>>2278004There's lots of little pocket guides out there that can give you a basic understanding. It's harder I think to find gems and minerals than it is to identify them.
There is a relationship between the type of geological setting you may be in and the type of minerals you may find. Rockhounds generally identify an area with a rock type of interest, and go looking for it. There are historic localities that have put out really good stuff in the past that people tend to go to, and sometimes get lucky. Not all the diamonds at that state park in Arkansas come from India, and I've found really good stuff in several areas the oldtimers thought were depleted.
If you're planning a hike for other interests, a little research into the geology of the area may help you to know what you may find.
>>2277756It's against a rock's nature to go uphill. Rocks are always seeking that lower potential. I always try and leave rocks at a higher entropy than I found them, keeps 'em happy.
