In Colorado, rockhounds may pick agate and petrified wood from the vast Great Plains, follow dinosaur tracks on hogback ridges, pan gold in mountain streams, hunt gemstones on towering peaks, and search for metal sulfide minerals in . Colorado is well known for its unique combination of amazonite and smoky quartz crystals. Located in the Colorado Rockies near the Crystal Peak area is a mining spot that is popular for its teal blue amazonite and smoky Quartz combination of crystals. It is up to the individual to identify these boundaries and seek permission before attempting to prospect on the claims. The valleys contain small streams, several of which run year-round. The pegmatites are not continuous structures. The Lake George intrusive center is considered to be a late, textural variant of the Pikes Peak Granite (Wobus, 1976). Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. On a typical crystal, a slight etching covered a few of the faces while others showed a brilliant luster. This area requires a little bit more knowledge of geology than most, but if youre willing to learn its an incredible spot for the hunt. Once youve collected some rocks and minerals, its time to clean them up. The pocket opening within a lens of this size could be up to 2 meters in diameter and 10 to 20 cm high. For each nice group, about 50 broken pieces were extracted. They reached 17 cm in length but only averaged about 6 cm, their luster is near-glassy. Two distinctly different granite textures have been identied at the Two Point Mine. The pocket opening was about 50 cm in diameter, 10 cm high and produced about 50 single crystals. The mine area is crisscrossed with faults, joints and pegmatites. Photo by Bernie Kowalski. Photo by C. Baldwin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Unfortunately, US law doesnt let you take home vertebrate fossils from public land, youll have to report them instead if you do make a find. Hundreds of excellent amazonite specimens were collected from it, many containing balls of white albite. The thin black dotted lines highlight the pegmatite structures. This will help you avoid damaging the specimens. The granite within these types of north-south fault systems often takes on a pegmatite-looking appearance due to the increased feldspar grain size and abundance of mica. Modern mining has stringent reclamation standards, therefore some of the pits dug the previous year were lled in, recontoured and seeded. The first step in cleaning the pocket contents is a simple wash. Amethyst geodes, Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper, Moonstone, Quartz crystals. For those who wished to avoid prospecting, there was, in the 1970s and early 1980s, a place near Crystal Peak where one could dig for crystals for a fee. There were some surface pegs and some really cool phantom like smoky quartzes found by some members at the time. Many of the pieces consist of groups containing amazonite, quartz and (sometimes) white albite. During the 1970s, several signicant nds were made there including one pocket that contained single amazonite crystals and small groups with the best deep blue-green color recorded up to that time. The best way to do this is by using a soft brush and water. As the lens widens, the shards disappear and the opening of the pocket becomes visible. Circa 1980. Options. The area around Denver, particularly west into Jefferson County, is a fantastic destination for rockhounds. Amazing smoky quartz, topaz and Amazonite have come from there. Photo by John O. Buckner. Reclamation work at Pit c. For every hour spent digging amazonite, an hour is spent reclaiming the surface. For information about restrictions, contact the nearby Bear Creek Regional Park Nature Center." from 'Colorado Rockhounding' which includes a site photograph and map. Located southwest of Buena Vista and high above the Arkansas River Valley, Mount Antero is part of central Colorado's pegmatite belt, where veins of exceptionally coarse rocks contain large concentrations of rare minerals. The best places to collect rocks in Arizona include the areas around Phoenix and Tucson, as well as smaller towns such as Cave Creek, Clifton, Morristown, and Kingman. Final reclamation with trees being planted. If the pegmatite was very strong, i.e. Jasper Graphic by Bill Tanaka. For examples of rocks and minerals that occur in our region, its a good idea to visit a rock shop. Rock-A-Buy Rock and Gifts. A view of the west wall of Pit C. At one point, four different pegmatites were exposed in the face. A tree root followed the narrow seam of a pegmatite downwards into the pocket. This indispensable guide features: Clear maps and directions Detailed descriptive text Numerous site photos In three different areas on the mine property, it was observed that when pegmatites intersect the north-south faults they commonly thicken into lenses, and often produce pockets. Use this resource as a guide to get you started. Collectors Edge Minerals, Inc. had the opportunity in 1996-1997 to mine in Teller County, under a lease agreement, using mechanized equipment. Despite the abundant diversity of gems, minerals, and rocks across Colorado, a lot of good rockhounding exists outside publication and can be kept hush-hush. The minerals are often encased in cavities and pegmatites in the granite, so a rock pick and a hammer