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North Carolina Gold?
cdonahue07
Hi welcome to our wiki, If you look at the North Carolina page there is a lot of info there. The page is in the National Directory. Just click on National Directory on the left under Site pages.
I hope this helps and I hope you have a great trip.
Tom(AZrhound)
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Posted:
Jan 5 2009, 12:15 AM EST by
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Looking for friends in North West Georgia
Welcome aboard Gina. While I'm not from your area, I'm always happy to help someone new to our hobby. We have a few members from the Carolinas, and areas around there. You might want to go to the blue box next to your picture, and click on National Directory, and then on some of the areas around you. I was stationed with the Navy at Kings Bay, in the south east of your state. I used to find lots of petrified shark teeth in that area, but really didn't have enough time for any serious rock hounding.
Don
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Posted:
Aug 2 2009, 1:38 PM EDT by
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Road Trip...
Hi there,
A friend and I are going on a road trip from North Carolina to California via I-40. We will be passing through Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, north Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and southern California. I have been charged with finding interesting stops along the way and was wondering if anyone knew of some good hunting spots on that route.
Thanks for any advice!
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Posted:
Dec 28 2008, 7:30 AM EST by
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first time to go gem mining
i've got my cabin reserved and will be travelin' to north carolina this month. i'm gettin' older so this will probably be my only chance to find my own treasures.any special tricks or look-out-for info would be greatly appreciated....
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Posted:
Sep 3 2009, 12:51 PM EDT by
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Travel Ideas
"I've been blessed this year with some left over airline credit from my work that i must book before the end of October. (about $650)
I am looking for ideas for cool or early spring winter rock hunting trips ..I want to go somewhere new and try something ive never done before.. something really cool! :-)
Anyone have suggestions?
Anywhere but the PacNW as i live here and flying would be a waste ;-)
-Jake
" Go to Hot Springs National Park , Arkansas. You will find the nations finest crystal mines where you can take home specimens worth hundreds of dollars. You can dig for really rare gems and specimens 12 miles from Hot Springs at Magnet Cove. There are Novaculite ridges where colorful cutting and napping material can be found. It is a short hour and fifteen minute drive to the diamond mine where if you are lucky you can go away rich. If not you can find lots of lace agate and colorful jaspers in the mine. A short drive west puts you in Mt Ida (35 miles) which has a number of working quartz mines and a rare Wavelite quarry. All that and a great tourist destination with attractions for the whole family. Every thing from hiking, fishing (three great lakes), top rate horse racing track, theme parks, museums, fine dinning, and a world class spa thrown in for good measure. You can stray in a 1890s hotel, new resorts or camp in a number of first class parks. When you get ready to ship your treasure home, you can send 70 pounds priority mail for $7.50. That's how I shipped Tom the last bunch of goodies. Check out what I posted for Arkansas on the National Directory. Most of the sights are near Hot Springs.
Second choice is the Black Hills of South Dakota or North Carolina.
Bill
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Posted:
Oct 29 2008, 9:39 PM EDT by
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a good place to treasure hunt in or close to Tenn. for little or nothing
my brother already went hunting in south Carolina for crystals we found a lot and paid a lot. the problem is we don't know if any of them are any good and they are very dirty , does anyone out there know what you use to clean them? i talked to someone at the dig site and he told us there are places you can dig for free? where i don't know so if any one knows of a good place near Tenn. please let me know thank you
Posted:
Jan 23 2008, 7:31 PM EST by
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Anywhere in Illinois
"Thanks. Yes Keokuk is a good place and I have been to the Mazon but didn't have much luck. Will try again though. If you think of any other or from here to Florida let me know. I did go to southern Ill last spring but it was after they had the 100 mile an hour winds and there was so much destruction you could not get most places." Cross the Ohio at Cave in Rock Illinois and you will discover the world's finest fluorite museum is in Marion Kentucky. The Ben Clements Museum (google it up) or visit our Great Museums page. They have scheduled field trips. I have found really nice mineral specimens. If you take I 40 through Tennessee stop at the Gray Fossil Museum. Fantastic museum and you can schedule a dig with paleontologist at the site. They recently found a Red Panda fossil. Stay on I40 you will enter Western North Carolina. Gemstone Mecca. Hiddenite NC for emeralds and Franklin for rubies and sapphires. Catch I 95 South to Georgia and stop at Graves Mountain; the most important mineral site in the East. Contact the Georgia Gem and Mineral Society for access. Schedule this stop in advance. Just visit the National Directory on the drop down menu for more detail and many more stops if you take a different route.
