RockHoundBlog

Graves Mountain, Lincolnton, GA- Rutile, Lazulite, and Pyrophyllite, Iridescent Hematite

Filed under: Coming Events, regular postings, rockhounding maps — Gary March 8, 2007 @ 10:42 pm
Graves Mountain, Lincolnton, GA
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Graves Mountain “Rock Swap and Dig”:

Collecting Rutile, Kyanite, Lazulite, Iridescent Hematite,
Pyrophyllite, Pyrite, Ilmenite, Fuchsite, Barite, Sulfur, Variscite
,
blue quartz and quartz crystals.

8 am to 6 pm, Friday, April 27, 2007
8 am to 6 pm, Saturday, April 28, 2007
8 am to 6 pm, Sunday, April 29, 2007

“You are invited to field collect minerals at Georgia’s premiere mineral location!”

-Graves Mountain is technically not a commercial mineral location,
but a donation is requested for the caretaker.

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Colombia emeralds - Deposits and Mining Production- maps

Filed under: regular postings, rockhounding maps — Gary February 23, 2007 @ 5:29 am

colombia_emerald_map Gachala_EmeraldThe Gachala Emerald is one of the largest gem emeralds in the world at 858 carats. This stone was found in 1967 at La Vega de San Juan mine in Gachalá, Colombia.

Gemstones are found in many parts of the world, singly or grouped together. Groups that are quite large are called deposits. Places with a single find are called the location of discovery, place of discovery, or point of discovery. The word occurrence refers to any four of these terms.

For the past 50 years Colombia has been the leader in the largest emerald production in the world. Colombia’s mining towns supply about 60% of the world’s output and 80% of the highest quality emerald available on the market today.

Muzo_floater_emerald

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Crater of Diamonds- Murfreesboro, Arkansas- only diamond mine in world open to public

Filed under: regular postings, rockhounding maps — Gary February 18, 2007 @ 2:09 pm

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The Crater of Diamonds is an Arkansas State Park located in Murfreesboro in Pike County, Arkansas, USA containing the only diamond mine in the world that is open to the public.

Description

The Crater of Diamonds State Park is an 888 acre (3.6 km2) Arkansas State Park situated over an eroded volcanic pipe. The park is open to the public and, for a small fee, rockhounds and tourists can dig for diamonds and other gemstones. Park visitors find more than 600 diamonds each year of all colors and grades. Over 24,000 diamonds have been found in the crater since it became a state park. Visitors may keep any gemstone they find regardless of its value (and some, as listed below, have been quite valuable).

In addition to diamonds, visitors may find semi-precious gems such as amethyst, agate, and jasper or approximately 40 other minerals such as garnet, phlogopite, quartz, barite, and calcite.

The crater itself is a 35 acre (142,000 m2) gravelly open field that is periodically plowed to bring the diamonds and other gemstones to the surface. The remainder of the park consists of a visitor’s center, interpretive center, campground, and picnic area. A 1.3 mile (2 km) walking trail along the Little Missouri River is available for hikers.

Murfreesboro is located just south of Hot Springs, Arkansas, the location of Hot Springs National Park. The park is open year round but experienced diamond hunters prefer hunting in the spring when rains wash dirt off of the gemstones and make them easier to spot.

History

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reader tells about her trip to the Royal Peacock Mine in the Virgin Valley

