Want to become an experienced Lake Michigan rock collector? 4 tips to get you started

Michigan’s beaches are not only great for sunbathing and swimming, they are also a popular place for mineral collecting.

The shoreline is full of colorful stones and crystals of various kinds. The types of stones vary depending on the lake.

“Every person sees a rock differently,” says Scot Wack, co-owner of a Michigan rock and craft store called Northport Trading Post and co-author of the newly released book “Rockhounding: A Beginners Guide to Rock Hunting Around Lake Michigan.”

Scot Wack and his wife Jennifer Wack – his co-owner and co-author – are avid rock collectors.

Jennifer Wack took over the hobby from her grandfather as a child.

The Wacks started searching for stones together when they moved to Michigan 25 years ago. Over the years, they noticed that their customers were having trouble identifying and polishing stones, so they decided to create a guide.

RELATED: 4 beaches on Lake Michigan that you can visit to look for rocks

“If I’m walking along the shore and something catches my eye, I’m more likely to pick it up,” said Scot Wack.

Here are four tips from the Wacks for collecting lakeshore minerals. You can find these tips and more in their guide, available on Amazon.

1. All beaches are public property

It’s common to come across signs indicating that a lakeshore beach is private property, but these have no legal force, says Scot Wack.

Walking on Lake Michigan beaches is protected by the Public Trust Doctrine as long as you stay within the lake’s high-water mark. The Public Trust Doctrine protects the public’s ability to use certain natural and cultural resources, according to the Cornell Legal Institute.

The public right to use Lake Michigan beaches, even on private property, was upheld in 2005 in Glass v. Goeckel. The judges ruled that the defendant did not trespass on private property when he walked along the beach because the area was protected by the Public Trust Doctrine.

“There is no such thing as private beaches,” said Scot Wack. “You are not allowed to camp on (a property), but you have the right to cross the beach.”

There is a law limiting the number of rocks you can take. Each rock collector is allowed to take a maximum of 25 pounds of rocks from the lake per year, Scot Wack said.

2. Know which stones to look for

No two beaches are the same.

The Great Lakes were formed thousands of years ago by melting glaciers. The glaciers migrated south and deposited rock from the north at the southern tip of Lake Michigan.

Some stones also come from industrial areas on the coast.

Flash stones are found only in the Grand Haven area, Scot Wack said. Leland blues, a product of iron smelting, are common on the shores around Leland near Traverse City.

According to Pure Michigan, Petoskey stones, the state stone of Michigan, are widely found around Manistee, Charlevoix and – of course – Petoskey.

Petoskey coral is a form of fossilized coral, remnants of a coral reef in the Great Lakes centuries ago, Scot Wack said. In northern Michigan around Traverse City, other types of coral are also found, such as horn coral, honeycomb coral and chain coral.

Some beaches have more rocks than others. Some beaches have no rocks at all.

“Every beach looks different and the geology of each beach changes frequently with wind conditions and climate,” said Scot Wack.

3. How to identify the stones you find

The key to finding special stones is to look for colors and patterns.

Scot Wack recommends paying attention to circular patterns and colors.

Unakite is green with red tones mixed in. Clear quartz, a common find in southwest Michigan, is a cloudy white or clear color. Two other varieties of quartz, rose quartz and smoky quartz, have reddish-pink and gray-black tones mixed in.

Granite is another common rock that can be recognized by its mottled black, burgundy, gray and light brown colors.

Good jewelry can be made from unakite, granite and quartz, says Jennifer Wack.

4. Pay attention to the polishing process

Stones need to be polished to get the shiny finish you see in stores.

There are several ways to polish stones. Experienced stone collectors may invest in a stone polisher, a machine that uses a mixture of water and sand to give stones a smooth, shiny surface.

Stones can also be polished by hand using water and a piece of wet/dry sandpaper, Jennifer Wack said. You should start with a piece of sandpaper with a lower grit, like 80, and then increase the grit as you polish.

The polishing process removes deposits that have accumulated over time, said Jennifer Wack.

Scot Wack does not recommend using clear nail polish or other coating substances to polish stones as the polish will flake off over time.

Even those who have never looked for stones should give it a try: Scot Wack recommends it.

“It really can’t hurt to do it,” said Scot Wack. “It’s a great hobby.”

Looking for more activities along the Great Lakes in Michigan? Check out MLive’s Lakeshore Travel series.