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gold in california
I want to take a trip with some friends to go gold panning for my birthday we've never done it before and wanted to know where would be the best place to start. we've never dont this before we live in the central valley in california so there is nothing like gold pannig for us here. Any suggestion for a good place to start for first timers? should we try one of those companies near sonora to help us start?
Posted:
Apr 8 2008, 4:48 PM EDT by
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Historic California Gem Mine For Sale
The Fano Mine on Little Cahuilla Mountain in Anza, California (Riverside County) has been put up for sale. This is a tourmaline mine and some of the history is listed on the realty page - www.imrealty.biz
I was putting together a display case for my club's show which includes an aquamarine specimen from this mine. When I googled the name, the second entry listed the mine as being for sale. What a dream-come-true that would be to own a real mine. However, investing in 3 sons in college leaves very little spare change - so if there is anyone out there who would like to be "silent partner" - I can muster up plenty of free manpower to co-operatively work this mine on weekends. Ellen
Posted:
Jul 7 2008, 8:54 PM EDT by
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Any good treasure hunting place in California??
Anybody know where i can find any valuable treasure in California??
Posted:
Apr 3 2008, 11:19 PM EDT by
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gems in oregon & northern california
I am going on an adventure in hounding and was wondering if anyone has any information on conditions of sites in OR and northern CA. I have some books on directions to sites but I am looking for some additional information as far as what we can actually find. Can anyone help??? Much thanks.
Posted:
Mar 9 2009, 4:32 PM EDT by
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New Benitoite Dig site now open
Since the Benitoite mines was forced to close a year ago due to the closure of the surrounding area, the owner of the Benitoite Mine has opened a fee Dig site at his place, "The Old Road Camp" on the edge of Coalinga, California. He is bringing material down from the mine to his place for people to screen for benitoite. Last weekend was the opening and everyone found nice pieces and everyone had a great time. The Dig is presently open every Saturday and Sunday. For more information, go to the Mine's website at http://www.calstategemmine.com .
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Posted:
May 5 2009, 9:05 PM EDT by
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Jade in New England
I just watched the episode on Jade found on the coast of California and was wondering if Jade has ever been found on the coast of Cape Cod? I'm only asking this because on Several vacation trips to the outer Cape I would walk the beach and find green stones that resemble Jade. The small stones have that marbeling like Jade and are light in colour. NO, there not sea glass, there stones. Any ideas out there?
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BLM Public Lands Days Saturday September 27, 2008
On Saturday, 9/27/08, there are all sorts of activites and open houses being hosted as part of the BLM National Public Lands Day. You can find activities by state at http://www.publiclandsday.org along with additional info on the date.
Many treasure hunting activities - especially gem, rock & mineral - are on BLM lands and especially in California, there is a growing concern about how quickly areas are being closed to the general public.
One way for us to help see that our favorite spots stay open for the next generation might be to "vote with our feet" and get out and participate in some of these work days to help maintain BLM areas. I'm trying to get a small group from my rock club to join my daughter and I and go help plant pine seedlings in the Angeles National Forest as part of this day. I figure that a picture of people from our club, posted on our web site and in our newsletter, could also be included with any letter I send to my "favorite" senator who has just proposed a new bill to close off almost all of Southern California a wilderness areas.
Posted:
Sep 15 2008, 8:46 PM EDT by mudd1973
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Posted the WIKI on Yahoo Group LA-Rocks
The Yahoo group LA-Rocks is one of the first and oldest on-line rock groups around. It was featured in a Gem & Mineral story a few months back. The group was founded by the past president - Brad Smith - of my rock club - the Culver City Rock & Mineral Club. LA-Rocks now has over 1,000 members, mostly from southern California but also from across the counrty since it includes people who sometimes come to southern California and want to keep up with the field trip opportunites here.
Like most rock groups, it attracts its share of real characters. Brad Smith is still the moderator and sometimes allows the "debates" to stretch out even after they have crossed over from rock topics into other areas. Being in this group keeps life very interesting.