Filed under: Rockhound stories, regular postings, rockhounding maps — Gary February 11, 2007 @ 11:19 pm
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The opals were dug at the Royal Peacock Mine in the Virgin Valley. The vacation was planned after watching a show on the Travel Channel about where to find treasure in America. We didn’t pump ourselves up about really finding anything. It just looked like fun. I’m not the kind of person to want to go lay at a beach all day sipping fruity drinks, borrrring. Luckily my husband feels the same way. Plan on camping out at the campgrounds right there in the Valley, or plan on at least a 45 minute drive each day if you can get a room at the Denio Junction Hotel. There isn’t much else in the way of accomodations way out there. The Royal Peacock does have their own camp sites and they also have 3 furnished campers for rent (hint, call early, they go quickly!).
Our first day of digging proved us right in not expecting to hit an opal, except towards the very end of the day. I found a piece of potch that had some non-precious opal with it. That whetted the apetite. We moved to a different part of the bank the next morning and it wasn’t too long before we hit a ‘hot spot’. We staked our 5 feet (per person) on the bank and dug the same area for 4 more days. I consider us lucky as 85% or better of the people who came to dig did not find anything. They also were only digging for just one day. It takes a lot of hard work and moving a lot of dirt in hot windy weather (in August, anyway). It is a hit or miss situation. You could be just inches away from finding an opal, or feet away. We didn’t really get a chance to speak with Harry Wilson, one co-owner of the mine. He had a friend who was the guide to the dig and he had some good advice, don’t come expecting to leave paying for your vacation, those are the people who won’t find anything. We didn’t and had some terrific luck.

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Rockhounding Opals from Ethiopia

Filed under: regular postings, rockhounding maps — Gary January 18, 2007 @ 11:56 am

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Opal has been a gemstone that lots of people love and some adore with a passion. I fit into the second category, probably because opal is about the only gemstone that can have such a diverse brilliance of colour that encompasses the whole of the colour spectrum. Because of this I find it such an uplifting and beautiful stone.

In the past most opal has come from either Australia or Mexico, as opal mainly comes from two types of deposits; volcanic and sedimentary. Australia provides the largest sedimentary deposit, whilst Mexico the largest siliceous volcanic deposit. Smaller deposits can also be found at opal Butte, Oregon, although this mainly is not commercially exploited for jewellery.

However, as late as 1939 the famous anthropologist Dr. L. Leakey reported that early man used opal to fashion tools based on a discovery of artifacts in a cave in Kenya that were dated from around 4,000 years B.C. and so believed that opal mines must exist in Africa. In was not until much later in 1994 that actual proof of these opals came to light with a Dr. N. Barot who reported in an article in the ICA Gazette that opals from Ethiopia had been seen at a Nairobi gem market in 1993. In the same year a minerals engineer by the name of Telahun Yohannes learned about these opals whilst on holiday and started investigating its location along with a lease to explore and mine the area. And that begins the start of a new and stunningly beautiful opal onto the market.

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Phoenix, AZ- Goldfield Mountains- Calcite Druzy & Pink Lace Agate

Filed under: regular postings, rockhounding maps — Gary January 3, 2007 @ 10:42 pm

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This article was sent in by Shain-

This site I would consider a moderate hike, but its rather short and quite accessible to most people, the collecting area is loose ground and there’s lots
of the classic pointed plants everywhere, so be careful. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ACCESS THIS AREA BY 4×4 IF YOU HAVE THE PERMIT TO DRIVE IN
THE GOLDFIELDS, contact the Tonto Ranger district to get the permit. Otherwise it will be a .6mile hike in one direction uphill. This is a wonderful
area to explore but be careful of wildlife, as there are many hidden areas to be found.
trekking out into the Arizona Deserts-

Arizona is not one big desert, in fact it holds the wettest desert in the entire world. The summer last only 4 months were one will find those hot dry temps. But, One can find wonderful hiking in the North central part of the state which rarely goes above 100 degrees during the hottest part of the summer. And during the winter months, 60-70 degree days hiking in the lower deserts which is very rewarding the just the immense scenery and canyon lands that above all over the state.

*Basic etiquette and ideals when outdoors;
As any rock hounding goes, one must respect not only the land in which you dig from, but the land owners, or access roads into and around your collecting sites. Always close any gate you come upon and go through if its already closed when you come to it. Never go onto 4×4 trails if you do not have the experience and know the trail somewhat. it never hurts to get out of your truck or car and scout to see if it possible to make it in.
*Always go with a friend and always let someone know were your going.
*Bring plenty of water as the biggest thing one must be careful of in Arizona is dehydration.

