Rock Exchange 2022 Important Dates
Regular sign ups: 15th October – 15th November, 2022
Matching: 15th – 21st November, 2022
Shipping (and receiving): 21st November – 20th December, 2022
Be prepared to ship / receive your rock through December.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of rock should I send? Should my rock be “valuable”? Should I send a note?
Any tips for shipping rocks internationally?
Can I ship soil or other hazardous material?
Do I need a Twitter handle to participate?
Where is my rock? I still haven’t received it.
What kind of rock should I send? Should I send a note?
We recommend that you do not share extremely valuable samples. It will be difficult to match “value” from sample to sample (especially since some rocks are quite difficult to assess the value of), so please do not be disappointed if you feel that the rock you receive is “lesser” than the one you sent to someone else. We’re all just doing this for fun, to see some cool rocks, to share our rocks, and to meet other rockhounds. DO include a note describing the sample, including what it is, where it came from, when you purchased or collected it, etc. We have noticed that the stories behind the rocks were just as exciting as the rocks themselves!
Any tips for shipping rocks internationally?
We love the idea of rocks crossing international borders, but shipping internationally can be very expensive and will require the sender to fill out customs forms. As far as we know, shipping rocks between countries is not banned anywhere, however soil is often not allowed without special permission. Special considerations may be required if you choose to ship internationally, and you will be required to complete any required customs documentation. We are not the post office and cannot advise on this.
Can I ship soil or other hazardous material?
PLEASE DO NOT SHIP SOIL! DO NOT SEND HAZARDOUS OR BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES! For more information on shipping to or from specific countries, please consult the postal authority in the country in question. If you get matched internationally and have questions, we will do our best to help you get your rock to where it needs to be (or to re-match you to someone else if you decide you cannot ship to the person you are assigned).
What is regifting?
In the event that some people do not receive a rock through the Exchange, we will have a second round of matching. If you decided to be a re-gifter, you may be asked to send a second rock to someone you get matched to in the second round of matching. Hopefully we won’t need this!
Do I need a Twitter handle to participate?
A twitter handle is not required to participate. This exchange was started on twitter and is moderated by Kayla Iacovino (@kaylai). News will be shared through the official @SS_RockExchange twitter profile, but we will also always share news via email. Folks like to share their rocks and thank their Santas and often do that on twitter. So, if you have a twitter account, it is fun to include that information.
Where is my rock? I still haven’t received it.
It’s well past the shipping deadline, and you still haven’t received a rock? First step is don’t give up hope. Some rocks are coming from very far away and may take several weeks to get to you. We will do our best to get any tracking info provided by your Santa to you. Some Santas may mark that they’ve shipped their rock and only include a tracking number at a later date, in which case we will do our best to make sure you get that updated info. If you think there is an issue or have any questions, please reach out to us by emailing us at ssrockexchange@gmail.com.