Anyway - I posted a noticed about our WIKI on LA-Rocks, since the topics discussed here will be of interest to most of the LA-Rock members. Maybe this will get our WIKI up a few notches in the rankings. Ellen
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Posted:
Aug 1 2008, 3:10 PM EDT by
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Hauser Geode Bed Success Story
This weekend, my daughter and I joined about 20 other friends from all over southern California (and one couple from Calgary, Alberta, Canada) at the Hauser Geode Beds just southwest of Blythe, California. The weather was perfect for being out in the desert - in the high 60's with a light breeze. There had been just enough rain in the last few weeks to make the dirt/ash easier to dig but the roads were still all in perfect shape. The desert flowers are just beginning to bloom, also.
We only went on Saturday when the group went looking for geodes. There are numerous different documented locations to hunt - the Potatoe Patch, the Cinnamon Bed and other colorful names for specific areas spreading over the volcanic hills. Our group parked in the northern section of the Hauser beds. Most of us ended up filling several buckets just from old holes several hundred yards further along the road from where we all parked. I've cut open a few so far and half had nice small center spaces lined with medium quartz crystals and the other half had solid quartz centers of random star shapes. The inside rock is a mottled orange and red jasper and many of the geodes have a lime green, copper stain on the outsides. From the broken pieces that were in the pits, I'm expecting to find a few that have white chalcedony drusy in the cavity also.
The rest of the group also went to different areas on both Friday and Sunday for black agate, fire agate, common opal and fossils. There were red and orange jaspers everywhere.
Every Thanksgiving weekend, the California Federation of Mineralogical Socities leads a larger group on this same trip, with a large potluck thanksgiving dinner. If anyone ever is interested in this trip, it will be listed on the Yahoo group - LA-ROCKS.
Geodes rock - Ellen Moe, Culver City
Posted:
Feb 25 2008, 7:25 PM EST by
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BLM Closes Clear Creek Management Area/ Benitoite Mine still open
The BLM has closed the Clear Creek Managment Area in California due to the potential asbestos exposure hazard. There was a short story today in the LA Times. The story was posted yesterday on the Yahoo rock hound group, LA-ROCKS. On LA-ROCKS, the thread is continuing today, with a post that the benitoite mine will still be open, but you will need to have a pass to cross the BLM land. The benitoite mine owners will email you the pass when you contact them for the reservations and map. There is a potential fine of $1000 for unathorized activities on the CCMA property, since it is totally closed to the public now.
Also posted on LA-ROCKS, was this info on how to let the government hear that we do not like this action:
You can comment on the future of Clear Creek by writing or emailing the
Blm at the addresses below. There is a wealth of information and maps
on the Hollister field office's website at
www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/hollister.html
To email your comments on Clear Creek write to cahormp@ca.blm.gov
To write a letter (often letters are paid more attention to):
Sky Murphy
Bureau of Land Management
Hollister Field Office
20 Hamilton Court
Hollister, California 95023
If we do not make a concerted effort to log our concerns, this area may be closed permanently.
The stories seem to say that exposures 4 to 6 times a year to the dust raised while driving on roads may exceed safe governmental asbestos levels, especially for children. Don't you love the government protecting all of us adult rock hounds who might choose to go rock hounding in the area once in our lifetime by permanently closing the entire area to everyone, forever.
I suspect I face more danger every single day at home from the jet exhaust from LAX and the auto and diesel exhaust from the LA freeways. Not to mention the traffic on the freeways and the gangs. Maybe the BLM should close Los Angeles to the public. Ellen
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Posted:
May 2 2008, 1:02 PM EDT by
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Treasure Hunter's Sea Glass Episode Here
Hello Sea Glass enthusiasts. I was honored and fortunate enough to get to go help host, kayak and hunt for Sea Glass on the episode with Kirsten Gum. You can see more about the Treasure Hunter show's Sea Glass episode here: http://cash-and-treasures-wiki.travelchannel.com/page/SEA+GLASS+BEACH+GLASS+INFO I will post more photos soon.