Always respect the wildlife and never shot animals unless for defense or if you have the proper permits to hunt. Remember that rattle snakes and scorpions will only hurt you if your not aware they are around and at foolishly. If you hear a rattle snake, always stop for a moment to find out which directions its coming from, if in brushy areas carry a walking stick with at least a 4 foot reach. So if you do come across one, you stick will let it know your there before your leg does.

When Rock hounding respect the land you dig from, cover up any holes you dig and always careful not to disturb to much ground when working. If you find something that seems like it may have market value, go through the proper channels in order the claim the rights of that area. then you can dig and be held accountable for the mess you make. Ideally Turing you into a respectful mining patron.

There are allot of areas in Arizona that are not accessible by 4×4, because of Wilderness land, Private land, Indian Reservation, or plain rugged areas. Please always plan out ahead were you are going using local maps and info from BLM or Forest Dept on road conditions and such.

This is by far one of the easiest sites to find and get to, and is the closest location to the Metro Phoenix area I have posted on this site. Your goal no matter were you are coming from, is to
*get to the Intersection of Highway 88, and Idaho Road in Apache Jct, AZ.
The main access freeway is the US 60/Suppersitition Freeway which spans the length of Mesa, AZ and is the main artery into the east Valley Metro Phoenix area. Idaho Rd is one the most eastern Exits on US 60, in Apache Jct.
Once you get to that intersection, proceed up highway 88, NE into the Superstition Wilderness. Drive roughly 8-10miles on the 88 until you see “Lookout Point” parking area. This area is on the east side of the 88 and can be used to park and access the eastern side of the 88, into the Superstition Wilderness. The West side parking, can be found another 300 feet down the road, over the hump. Its a good size parking area, but the curb is bad, so go slow and prepare for the turn off, it is not marked. But on weekends you may already see trucks parked there. Here is a photo of the parking area looking West into the Goldfields and the collecting area.
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What is the Hike like?
The hike I consider moderate becasue most folks cant access this area, except on foot. And the collecting area itself is rather loose and there are many depressed
and hidden areas in the rock formations, and lots of places one can easily fall. The hike itself is less than 1mile in, so in that regard its an easy hike, most of its
on a 4×4 road. So it really isn’t a problem unless you act careless while collecting and fall.

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Franklin and Sterling Hill, New Jersey, USA - table of longwave fluorescent minerals

Filed under: regular postings, rockhounding maps — Gary December 18, 2006 @ 6:09 pm

alleghanyiteAlleghanyite is an exceptionally rare member of the humite group, and this specimen is unusually rich with gemmy brown microcrystals to 2 mm flatlaying along an approximately 3-cm vertical axis on this specimen . The matrix is a typical mix of franklinite/calcite/willemite and is highly fluorescent.

The mines of Franklin and the Sterling Hill Mine at Ogdensburg, Sussex County in northwestern New Jersey are world famous and deservingly so. No other site can boast the same assortment of rare and interesting minerals. Over three hundred different minerals were found at these mines and most are listed in The Minerals of Franklin and Sterling Hill Table.

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Hauser Geode Beds(The Potato Patch)- Thundereggs/Nodules, Jasper, Pastelite, Rhyolite, and Agate

Filed under: Great Finds-specimens, Rockhound stories, regular postings, rockhounding maps — Gary December 16, 2006 @ 4:09 am

