You don’t have to be a scientist, Indiana Jones, or an heiress to enjoy prized stones.
Rockhounding is fun, it’s low impact, and it literally lets you dig for treasure, so get ready to unleash your inner geologist.
United States
The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina are prime mineral- hunting grounds. You can’t go wrong at Little Pine Garnet Mine in Madison County, which is only open by appointment plus an entrance fee. You can dig just outside of the entrance in a creek bed, or head into the mine where garnet crystals are visible in the walls.
In Franklin County, North Carolina, rubies and sapphires abound, along with white moonstones and quartz crystals. In most cases, rather than digging in the mines, you’ll get a bucket of “gem dirt” and go to the flume line to clean the gravel and pick out the promising stones. But if you want to get your hands even dirtier, Mason’s Ruby and Sapphire Mine (www.masonsmine.com) actually lets you dig your own dirt to sort through and clean in the flume line. Once you’ve collected your stones, you can bring them to Ruby City Gems & Minerals (www.rubycity.com) to be cut, polished, and set, and browse its extensive private collection of gems, minerals, and fossils.
The aptly named Rockhound State Park in New Mexico is one of the best places in the country to hunt for rocks. Located in the Florida and Little Florida Mountains, it’s one of the few state parks where you can actually take items with you to 7kg (up to 15 pounds) of rocks. The prized find here is “thunder eggs,” also known as geodes. On the out-side, they look like dirty rocks, but on the inside they reveal gorgeous crystals like amethyst, rose quartz, or hematite, or coloured stone such as jasper and agate. Of course, you won’t know what’s on the inside until you break it open, so bring your own hammer and chisel to the site.
Northeast of Zion National Park are Utah’s west desert rock-hounding areas. Try the Dugway Geode Beds in Juab County, where you can dig up the coveted crystal spheres. While you’re in Juab County, check out Topaz Mountain, where you might unearth crystals that formed in 6-million-year-old volcanic cavities. In Beaver County is the Mineral Mountain range, which is abundant in smoky quartz and feldspar. Just head to the Rock Corral Recreation Area on the west side of the mountains, where you can let loose with a hammer and chisel, and bring home whatever you unearth. www.geology.utah.gov
You can actually dig for diamonds-and keep-them at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. The entrance fee of $7 is not a bad deal if you strike it rich. Even better, a resident gem expert can tell you if your find is actually worth anything. And remember, rocks that are too small to be cut can still be mounted into a pendant. www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com
The Ocean view Mine in Pala, California (near San Diego), allows you to do “screenings” several times throughout the year. Screening is where you take dirt that has been produced as a by-product from the mine-blasting process and filter it through a large screen to ferret out any hidden gems and minerals. Varieties of gems to be found include aquamarine, quartz, and mica (fool’s gold). The day’s activities also include a dune buggy tour of the historic Pala mining and gem district. www.digforgems.com
Maine’s Mount Mica has an impressive quantity of colourful tourmaline, aquamarine, quartz, and much more. There are plenty of operations that will sell you buckets to pick through, but a better option is to get dirty with a hands-on dig in the nearby quarries, pits, and mine dumps with Maine Mineral Adventures (http://digmainegems.com) or Maine Mineralogy Expeditions (www.rocksme.biz). If you want to learn more about Maine’s minerals and gems, stop by Mt. Mann Jewelers (www.mtmann.com) in the town of Bethel, where mineralogists can show you rough and finished products.
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