How I first got into treasure hunting... My mom got me into it as a kid.
My treasure hunting obsession(s): Fossils and gems.
My most exciting find: A few nice rubies and some good trilobite fossils.
My favorite places to look for treasure: Franklin, N.C., Venice Beach, FL, and near Delta, Utah.
My favorite treasure hunting techniques:
My treasure hunt toolkit contains...
I'm presently hunting for...
Recommended treasure hunting resources:Gem Mining in Franklin, N.C. - My own page for the Franklin, N.C. area mines.
MY FINDS
Description of treasure: Stones we had cut at the Cowee Valley Lapidary.
Where I found it: Top row are from Cherokee Mine, bottom two rows from Mason's Ruby and Sapphire Mine, both Franklin, N.C. area mines.
How I found it: At Cherokee it is a matter of luck, picking the right bucket, but at Mason's it is dig-your-own, so you have to keep an eye out for the right soil and find the right layer to dig in.
Appraisal information: Haven't been, but the pink sapphires can appraise at $400-$500 a carat or more, and the faceted rubies even higher.
Description of treasure: Trilobite (Elrathia kingi) and low-quality sapphire.
Where I found it: The trilobite was from the U-Dig quarry near Delta, Utah, and the sapphire was one I found as a kid at one of the Franklin mines.
How I found it:
Appraisal information:
Description of treasure: Trilobites
Where I found it: U-Dig Fossil Quarry near Delta, Utah
How I found it: Splitting shale in the pit, though some can be found on the ground just by keeping an eye out.
Appraisal information: No idea, but these are all common species-- haven't found any of the rare ones. However, some of the plates with multiple specimens are quite nice.
Description of treasure: Rubies, sapphires, garnet, and rutile.
How I found it: Chose the right buckets. ;-) This is a completely native mine, and the staff are just the most helpful and wonderful folks. Even if your eyes aren't trained to spot the stuff, they will give you plenty of help!
Hello all! :-) 28 yr. old from DeLand, FL here (was recently in Auburn, AL for awhile, but moved back). Married to my husband Dan since '03, UCF grad and originally from Temple Terrace, FL. Other interests include football (HUGE Bucs fan), fishing, golf, reading, video games, and travel. More about me can be found on my cartoon dollmaker site, "Paka's Palace"- http://pakasdollmaker.com Got into rockhounding/fossil hunting as a kid, because of trips my mom would take us on, as her parents got her into it too. Wish I had more chances to do so now!
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