounds.
posted by mon-ma-tron at 8:21 PM on November 4, 2012