How does scanning work?
Point the camera at the stone — fill the frame, use daylight if you can, and wet the surface or photograph a freshly broken face if it's dusty. Tap the shutter, or pick an existing photo from your library. The AI names the rock, mineral or gem, gives its Mohs hardness, tells you how it forms and where it's found, and estimates what it's honestly worth.
The identification looks wrong
Rocks are genuinely hard to identify from one photo — even geologists use hardness, streak and density tests. Try another angle, better light, and include something for scale. When the AI isn't sure, it says so — treat a low-confidence result as unidentified, and use the app's Test Bench (color, scratch, streak, magnet, luster) to narrow it down by hand.
Are the value estimates real?
They are honest ballpark ranges for the specimen as photographed, based on typical hobby-market prices — and most common rocks, tumbled stones and small crystals genuinely sell for a few dollars. Estimates are informational, not an appraisal. For insurance, sale or anything valuable, get a certified appraisal from a gemologist (GIA or similar).
Real vs fake
Dyed howlite sold as turquoise, cubic zirconia as diamond, baked amethyst as citrine, plastic as amber — fakes are everywhere in the hobby. The app flags commonly-faked species and gives at-home tests, but no photo test is definitive. For a serious purchase, insist on a lab report.
Collecting responsibly
Collecting is prohibited in US National Parks and many protected sites. Check land ownership and local rules before you dig; fee-dig mines and BLM land with casual-use rules are the safe places to start. Never taste-test or make "elixirs" from unknown minerals — some are toxic.
Managing your subscription
Subscriptions are billed by Apple and renew automatically. Manage or cancel in Settings → your name → Subscriptions, or use Restore in the app's About screen if you've already purchased on another device.
Contact
Anything else — bugs, feature ideas, a stone the AI got hilariously wrong: inkpocket.app@gmail.com