Gold isn’t the only mineral that people are looking for. There are countless other gems and minerals that you can still go out and look for today. Some of them are even quite valuable!
Palladium is a lustrous silver-white colored metal that doesn’t lose its shine at ordinary temperatures. It is currently the most valuable metal amongst the other four precious metals of the world because of its rarity. Just a few years ago this obscure metal was valued considerably lower than gold and platinum. Palladium belongs to the […]
If you find yourself in Denver, don’t miss out on one of the finest gem and mineral collections anywhere! The Denver Museum of Nature and Science hosts the collection. It contains amazing specimens from all around the world, with a heavy emphasis on pieces found right there in the state of Colorado. Rhodochrosite is one […]
Let’s state this right upfront so nobody gets into trouble. Gold prospecting and rockhounding are completely off-limits within Yellowstone National Park. You cannot dig or collect anywhere within the park boundary, and you could get in serious trouble if you do. With that said, there are quite a few places just a short drive away […]
The majority of the gems form naturally within the Earth, shaping up as minerals and crystals. Most of the gems form as crystals, which are basically solid that boosts highly organized and ordered atoms, arranged in repetitive patterns known as crystal systems. As we learn about the crystallization process of minerals and the geological patterns […]
Thunder Bay is located on the northern shore of Lake Superior in Ontario province. It is world-famous for the production of high-quality ancient amethyst crystals. The amethyst mined here is famous for its variety that ranges in colors such as colorless, smock, lilac red and different shades of purple. The luster range widely depending on […]
This article covers a variety of different areas in Idaho where you can find fossils. Please note that some of these areas do allow collection for personal use, but many areas are off-limits to collecting! I am going to include these locations to make this a good comprehensive list, but please be aware of any […]
There are a few locations in California where diamonds have been found. However, the overall occurrence of these gemstones is quite rare, and there are no true diamond mines active in California. Most of the documented finds have been made by gold miners. The diamonds are not in hard rock. Rather, they are found as […]
Discovery and Source Labradorite is a mineral which was first discovered on Paul’s Island in Labrador, Northeast Canada. It has been known by Inuits native to this area for millennia, and more recently found by Moravian missionaries in the late 18th Century. Other deposits of the mineral have been found in Newfoundland, as […]
The mountain ranges in Montana are enveloping breathtaking beauty and immensely mesmerizing views of the valleys and rivers. They are home to some amazing treasures. Today we are going to talk about one of the states most famous stones, the beautiful moss agate. Various form of agates are common throughout the United States, with different […]
Fossil is a term used for any preserved remains of an object. There can be fossils of prints like footprints, leaves or their impressions, bones, shells, plants, rocks and many other things. With the passage of time, layers after layers of soil cover a matter, and that is the reason we find fossils mostly in […]
The state of South Carolina is a rich source for a wide variety of fossils, gemstones and minerals. The Appalachian Range is responsible for some of the better rockhounding locations. We have already documented the many areas where you can find gold in South Carolina. And we know that there are abundant fossils from ancient […]
There’s just something so fascinating about the glimmer of nature’s jewels, and amongst all of them, the ruby is surely one of the most prized! As one of the traditional cardinal gems, rubies have been heralded for their beauty and rarity even in ancient times. This precious stone is made from corundum, a mineral composed […]
Maine is well known for its beautiful forests and rocky coastline. Jagged, low and rolling mountains with dense flora are a specialty of the region and are a center of attention for the very reasons. It is also known for maritime history and a lot of natural areas and parks where people are interested in […]
Arizona is a rockhounders paradise. There are wide expanses of public land open to collecting, and an amazing variety of different minerals to collect. Some are pretty specimens that are fun to add to your rock garden, while others can actually be quite valuable to collectors. Let’s take a look at some of Arizona’s most […]
Texas has much more opportunities for rockhounding than many people realize. Every part of the state has something to collect. Agates and jaspers can be located throughout Texas. Many rockhounds hunt almost exclusively for high-grade petrified wood pieces. Nice palm wood pieces can still be found and make excellent lapidary specimens. This article will highlight […]