should be in your pack. Rocks are the history books of ancient geologic times. Teller Co., Colo. Collection of the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum. I'm Mike Rhea, and I'm a professional Geologist with a passion for rocks, minerals, and everything related to Geology. No kidding, this thing is around 3 feet long! amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; The Tree Root Pocket. The best places to rockhound in Colorado include the areas around Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and Gunnison, as well as Chaffee, Mesa, and Mineral Counties. The joints are almost undetectable and care must be taken that the working face does not peel away when one is near. This magma remained and cooled to form the Pikes Peak granite about 1.5 km below the surface. Washington has an extraordinary variety of rocks and fossils. Some of the best rockhounding in southern Nevada lies outside Goldfield, in a place called Gemfield. Thanks! The Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society is proud to be part of the Pikes Peak Gem, Mineral, and Jewelry Show. The areas at, or near, the hilltops usually contain the best hunting ground for amazonite. Its formed by the displacement of a wood buried under sediment. But then, a few groups of amazonite and quartz came out. It can be a daring adventure, but its one you should undertake with both caution and the knowledge that you may not find what youre looking for at all. The collecting site, which is just below the mountain's 14,269-foot-high summit, is the continent's highest gemstone locale. The last time I had gone on a true mineral-hunting "vacation" was way back in 2005, when I went to Bancroft, Ontario, the mineral-collecting . Pit B was where the ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey had shown favorable target areas. With Chase, my trusty rockhound-son, at my side, we search for crystal pockets, fossils of all kinds, and Native American artefacts all across America. White caps are an unusual white albite coating on the terminations and/or sides of amazonite crystals. The deposit discussed here was discovered, claimed and named the Two Point in 1956 by John O. Buckner. Houselog Creek usually offers its diggers great rewards, so be sure to take your digging tools and large buckets for your haul. Extensive lava flows cover much of the southwestern Mineral County. The limited success of Pit C however, provided enough incentive to continue operations into 1997. Much of the potential prospect area in recent years has been placed under claim. Colorado is one of the best states in the U.S. for rockhounds, largely due to its incredible mountain ranges and complex geology. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Many pockets are also empty or contain only quartz. Pikes Peak is another place where topaz can sometimes be found. The proximity to the surface, and the subsequent ground water drainage through the pocket, was a detriment to pocket quality. Always be alert of your speed. There are are many areas which are known to contain petrified dinosaur bones and gastroliths, as well as opalized wood and agate. "A Fruitful Field for the Specimen. Once youve found a good spot to start rockhounding, its time to start collecting! Tip: Check out my Complete Rock Tumbling Guide to make your rocks and gemstones really shine! If it is a large pocket, thousands of quartz shards spill out mixed with some microcline fragments. The dinosaur sites now form the Garden Park Paleontological Resource Area overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. A hammer and chisel will come in handy for breaking open rocks, while a magnifying glass will help you get a closer look at specimens. For the adventurous, hiking the mountains of Colorado with a gold pan can incite a nostalgia of the old days and maybe turn up some specimens. Some of the more high profile include dinosaur fossils, petrified wood, amazonite, flourite, and even aquamarine. Graphic by Bill Tanaka. The pit was opened using a Caterpillar 977 front-end loader. In some areas they lie more or less horizontally, like bedding planes, while in others they dip wildly to angles approaching vertical. The lens soon discharged thousands of quartz and blue green amazonite fragments. The blue-green microcline feldspar and rich black smoky quartz crystals create an unparalleled contrast making these specimens highly prized among collectors. Claims are typically 182 m wide and 457 m in length. The Two Points steep terrain and hard rock kept serious development from occurring until 1995. The following project review provides historical and geologic information concerning the amazonite/smoky quartz occurrence at the Two Point Mine and the efforts of Collectors Edge Minerals, Inc. (CEMI) to conduct specimen mining and recovery during the 1996-1997 season. Contents1 Where can I dig [] Though some property is private land and requires the permission of landowners to prospect, a significant swath of area is within National Forest. Close-up of material initially taken from the Tree Root pocket. From dilapidated abandoned mines to roadcuts along old travel routes, from remote mountain top collecting areas to pay-to-dig locations with modern facilities, there is something in Colorado for the amateur and experienced rockhound alike. Every possible open space inside the sandwich was lled with clay, making specimen extraction difcult. 