Raw Gems in the US

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Hello, I read your mss regarding raw gemstones.

This is a hobby that a lot of people like. I have done this a bit myself. BTW, I am in WI and so, am not all that far from Iowa.

Personally, I am not all that familiar with what kind of gemstones may be found in Iowa, but I do know that there are ways that you can find out. See if you have a local gemstone or rockhunter's club and go to one of the meetings. People there should be able to tell you all that you need to know about what you may be able to find in your area. Let me know if you have any further questions. Best regards and good luck with your hunting!

JDSCOIN
 

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The Travel channel has had some great shows concerning - Rubies and Emeralds in North Carolina (search 'Hiddenite', 'Franklin, N.C.'), gold in Arizona, Black Opals in Nevada, Diamonds in Arkansas (and I thought their most valuable gem was Bill Clinton), search 'Diamond Crater State Park'. Some day I plan on making it to all of these areas, probably N.C. first.

Tourezrick
 

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I want to get to Franklin county, NC myself!...rubies...sapphires....yum :) And there's an aquamarine mine in Bethel ( I think) Maine that I HAVE to get to, too!

I had AMAZING good luck (for me) at the Herkimer diamond mine in upstate NY...but that's kinda far for you...
Good luck...and...keep us posted. :)
 

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Hiddenite N.C. is the location of more emerald mines - 5 gallon buckets of earth from the mine - $10 buckets, or $100 "enriched" buckets. What really looked cool was the opal mine in Nevada - black opals! My father-in-law had a friend from Australia, from a place called Coober-Peady, or something like that. An opal miner, who lived underground, in his mine, as it was too hot to live on the surface! It sure looked a lot easier to go to Nevada. There was also a place outside of San Diego for some kind of pink gemstone, the name escapes me(my life has become one long 'senior moment'). Watch the travel channel, they show the films all the time, title is something like "10 Best Places to Find Treasure in the U.S.".

Tourezrick
 

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ddog, There are 2 Books you need to Buy!

Fee Mining and Rockhounding Adventures in the West by James Martin Monaco & Jeannette Hathaway Monaco
" " " " " " " East " " " " " " "

All the places you'll ever need! HH


Joe
 

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Ahsleen, there is amethyst found at Deer Hill in Stow, ME just over the NH border. Also smoky quartz at Moat Mountain in North Conway. The Moat Mountain location is very easy to get to. Deer Hill is a short but strenuous hike. Let me know if you want some specific info.
 

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here's the travel channel's website to the cash&treasures program. They visited alot of gem mines, I be hitting most of these.

http://travel.discovery.com/tv/cash-treasures/toolkit/toolkit.html

I'm in Illinois and I find some in the excavation sites when they first tear up the land to build new developements. I've found mainly very beautiful granites and such. Some quartz crystals and pyrite as well (separate and inbedded in the granites). Geodes on occassion. Sundays are the best, because the guys aren't working.

hope this helps
Rumblebelly
 

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Old gravel pits are a good place to look in the Midwest.

Until his death 20 years ago,a friend of mine spent his summers at Murphy, N.C.,over a 20 year period he picked up a couple of gallons of sapphires from gravel roads.Most of them were pinks and grays but when cut and polished en cabochon made beautiful costume jewelry,some even showed stars.

hasbeen
 

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Helena, MT area a radius of about 50 miles from the city u can find sapphires and sometimes the odd diamond. there are 4 sapphire mines in the area and i have always done very well. if u travel to Canada i can let u know of some places to look there too.
 

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oh yeah i almost forgot there are opals in the little town of Spencer, Idaho just past the Idaho/Montana border on I-15
 

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If you ever get down to Texas, try Llano. Not emerals, but blue topaz, quartz, feldspar, bacon opals, granites, lots of minerals. Inks lake has a part called Devil's Waterhole, just wade around in the water below the waterfall and pick up neat stuff. Great camping and weather so you could make a week of it just about any time of year.
 

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