Free guides
Stone Sense Guides
Practical guides for identifying rocks, minerals, crystals, and gemstones — and honest answers about what AI and at-home tests can (and can't) tell you.
How to Identify Meteorites
Real meteorites are extremely rare. Learn the visual clues, the magnet and density tests, and when you truly need expert verification.
Read guideGuide · 8 min readHow to Identify Rocks
Use color, texture, grain, luster, and layering to tell igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks apart — no expensive tools needed.
Read guideGuide · 6 min readHow to Tell if a Gemstone Is Real
Simple at-home tests — breath, light, scratch, and water — can hint at whether a gemstone is genuine, but only a lab can confirm it.
Read guideGuide · 7 min readHow to Identify Quartz
One of Earth's most common minerals comes in dozens of forms. Learn to recognize clear quartz, amethyst, citrine, smoky quartz, and more.
Read guideGuide · 7 min readRock vs Mineral: What's the Difference?
Minerals are single substances with a fixed recipe; rocks are mixtures of minerals. A clear comparison, with the granite example that makes it click.
Read guideGuide · 9 min readHow to Identify Minerals
The seven diagnostic properties — hardness, streak, luster, color, cleavage, crystal habit, and specific gravity — and the order to test them in.
Read guideGuide · 8 min readMineral Identification Chart
A quick-reference chart of ten common minerals — hardness, streak, luster, color, and cleavage — plus how to use it with simple at-home tests.
Read guideGuide · 8 min readHow to Tell If a Crystal Is Real
Spot glass, resin, and dyed crystals with at-home tests — inclusions, temperature, hardness, and UV — and know when a piece needs expert verification.
Read guideGot a specimen in hand?
Get an AI-powered first guess from a photo, then use these guides to confirm it.