Posted:
Mar 3 2009, 2:57 PM EST by
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Nevada's Peacock Mine
Opalman, sorry you didn't find any black opal but that piece of petrified wood sounds interesting. Hope you have better luck at the Juniper Ridge Mine. I've looked them up as well and they say to prepare for heavy rock breaking! They refer to their clear gems as 'fire opal' which is the term used for years to describe the opals from Australia. Hope you gave a very rewarding trip and let me know how you made out.
Once the dry weather arrives in north-central California (I'm in Watsonville) I'm planning a day trip to the California State Gem Mine near Coalinga to hunt for benitiote, the state gem of California. This is the only location in the world for gem quality samples to be found, so far and it's a couple of hours from me. Here's the website if you want to have a look at it: www.calstategemmine.com
Cheers,
Dave
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Posted:
Jan 18 2008, 9:10 PM EST by
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GOLD
I want to take a trip with some friends to go gold panning weve never done it before and wantedt o know where would be the best place to start. weve neve dont this before we libe in the central vally in california so there is nothing like gold pannig for us here any suggestion for a good place to start for first timers? shoudl we try one of those companies near sonora to help us start.
Posted:
Apr 8 2008, 4:42 PM EDT by
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lost treasures from old pirate ships that may have sunk around Texas
Hey Windjammer, first off, welcome to the wiki. You should contact Historik951, (John). He's a treasure hunter, and also goes metal detecting for gold. He has info on a lost ship in the Mojave desert, somewhere near the Salton Sea. It sailed into that area when the Salton Sea was still connected to the gulf of California by water, and ran aground. There's also supposed to be a treasure ship in the Missouri River near Pierre, S.D.
Don
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Posted:
Aug 13 2009, 11:06 PM EDT by
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Texas Topaz
What is the best time to go. I have lived my whole life in the cold of NYC and Boston and now I live in the sunny paradise that is California (although it is more like the foggy paradise that is San Francisco). I can imagine that rock hounding in Texas is a true work out when it comes to heat and conditions. What is the best time for me to brave the Lone Star state?
Also, are these Topaz areas public or are how do you get at those crazy gems?
Posted:
Nov 20 2007, 7:20 PM EST by
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Jalama Beach, CA, at the lowest tide of the year, 12-13-08
For any California WIKI members, the Culver City Rock & Mineral Club is hosting a field trip to Jalama Beach on Saturday, December 13, 2008. Thanks to the Spring Proxigean
Tides, there will be the highest high tide of the year (6.8 ft) at 9:14 AM followed by the lowest low tide (-1.8 ft) just before sunset at 4:44 PM (http://www.saltwatertides.com). Therefore, the chance of finding good beach rocks should be above average.
Materials to be found: fossils (fish, sea weed, whale bone), Catalina Marble (sandstone/marble banded with calcite), travertine onyx (rootbeer float colored), bluish-white agate, marcasite agate, jade, thundereggs, arrowheads, quartz points (best online article - "High on Jalama" http://www.omsinc.org/archives/Ore-cutts_Dec02.pdf). Since good materials lie both south of and north of the creek, I plan to go Friday morning and camp until Sunday - heading north Friday afternoon for the travertine onyx and then south on Saturday for the other materials. There is also good drift wood & possible whale sitings.
Directions: Head north on 101 past Santa Barbara & Gaviota. When 101 heads north inland, take the State Highway 1 turn off towards Lompoc & Vandenberg. In 13.5 miles, turn left on the Jalama Beach County Park turn off. Follow the winding road through a beautiful ranch until the ocean.
Camping: There are 98 campsites at the Jalama Beach County Park (prices & info at http://www.sbparks.org/Docs/Jalama.html). Additional info can be found at the Jalama Beach Store & restaurant site (www.jalamabeach.com).
Tools: Collecting bags/buckets, daypack, sunscreen, baby oil & paper towels (to clean off oil from natural seeps on beach), usual rock tools (pick, pry bar. shovel), layered clothing (extras if get wet), food (water, lunch & snacks - but save room for the famous Jalama Burgers) and camping gear if you plan to join me for mutilple days.
Posted:
Nov 11 2008, 2:17 PM EST by
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where is the best place to gem hunt in arizona?
