The Naming of a Stone

 

  • I want each specimen ID to quickly show when a stone was found, where it was found, and what type of setting it came from.

    The format I use is:

    YEAR-STATE-LOCATION-COLLECTION TYPE-SPECIMEN NUMBER

    Example:

    2026-OR-WAL-BH-001

    This identifies a stone collected in 2026, in Oregon, near Waldport, from a beach setting, and recorded as specimen 001.

    The format may look detailed, but it gives each stone a consistent record that can be used across field notes, photos, tumbling logs, and final polished results.

  • Code — Meaning

    AL — Alluvial Fan
    Material collected from a fan-shaped deposit formed by water moving sediment out from higher ground.

    BH — Beach
    Material collected from an ocean, lake, or shoreline setting.

    CK — Creek
    Material collected from a creek bed, creek bank, or small stream channel.

    DF — Desert Wash / Fan
    Material collected from a dry wash, desert fan, bajada, or arid drainage setting.

    FL — Float
    Loose material found away from an obvious source or parent outcrop.

    GR — Gravel Bar
    Material collected from a concentrated gravel deposit, often within or near a stream, river, or wash.

    MX — Mixed Fill / Imported Material
    Material found in disturbed, landscaped, construction, or fill areas where the original source may be uncertain.

    OC — Outcrop
    Material collected directly from exposed bedrock or a visible geologic formation.

    QT — Quarry
    Material collected from a quarry, pit, or permitted excavation site.

    RD — Roadcut
    Material collected from exposed rock along a road, highway, or constructed cut.

    RR — River / River Bar
    Material collected from a larger river system, riverbank, gravel bar, or exposed river deposit.

    TL — Talus Slope
    Material collected from loose rock accumulated below a cliff, slope, or exposed rock face.

    TS — Tailings / Mining Waste
    Material collected from historic mining waste, tailings piles, or processed rock material.

    UN — Unknown Setting
    Used when the collection setting is unclear or not recorded.