The Hauser Geode Beds

By Delmer G. Ross

Professor of History, La Sierra University

delmer_ross The dull thud of picks, the crunch-swish of shovels, the tink-plink of rock hammers, and the occasional delighted, “I found a nice one!” all help to mark the location of the Hauser Geode Beds on an early spring weekend. Hundreds of holes dug into light-greenish colored volcanic ash under a nearly cloudless blue sky confirm it. Sometimes dozens of rockhounds may be found digging for geodes at this desolate appearing region of northeastern Imperial County, in southern California.
The geode beds are named for Joel F. Hauser, who discovered them with the help of his very observant father in the early 1930s. Twenty-five years earlier, the elder Hauser, George, had been a partner in Hauser & Giddings, a Colorado Desert freight line operating mainly between the Southern Pacific Railroad at Glamis, and the Palo Verde Valley town of Blythe. As he slowly drove heavy, freight-laden wagons across the desert, he followed two basic routes.
The preferred route led through Palo Verde Canyon. It was the shorter, more direct route. It was also subject to flooding and washouts, especially during the usual late summer monsoons.
The alternate route, used mainly when flooding in the canyon closed the canyon road, led from the little community of Palo Verde, near the Colorado River, west to the southern stretch of the Mule Mountains. After crossing over a low pass in the Mules located only a mile or so east of the present-day Coon Hollow Campground, it continued west, through what today is known as Ashley Flats, to another low pass some eight road miles away, near today’s Potato Patch. Then, turning southward for a mile or two, then southeastward, it eventually rejoined the main Blythe-Glamis road.

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Wiley’s Well Trip Report 2006 Part 2 of 2 , Thanks Eva! Rockhounding, Geology

Filed under: Rockhound stories, regular postings, rockhounding maps — Gary December 13, 2006 @ 3:36 am

By now, I was getting tired and some people had already headed back to camp. With no
other dogs around and few people, I let Sesame Pooch off the leash and she raced over the
crusty rhyolite hills with glee. If only I could have stolen some of her energy! The biggest
diggings area was across a deep wash and we had to move laterally to find an easier path
down through the wash and then back up to the diggings. The white ashy dirt had been
well churned and many pieces of agate encrusted rhyolite littered the ground. Some agate
had nice colorations and fortification patterns and I spent some time surface hunting
before heading over the hill and across a large plain to investigate some ashy looking
areas further away.

In my travels, I found several whitish areas and also found some geodes that were actually
bubbly and round looking instead of just being large cavities in rhyolite. Inside, they had
somewhat thin lines of clear agate. On my way back, I crossed paths with other hounders
at a large ashy area and we discovered some thin veins of crusty common opal. Some
parts were colored a nice red but the material was so crusty that it would not come out in
decent sized pieces. I was tempted to say that the opal in that vein had not spent enough
time in the oven. It seemed undercooked and not fully formed into useable opal. Soon,
the sun grew heavy in the sky and our packs grew heavy on our backs, and it was time to
head back to camp.

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Geology/Rockhounding Maine, Bemis Stream/Brimstone Mountain-Green tourmaline,Blue Beryl and more

Filed under: regular postings, rockhounding maps — Gary December 10, 2006 @ 5:24 am

Brimstone Mountain, summit, Houghton, 2365 feet, 44.797ºN, 70.684ºW

Bemis Stream, Stream, Houghton, elavation not known, 44.849ºN, 70.727ºW

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Bemmis Stream

Mineral List: {from State Bulletin 41} albite (var. clevelandite),bertrandite, beryl, cassiterite, columbite, magnocolumbite,damourite, elbaite (green,blue), fluoroapatite (blue and purple),microlite, montebrasite, montmorillonite, muscovite, pollucite, quartz (crystals), spessarite (garnet), sphalerite, spodumene (crystals), tapiolite, wodginite.

Directions: from the junction of route 2 and 17 in mexico drive north 17.1 miles on route 17 to the settlement of “HOUGHTON”. There is a dirt road on the left that goes through a field and you can see a small bridge and gate. Turn left just past the feild onto that dirt road.Cross over the swift river and procede generally NW.That means not to go right into the town of houghton.Go about 6.3 miles to the bridge over Bemis stream.Park just after bridge and road cut. WALK down along the stream about .25 miles to steep ledge and small gorge. This is the pegmatite. NOTE THAT THE PEGMATITE IS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RIVER.

green_tourmaline_maine Green tourmaline crystals on pegmatite rock

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