4) Not really a good place for fossils or gemstones (there's not much to be found), but do check out Garden of the Gods. Agate and jasper, amazonite crystals, blue barite, feldspar, fluorite, garnet, geodes, opal, rhodochrosite, quartz crystal, topaz and tourmaline are just some of the specimens that rockhounds can add to their collections. Careful water ushing reveals the delicate crystal plates, which then may be removed. The site has received an overall rating of eight out of 10 from collectors. Graphic by Bill Tanaka. Now that you have the supplies you need, its time to start looking for rocks and minerals. We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. The pocket was cleaned out by the end of June. As with most states, each county in Colorado will have records of who owns each piece of property. While the internet is a fantastic resource to access information on rockhounding Colorado and network with fellow enthusiasts, its hard to beat the convenience, reliability, and knowledge associated with an in-depth guidebook. Within a pegmatite structure, there may be several places along its length where it widens into lenses. Photo by Bernie Kowalski. RockSeeker.com is reader-supported. In a sad twist, Mount Antero is covered in mining claims these days. Used with permission. Photo by C. Baldwin. Remember! Regional map of the Pikes Peak batholith after Gross, 1962. By the end of the first day, four killer specimens had been collected. Amazing smoky quartz, topaz and Amazonite have come from there. While the variety of minerals is not as large as other parts of Colorado, Mesa County is one of the best places in the U.S. to search for dinosaur bones. Looking for suggestions on how to clean up these Amazonite pieces. Overview Silica. 719-836-4298. The disease strikes when least expected. As a narrow pegmatite structure approached the fault it would sometimes bend vertically into the plane of the fault and produce a small vertically-oriented pocket. Careful pocket documentation and repair work will yield higher percentages of ne specimens than ever before. Though effort continued beyond 1997, only the first two years are summarized here. It's a private community, and you're not allowed to collect minerals within the area. In the past, because most amazonite pockets are collapsed and the crystal groups disassembled, few amazonite and smoky quartz groups survived. A clickable map for different rockhounding sites located across the United States. Lens size is proportional to pocket size. Pockets commonly contain microcline at the Two Point Mine. The beauty of rock hounding is its simplicity. on a small mining claim in Teller County, Colorado, approximately 65 km west of Colorado Springs, Colorado near Lake George. But, even when putting the pieces side by side, it was very difcult to tell the difference between one which formed near the pockets edge and one formed near its center. They include limestone, granite, sandstone and shale, as well as gravel beds, clay and even can you believe? The overwhelming majority within this formation are plant-related fossils, though insect fossil discoveries are also common. Rockhounding Colorado - Gary Warren 2023-04-01 Rockhounding Colorado takes you to 81 of the best rockhounding sites in the state. Amazonite with smoky quartz, Two Point Mine, Teller County, Colorado. The Pikes Peak granite is a 1.03 billion year old Precambrian granite which extends for over 120 km along the front range of Colorado near Colorado Springs. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Rockhounding and Mineral Collecting . It is, simply put, the most comprehensive and easy-to-understand rock identification system youll find anywhere. Your best bet is to find the tailings of old silver mines, but be aware that not all of these areas are safe. If you are going to be spending time exploring the rocks, gems, and minerals of Colorado; consider a guide book like Gem Trails Of Colorado. In the case of the Two Point Mine, a 10 meter vertical wall exposure, in Pit C, revealed four narrow, horizontal pegmatite structures that varied in thickness from 3 to 20 cm. But, hey, you dont know whats going to turn up when youre out in the woods. You can also check online resources like Mindat.org, which is a comprehensive database of minerals from around the world. The opening only reached 20 cm high. The Willow Creek district north of Creede is particularly famous for its prolific amethyst, but the area is largely privately owned and picked over by now. 8 Mine is located on Hwys 24-285 5.9 miles east of the intersection of Hwys 24/285. The most famous is Crystal Peak. Length 12.1 miElevation gain 4,314 ftRoute type Loop. But what about those other treasures hidden in rocks the minerals that are at the heart of a collectors expedition? Colorado is also host to a dizzying array of rocks and minerals. These are mostly comprised of old mining prospects, streams, and historically known rock and mineral collecting sites. Weekend rock hound, Chuck Baldwin, holding a nice amazonite crystal just removed from a pocket on Hurianeks property. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Posted on February 27, 2023 by how much is tim allen's car collection worth Early mining focused on the gem potential of topaz and quartz. