gem hunting on the east coast...any thoughts

[normalnovice]

So I'm trying to organize a long weekend trip to do some gem hunting. I live in Pennsylvania and it doesn't appear that my state has any good gem/mineral hunting that I've found. I've looked into the trip down to Hiddenite N.C. for some emerald hunting but found reviews saying it is mostly "salted/seeded" by the staff and the ability to do real hounding isn't possible. I'm open to any suggestions as so far the internet has let me down on solid leads. Thank you in advance.

 

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[normalnovice]

so just that everyone is aware. I get pretty serious with research. I've quickly mapped the major mines in and around the Franklin NC area any have found a circular pattern. the beauty is that there are numerous rental properties right along the ring. Geologically speaking it's all in the same dialect. And, since I haven't found anything specifically stating not to dig for gems on the majority of these locations I am very temped to find one close to the tributaries and book an extended weekend. besides that the best reviews I have found for a local mine would be the Mason mine which is pay per day and dig your own.

 

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[huntsman53]

so just that everyone is aware. I get pretty serious with research. I've quickly mapped the major mines in and around the Franklin NC area any have found a circular pattern. the beauty is that there are numerous rental properties right along the ring. Geologically speaking it's all in the same dialect. And, since I haven't found anything specifically stating not to dig for gems on the majority of these locations I am very temped to find one close to the tributaries and book an extended weekend. besides that the best reviews I have found for a local mine would be the Mason mine which is pay per day and dig your own.

I took the family there quite a few years ago. It was hard work but we got a few Sapphire Crystals and although I am not sure, I may still have them today. Things may have changed but back then you took your' buckets and shovels (they provide them unless you have your' own) down a path, across the bridge over a creek into the Mine area where they have left a big pile of dirt and material they dug out of the side of the hill/mountain with a frontend loader. You fill your' buckets with the dirt and material, then walk back across the bridge and down the path to the washing area where you wash the material in a sifter. The next day we went to Chunky Gal Mountain where we found some Smaragdite with Sapphires and Rubies in and on them. My daughter insisted that I drag her' find out which was a 150 pound piece of Smaragdite with Sapphires and Rubies all over it. We had purchased old curtains at a yard sale in Franklin to keep the seats of our' car clean due to how dirty we were getting from digging. I had to use two of the old curtains tied together to wrap around the rock and drag it some 150 yards or more back to the car. When I got home, I took it into the basement garage and when I tried to roll it over to the side out of the way, it fell back on my' big toe and my' big toe has never been the same since. Talking about yelling and cursing, LOL!


Frank

 

[huntsman53]

Oh, I almost forgot one important warning that you need keep in mind and heed. In all of the times that I gem prospected at the Ray Mica Mine, I only saw one non-poisonous snake. However, at Chunky Gal Mountain, I was buzzed by a Timber Rattler and was never able to pinpoint where it was at due to all of the leaves and rocks covering the ground in the area where folks mine. Three different times I bent over, picked up a rock to examine it and each time the rattler would buzz me. After that third time, I backed away from that spot, made a bee-line to my' truck and left and I have never been back. I plan to get back there some day as there is a place (sorry but I won't tell where) where there are conglomerate rocks loaded with all kinds of Sapphires and other gems. These rocks are severely compressed conglomerates that were created under extreme pressure and weight as well as heat and some rocks there that are the size of a baseball can weigh 3 times as much as a comparible sized Quartz rock and twice the weight of some Smaragdite specimens I found. When I go back, I will have my' Snake Gaitors as many of the folks I met while prospecting over a period of 4 years, told me many stories of running into Timber Rattlers.


Frank

 

[ztalsii]

I live 3 hours away from Hiddenite and just went 3 weeks ago and last weekend. they do allow, digging, sluicing and panning. I had a wonderful time there and its relatively inexpensive.