Gem mining

[nekogirl724]

I love doing that when I can and next year going to go mine for either some herkimer diamonds or garnets. Anyone else ever been to one of these?

[Azmond]

I never went gem mining and I must say I even have no idea how it would look or one would do that. I get mining in a sense of taking a pickaxe and hacking at the stone, but this is probably not what you are talking about? So how do you go hunting for diamonds? It sounds really fascinating. The thing that is on my mind lately is going metal or relic hunting with some metal detector, but I would have to invest some money in to it, and it is not the right moment for that yet. So what would someone need for gem mining? Last summer vacation while climbing some barren hill, I found a very unusual mineral rock formation which I took with me. I have no idea what it is since I don't have sufficient knowledge on this. I considered salt crystals since it was on a barren island, or probably something that formed with lightning striking the sand. I can post the picture if you would like to talk a guess.

[Azmond]

[nekogirl724]

it depends. some places you can pay to just to sluicing, which is scooping dirt into these pans and putting it in running water and there could be gems in it, other times you have to chisel at rocks or hammer to the rocks to break it up. herkimer diamonds you have to look for pockets in the rock formations and chisel at them and there can be kerkimer found in them.

[nekogirl724]

they look like quartz crystals to me

[Azmond]

Uh that sounds very fun! Would love to go do that.

[nekogirl724]

most places close in the winter time though

[DaughterofDanu]

Originally Posted by nekogirl724

it depends. some places you can pay to just to sluicing, which is scooping dirt into these pans and putting it in running water and there could be gems in it,

This is what I did about a decade ago in North Carolina. It's very fun, I found a lot of emerald, rhodonite, and topaz.

They also sell "seeded" buckets of dirt meaning there are crystals planted in there. Not as much fun as finding it yourself but you get a lot of larger pieces that way. I have a piece of smoky quartz about the size of my fist from one of them.

The biggest thing is to be aware of the weather, this time of year it's hot and that may detract from the experience as well as how much mining you actually want to do. Most places do close in the winter, but if you make your trip during the cooler months, it can be a really fantastic vacation.

[Azmond]

Originally Posted by DaughterofDanu

This is what I did about a decade ago in North Carolina. It's very fun, I found a lot of emerald, rhodonite, and topaz.

They also sell "seeded" buckets of dirt meaning there are crystals planted in there. Not as much fun as finding it yourself but you get a lot of larger pieces that way. I have a piece of smoky quartz about the size of my fist from one of them.

The biggest thing is to be aware of the weather, this time of year it's hot and that may detract from the experience as well as how much mining you actually want to do. Most places do close in the winter, but if you make your trip during the cooler months, it can be a really fantastic vacation.

So this is in a way a per-organized thing, for which you have to pay to attend to? Don't think we have anything like that here. What about just going alone and trying to to that? Is that legal at all?

[nekogirl724]

well some mines, people may not be allowed into for whatever reasons and some gems you may not be able to keep depending on where you live, like, for example, here where I live, if you find gold in ny, you can't keep it, which is stupid in my opinion otherwise most you're allowed to keep.
@DaughterofDanu was it hiddenite you went to? I've been there as well, very fun, very messy,I found pyrite, aquamarine, fluorite, smokey quartz, amethyst, jasper, rose quartz and citrine. next time I want to try the Cherokee ruby and sapphire mine