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Posted:
Sep 27 2009, 7:44 PM EDT by
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Treasure in Georgia or surrounding areas?
That is my desire as well "any types of treasures" If there is someone out there that wants to escort "newbies" , I am game. I saw the latest issue of Cash & Treasures and there is supposed to be emeralds in the Carolinas but I cant find out exactly where she was.
Posted:
Jan 9 2008, 6:42 PM EST by
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Franklin, N.C. Gem Mining
It was suggested on the C&T board that I add this here, so I am doing so-- hope nobody minds. :-)
http://pakasdollmaker.com/gemmining.html
I have put together a bit of a "fan page" (completely non-profit; I am not being paid for anything I am posting and I make no money from my site at all) for the mines in Franklin, North Carolina. Basically, a little collection of general information, mine reviews, and other suggestions for a trip to the area, plus some photos. As my disclaimer on the page says, some things are just my own opinions and I could be wrong on some things, so of course keep that in mind. Just wanted to create a reference to help those who are looking for information and to help encourage folks to visit.
Posted:
Jun 28 2008, 10:24 AM EDT by
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Rockhounding for DUMMIES and others
"The table with the big words are to be filled in buy the exsperts- the WIKI folks on the site. Fed the wife. Catfish, hushpuppies, pot of pinto beans, tater salad, cole slaw and big ole ice tea. She's happy now. I Will fill in first definition. We are just getting rolling with the Dummy Guide.
Bill" Dude you had to post that meal. Man I ain't ate like that since i was down at my dads in Charleston South Carolina. Now I gots me a hankering for greens and she crab soup and corn chowder and clam fritters with a side of cajun boiled crayfish,mmmmm slobber drool slurp.
Tom
Posted:
Jun 14 2008, 12:51 AM EDT by TallTomSr
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Winter
yeah Tom you and my dad in south carolina are having it so rough...lol He is in the 80's and I am in the 20's...lol. They say we are going toget hit again tonight. But all is well and all the family are taken care of so life is good. Have a great Christmas and be safe all.
tom
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Winter
(13 replies)
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Posted:
Dec 23 2008, 2:12 PM EST by
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Smokey Mountains Adventure
It was my intent to ROCK OUT in Franklin,NC. I was heading to Young Harris Georgia to attend a couple of Lapidary classes at the William Harris School of Lapidary Arts the last two weeks of September. I had purposely made plans to stay 2 stay in Franklin,NC the weekend before the start of class so that I might have a opportunity to enjoy the flavor of the community and do a little mining for some of those elusive Ruby's and Sapphires.I arrived 9/19 from Asheville,NC via Hwy #19 driving through Maggie Valley and Cherokee passing by stunning scenes and landscapes and stopping quite often to absorb the sights and smells of the Smokey Mountain culture.I made a pit stop in Cherokee, where the native peoples have lived for many thousands of years. Here is where I found the entrance to the Great Smokey Mountain National Park as well as the Blue Ridge Parkway. Two absolutely magnificent road trips full of beauty and history with plenty of pull-offs. It was on the Blue Ridge parkway on my return to Asheville I came across a flock of 11 wild turkeys walking single file along the roadside. It was a sight to see. I spent more time in Cherokee than I had planned realizing it wasn't long enough to truly see everything in that growing town. The reservation community is a bustling place with the presence of an expanding Harrah's Cherokee Casino. I was fortunate to have arrived on a weekend that the Southeastern Tribes were having their annual Cultural Arts Celebration at the Indian fairgrounds where I also paid a visit to the Museum of Cherokee Indian. It was a treat to absorb some of that experience but alas I was on the road again after a 3 hour layover. I turned South just outside of town on Hwy #441 travelling through National Forrest valleys and woodlands to Franklin where I would stay for two nights at the Days Inn.
In the morning I would locate the operational mines in the area in the hopes of finding my first ruby/sapphire or any other treasure. 2BCont..