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Bill Kazel operates a Caterpillar 977 crawler/loader to remove overburden and expose the pegmatites. If an exceptional piece was found, then additional cost was incurred to purchase it. The downside is that considerable quantity of the land was developed into cabin and home areas some years ago. Unfortunately for rockhounds, the law prohibits them from publishing their names or contact information online. While not the rarest gemstone around, its certainly a great specimen and some of the formations that come out of the mountains in Colorado are very impressive. In some areas, the faults are no more than thin planer features cutting through the surrounding granite. amzn_assoc_title = "Some of my favorite rockhounding gear from Amazon:"; Colorado can certainly be considered a rockhound and gem hunters dream. Soon, the ground becomes a treasure trove of things to be looked at, turned over, scrutinized and pocketed. Bryan Lees poses to show its total size: over 2 meters long. Blog Introduction: Rockhounding is the hobby of collecting rocks and minerals. Some rarer specimens are replaced with opal due to higher moisture levels. Back at the Collectors Edge cleaning facility in Golden, Colorado, they were nally washed off and examined. About 100 ne pieces were removed in addition to several hundred lesser pieces. The Colorado landscape has changed dramatically in the last 10 years, with public lands becoming private, claims being staked and roads leading to closed gates. Once the newbie hound is hooked, it helps to understand the terms rock and mineral, and how the two are related. In the eld, every piece removed from the pocket was carefully grouped and marked according to pocket location. Rhodocrosite, on rare occasions, forms pink gemstones with high clarity. The plates growing down from the pockets ceiling have separated from the roof and fallen onto the floor plates. Each produced a few high-quality small amazonite and smoky quartz plates. Every day for about 8 days, there was a collecting contest to see if the great piece pulled out today was better than the one collected yesterday. Hundreds of pieces ranging in quality from excellent to rubble now have to be carefully sorted and cleaned. There were two sites left at the Two Point Mine to explore. Minerals found in the area include fluorite, quartz, calcite, zeolite, and aquamarine. The granite is of a finer grain, containing crystals of quartz, feldspar, and mica less than 0.6 cm. This is the repair specimen shown three photos back. In fact, any deposit that makes up the Earths outer crust. Old mines and the surrounding hills and stream beds contain a countless variety of rocks and minerals including sapphire, garnets, topaz, fluorite, quartz crystals, epidote, and tourmaline. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. One was discovered by Al Ordway and the other by Bob Bartsch. However, because of the terrain and vegetation, these marked claim boundaries are sometimes difficult to see. amzn_assoc_asins = "B01IEX2TEO,B0002YWWVE,B08N41884X,B01CV1XW5K"; Important Disclaimer: I have not been to these locations myself, and I do not know if they are currently open for collecting. In Colorado, the majority of the topaz has come from the Pikes Peak area, a historic gold mining region. . However, I have compiled a list of resources here so that you may investigate and obtain permission for any locations (found here or elsewhere) for yourself. This is a huge area. In Colorado, for over a century, the word Crystal Peak has evoked the vision of amazonite (green microcline feldspar) and smoky quartz combinations that have drawn prospectors to the area. Services. Crystal Peak is one of the most famous mineral collecting localities in Colorado. Copyright 2022 Rockhound Resource | Birch on Trellis Framework by Mediavine, Colorado Rockhounding: A Guide to Minerals, Gemstones, and Fossils, N & S Table Mts, many area mines & quarries, NW flanks of Centennial Cone, in pegmatites, Quartz Creek Pegmatites area, Opportunity Mine, Mine dump .3 mi. Geologic features including textural variations in the granite bedrock, fault systems, and pegmatite locations were plotted on a base map. : 117,147: Hi! Through quite a bit of research and cross-referencing of available literature, I have compiled this list of some prospective locations in Colorado which I would recommend to people looking to do some rockhounding. By the middle of October, blasting work was completed and the pits were reclaimed and re-seeded. Unfortunately, none of the targets produced a pocket. Gold prospectors and sightseers alike scavenged the hills around Lake George and Crystal Peak looking for crystal souvenirs. After some cleaning, the deep blue-green color of the amazonite begins to stand out. They are generally lighter brown in colored mounts that line the hillside. Once theyre clean, you can put them on display or add them to your rock collection! If youre interested in getting started with rockhounding, all you need is a good pair of hiking boots, a backpack, and a few basic tools. Website. The area is marked by a small brown sign. That said, its also not going to make you rich. Both are part of the Lake George intrusive center. Following the survey, a series of geologic and geophysical studies were conducted.