"This will be my husband and my first time doing this. " Arizona is loaded with good collecting places. I'd suggest that you go to a rock shop and pick up a copy of Arizona Gem Trails. It will only set you back a few bucks, and will be loaded with good information and maps. And if you should happen to stray across the border into Southern California, the fire agate digs are just a few miles from the border. On the west side of the fire agate site is the Wiley Wells / Coon Hollow area that is loaded with places to dig for geodes. Lots of agate, jasper and common opal in the area too. Happy huntin.
Don
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Posted:
May 30 2009, 8:22 PM EDT by
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so cal
There are many, many place to hunt great rocks in so cal - from 3 pay-to-dig tourmaline mines in northern San Diego county out to the Hauser geode beds near Blythe back to barite and fossils in Palos Verdes and then up to the Mojave for almost any color jasper or agate you can imagine.
The best way to start is to join a rock club and go on their fild trips or join the Yahoo group LA-ROCKS where several groups post their filed trips. In March alone, there will be field trips for tri-colored marble the weekend of March 8th with the Victor Valley Gem show at Stoddard Wells, a trip to Ant Hill near Bakersfiled for sharks teeth, a trip to Jalama Beach for fish fossils and travertine onyx, and a trip to the El Paso Mountains for dendritic opals and agates. Most of these have been listed on LA-ROCKS, which recently added its 1,000th member.
And, in June, there is a major week long CFMS (California Federation of Mineralogical Socities) trip being planned up to Oregon for sunstones and several other mines.
Joining a club field trip is one of the best ways to begin learning where to begin looking for treasures like gems and semi-precious minerals in your area. Most clubs also have the equipment for trimming and polishing your found treasures and the members that are willing to help instruct a newbie.
Good luck and hope to run into you someday in the field. I'll be the one with the home-made brownies,
Ellen Moe
Culver City Club (www.culvercityrocks.org)
Reply to thread:
so cal
(3 replies)
Posted:
Feb 26 2008, 9:36 PM EST by
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Fossicking in Dec. - Only in SoCal!
The sky was cloudy and threatening all the way out of the Los Angeles Basin but as we hit I-5N heading for the Bakersfield area the clouds got whiter and blue sky shown thru!!!
We met Shep & the group and following a talk on Shep's great displays of teeth, whale vertabrae and a cast of the sea lion brain he has found on previous trips, we caravaned up the road to Ant Hill.
The 3/4 of a mile - up hill hike to the site almost did me in, but once you are up there it's all sit down work!
We found a hole we liked on the front side and the rest of the group went around to the other side. After explaining the difference in digging fossils and rock to my construction worker boyfriend - we went to work. Bobby knocked down the overhang (in some of the trenches you can almost crawl under the overhang it's so deep) and shoveled it over to my waiting screen. Bobby went to work on the wall - it was a perfect bit of teamwork - when he got cramped working the wall he shoveled loads to me.
We found an assortment of hooked Mako, Straight Shark and whale (?) teeth. Lots of bone from rib bone sections to large chunks that we decided to break up at home....about 3pm our side of the hill was in the shade and we were ready to go!
We packed up everthing, vacated our trench and took a walk to say GoodBye! The wisdom of digging on the other side became apparent when we saw how sunny the otherside of the hill still was. There was a "concretion mission" going on and one woman found a complete whale vertebrae. A good portion of the group (especially the kids) were exploring agate and rock down the wash and along the old creek bed.
We walked to the end of the trench on the sunny side and Bobby picked up the largest Shark Tooth of our collection laying in the loose dirt in the bottom of a trench! Well - just over 2 dozen teeth and half a coffee can of bone was enough for us so we said our Goodbyes and headed down the hill.
Posted:
Jan 4 2008, 2:36 PM EST by
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Gold...metal detecting and gold-panning sites!!
I live in Newport, OR.........looking for places to go gold-panning and a little metal detecting on the side. We, my sister and great-niece, are looking for somewhere in Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, California......just relatively close to or in Oregon. Hopefully, somewhere pretty profitable!!
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