Posted:
Oct 21 2008, 3:52 PM EDT by
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3/4 Billion Dollar Emerald
"Hmmm, I just looked at the article and the photo - looks like it could be a bit of a scam if the photo is valid. The photo attached to the article shows several small beryl crystals (I'm not even convinced they are emeralds based on color and clarity, but its difficult to tell in a photo) in a large piece of rock matrix. I suspect that they included all of that waste rock in their weight and it looks to me like they might have only 10 to 15% beryl. I don't see how that specimen could even worth a few $thousand unless they news media is showing the wrong specimen. But that's the press for you. They are about as trustworthy as politicians." I have seen the same thing reported about North Carolina rubies, and emeralds, There are some nice gems occasionally found in the tourist sites. But the press will announce a huge find at a tourist attraction and the picture shows a piece of low quality beryl or corundum. If you visit some of the tourist gem sites some of them do the same thing. They will show a guy in shorts, Hawaiian shirt and a straw hat grinning real big and holding a 1000 carat piece of red corundum worth maybe $20 as a specimen. The caption will read Jim Smith of Columbus, Ohio finds Zillion dollar ruby. There are legitimate mines and it is true James Hill has found some nice emerald but zillion dollar rubies in NC are rarer than hen's teeth. One has to ask a simple question. If the owner could find zillion dollar rubies why is he living in a trailer parked on the property and charging tourist $5 a bucket? He has one 1967 Chevy Truck on blocks and his wife drives a 92 Yugo.
Bill.
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Posted:
Mar 4 2009, 4:40 PM EST by
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New Season..
Bob Jackson and Jeff are members of the WIKI and have contributed to the Washington National Directory. There is a site description of the Spruce Mountain Claim on the More Sites in Washington. This episode was not just a stop at a pay for fee tourist attraction.
It was a real challenge and not at all a made for TV stunt. I interviewed Kirsten for an article and it was not a walk in the park. Aaron; probably what you saw different (and did to) was dealing with a real physically and emotionally challenging situation. It took guts and physical fitness to work that claim. I know I would really need to get back in shape to go with Bob to Spruce Mountain. I know I would not be giggling when landing on that small clearing on the side of the mountain . She had fun but it was not the fun you have from visiting Disney Land but more like the adrenaline rush ones gets from sky diving or white water rafting.The programs on Cash and Treasures were good but in a few episodes there was little adventure. The new format is Adventures, Adventures. Sort of a Lara Croft "Tomb Raiders". I enjoy visiting the North Carolina Pay for fee and washing a salted bucket but it is not my preference in prospecting. I also have an adventuresome spirit and like taking on a challenge. My grown kids still talk about the wild cave we explored, repelling into cave openings, water water canoeing, mountain climbing, etc. There are more Adventures to come and I think Kirsten will be up to them.
Your Friend
Bill
Posted:
Jan 5 2009, 10:44 AM EST by
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Have you ever gone to one of the places featured on the show?
In july 2007 my family and I went to North Carolina for vacation. We met Jerry Call and his family. They are very nice people. They explained how the process worked and what to look for. They were very helpful!! We purchased several buckets and were very lucky!! I found a crystal quartz when faceted was 38.66cts, a smoky quartz when faceted was 28.52cts, several green tourmalines, rose quartz,a blue topaz, several aquamarines,citrines ,amethysts,moonstones and a few emeralds. Jerry faceted my stones and sent them to my home in two month's. They had a waiting list which was about eight weeks behind. We went back another day to purchase more bucket's and try our luck again and they remembered us. I was very suprised!! All the tourist that go there ,they remembered US!! Most places make you feel like your a number, but not them!! They make you feel special! We are going back again in 2008!! If your in North Carolina, look them up! You'll be glad you did!!
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Posted:
Dec 30 2007, 8:47 PM EST by
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Gemstone book & Note on Chrome Diopside
I must apologize, I'm only partially computer literate (& I mean partial). Someone posted a comment on a thread (these things confuse me), but they wanted to know where to get a copy of my recent book on gemstones (http://danhauselauthor.pbwiki.com/Some+books), minerals & rocks in Wyoming. I couldn't find the comment again, so here are the website address to the book. Thank you for your interest.
Dan
Booksurge
http://www.booksurge.com/Gems-Minerals-Rocks-of-Wyoming-A/A/1439218560.htm
Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Gems-Minerals-Rocks-Wyoming-Prospectors/dp/1439218560/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234540692&sr=1-1
And one other note. Last night I was watching a jewelry channel - they were selling silver rings with tanzanite and chrome diopside and I found it amazing. The story indicated the chrome diopside was recovered from Siberia. Siberia has several major diamond mines where they likely recover the diopside. The host of the show indicated that the miners had to go to Siberia and could only work 3 months out of the year and to get to the locality was a major challenge.
I love it! Things like this always fascinate me. One can find as high as quality (if not better) chrome diopside by driving down US 287 to Ft Collins, Colorado and turning off at the Cherokee Park road and sampling some of the best chrome diopsides in North America (I have some in my collection that are over an inch in diameter). Or just take a drive south of Green River Wyoming and pick them out of anthills. The ants already did the mining for the jewelers and those in the anthills are some of the best chromian diopsides in the world. Yet, no one, other than the ants, are taking advantage. Hey, this would make an excellent program for the travel channel!
Posted:
Feb 13 2009, 11:20 AM EST by
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Hellection 2008
Thank you; that's the way I believe and live. My kids were big into sports - football, wresting, baseball-you name it. David wrestled at Oklahoma State. We always had a house full of teenagers from the teams along with their friends, To that generation race was unimportant. David talked to me on the phone this morning and he had no real understanding of where the nation had come from. Last night Obama carried the capital of the old Confederacy ( Virginia) along with the deep Dixie states of North Carolina, and Florida. The race was close in Georgia. Where I live has as great a diversity as any where in the country. We had an 80% turn out in the county and the majority voted their views and not race. Where McCain had 20 point leads were in the far west (Montana, Idaho. Utah, Arizona, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska , and Wyoming which had 2 out of three votes for McCain. I do not think with that Westerners voted for race but more for their conservative values. Western Arkansas is as much western as it is southern. There are mountains ,cattle ranches, elk hunts, Texas style Bar B Que and the capital of the Cherokee nation in Oklahoma is forty mile from here. It a great place to live as is the Great State of Washington.
Bill
PS I love rocks!!!!!!
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Posted:
Nov 5 2008, 11:02 PM EST by
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Gemboree
Lets think through the South Dakota Gemboree for The Treasure Hunters Wiki . Let's settle on a date. . How about a date in June or over Labor Day. The CRAWFORD ROCK SWAP is over the Labor Day Weekend, September 4,5,6, & 7th, 2009 and is the Fairburn Agate get together. Field trips are planned. Here is a link for the Crawford Rock Swap and Custer State Park.
http://www.lakotafairburn.com/shows.htm
http://www.sdgfp.info/Parks/Regions/Custer/custersp.htm
At the State Park there are RV Hooks Ups, Camping, Cabins, Lodges (hotels) fishing, herds of wild life, and it is in the center of all the great Rockhounding. There are great National Parks within a short drive: Badlands National Park, Wind Cave National Park, Jewell Cave National Monument, Mount Rushmore, and there is two great museums: SD School of Mines, and Black Hills Institute. Specimens to collect in the area include Tee Pee Canyons Agate, Tourmaline, Beryl, Rose Quartz and numerous other minerals. At Two Hearts there is Fairburn Agate, Moss Agate, Barite Crystal Clusters, Bubble Gum Agate, Prairie Agate, Great Marine Fossils and colored Jaspers.
Bill
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Posted:
Oct 31 2009, 10:58 AM EDT by
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How do you polish the gems?
Since you are in Alabama, you are close to one of the finest Lapidary schools around: William Holland School of Lapidary Arts in the mountains of Georgia. The school has week long classes in a wide range of jewelry making and other lapidary arts. The price is unbelievably low. For one week course $140 per person. Food and lodging are available or there is RV hookups. The scenary is beautiful and the instruction is top quality. My wife has been and took silver smithing. Check it out for a great learning vacation.
http://www.lapidaryschool.org/
It is on the border of North Carolina which has some great collecting.
Bill
Posted:
Apr 19 2008, 9:16 PM EDT by
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ONE DAY IN WYOMING! HELP!
I am a single mom and amatuer geologist. For the first time in what feels like forever, I have the upcoming week to myself!! With 2 teenagers around, this is a rare occurrence - but both kids will be away at camps July 12-19. To take advantage of this I am going to visit an old friend in Oregon and along the way my flight goes through Denver. So I decided to take a day and indulge my gem collecting hobby/obsession.
I have been reading about the various "newly" discovered mineral deposits along the state line and am becoming more and more interested in a mineral called Iolite. I arrive Denver late Monday July 13th and leave Wednesday July 15th - so I really only have ONE DAY to collect any specimens. I was hoping to tap into the considerable hands-on experience of the members here and see if someone could recommend exactly where I should go to be the most productive with my limited time.
Normally I would spend alot of time researching the area geology, which my son and I have done in our home state of North Carolina, but as you can see I have precious little time. I have ordered a book by Dan Hausel (thinking I spelled that wroing - sorry folks) but it won't arrive until the day before I leave (eek!).
So any thoughts out there? I was thinking of staying in Cheyenne but am open to recommendations for hotels or other towns/cities. I saw a place called Saratoga Springs that looks like heaven but seems like it's too far away from my potential rock hunting target area.
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!
THANKS! Robyn
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Posted:
Jul 9 2009, 11:20 AM EDT by
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