Mineral Minute - Episode 2: Amazonite

Watch our latest episode of Mineral Minute for a quick look at Amazonite, that bluish-green to rich green variety of the feldspar family (most famously found around the Pikes Peak, Colorado area)

Today's mineral: Amazonite.

Amazonite is a pale greenish-blue to deep blue-green variety of microcline Feldspar. Amazonite has a hardness of 6-6.5, cleavage is perfect in one direction and good in a another, a white streak, and a glassy luster. The origin of this mineral's color is debated, but it has been attributed to lead and water in the crystal lattice.

It is probably named after the Amazon River, even though large deposits have never been found near there. Amazonite is commonly found as large crystals with white streaks and is often associated with smoky quartz, especially in the U.S.

There are large deposits in Russia, Burma, India, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Brazil, and the United States. Here in the U.S., Amazonite can be collected at the: Morefield and Rutherford mines in Amelia county, Virginia. Along Gold Camp Road, near Colorado Springs, Colorado. At Crystal Park, near Manitou Springs, Colorado. Along Barr Trail, on Pikes Peak, Colorado. And in Devils Head, south of Denver, Colorado.

Here is a paper which seeks to confirm that it is LEAD that is responsible for the bluish-green hue of Amazonite: http://www.minsocam.org/ammin/AM70/AM...

Mineral Minute - Episode 1: Amethyst

Watch this short video as we spend 60-seconds exploring everyone's favorite purple variety of quartz: Amethyst, right here on Mineral Minute:

Today’s Mineral: Amethyst

Amethyst is a colorful variety of the quartz family, often noted for its pale to deep shades of purple. Amethyst has a hardness of 7, no cleavage, a white streak, and a glassy luster. The famous hue of this mineral is caused by trace amounts of iron that are trapped inside the quartz lattice.

This iron is then further modified through different levels of radiation deep within the earth, producing a wide range of colors from reds to deep purple.

Amethyst is often found as large crystals, or in clusters, or within geodes at many famous deposits in Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, Russia, Canada, and South Africa. Here in the United States, Amethyst can be collected at the: Emerald Hollow Mine in Hiddenite, North Carolina Diamond Hill Mine near Abbeville, South Carolina Amethyst Queen Mine near Nancy Hanks Gulch, Colorado Amos Cunningham Farm near Due West, South Carolina. and Jackson’s Crossroads Amethyst Mine near Jackson Crossroads, Georgia.

Note: All of these locations require permission and most require a fee for collecting.

Fossil Shark Teeth at the WM Browning Cretaceous Park

If you visit most creeks in the southeast you are likely to find frogs, lizards, or even an occasional snake. But...SHARK'S TEETH? In this video episode, we travel to Frankstown, Mississippi in search of the remains of some of the best killers ever to swim the seas:

Amazing Tales of Geology - Episode 1: The Million Dollar Pocket

Aquamarine.

That beautiful pale blue to bluish-green member of the Beryl family, treasured by gem cutters and prized by mineral prospectors worldwide. What rockhound wouldn’t be thrilled beyond description to crack into a gaping pocket laced with dozens of long, unbroken, gem-quality aquamarine crystals still lodged perfectly atop a gorgeous matrix?

In the fall of 2004, that once-in-lifetime-thrill came to amateur prospector Steve Brancato, as he searched for topaz on the chilly, steep slopes of Mount Antero, the 10th highest peak in the state of Colorado. The high-school dropout turned fulltime gem hunter first extracted a loose 25-carat aquamarine, and that blue crystal became the first of many, many more over the course of the next few days. Brancato had uncovered the largest and most valuable pocket of aquamarine crystals ever unearthed in the United States. Once extracted and restored, the impressive slab measured roughly 3 feet by 2 feet, and was encrusted with dozens of aquamarine crystals rising alongside a forest of gorgeous smoky quartz points.

In a touching move in honor of his mother, Steve Brancato dubbed his incredible discovery “Diane’s Pocket.” As the biggest aquamarine cache ever found in the USA, its value is difficult to appraise, but some experts have estimated this one-of-a-kind wonder to be worth well over a million dollars.

“Diane’s Pocket” was first displayed publicly at the Tucson Gem and Mineral show in February of 2005, before being acquired by Bruce Oreck, a trustee of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Oreck then donated his spectacular purchase to the museum, where it has since been on continuous display for all the world to enjoy. The incredible, million-dollar discovery of Diane’s Pocket, another Amazing Tale of Geology brought to you by Rockhounding USA.

Quartz Crystals on Fisher Mountain (Mt. Ida, Arkansas)

On this episode of Rockhounding USA, Chase and I travel to Mt. Ida, known as "The Quartz Crystal Capital of the World." We visit Judy's Crystals N Things before heading up Fisher Mountain to the Stanley Mine.We find hundreds of "float" crystals and track down the quartz veins that criss-cross the Ouachita Mountain range.

Here is a small collection of photos of our treasures:

Map to Judy's Crystals:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Judy's+Crystals+N+Things/@34.53085,-93.537886,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x87089268399c9d97?sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjj9NCKgIrWAhWG24MKHbBWBZsQ_BIIeTAK

Herkimer Diamond Adventure: A Rockhound's Best Friend

When you think of Diamonds...you think of the rich Kimberlite Pipes of South Africa.

But when you think of Herkimer Diamonds...you think of Herkimer County, New York.

On this installment of Rockhounding USA, we travel to the mines of Crystal Grove, about twenty miles east of Herkimer, New York, in search of those double-terminated treasures that await the seeker.

CLICK HERE for more Crystal Grove information.

CLICK HERE for a Google Map to Crystal Grove.

Visit our Rockhounding USA Store. Find that perfect gift for any Rockhound or Prospector in your life!

Mining Majestic Maine Minerals in the Free and Fantastically Famous Frank Perham Quarries of Oxford County

I know, I know...the title of this blog article is a bit of an amazing amalgamation of alliteration, but, as I sit in this hotel room in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on a late morning, it's the best that I can do.

My faithful fellow rockhound-son, Chase, and I headed to Oxford County, Maine on a quest to the quarries of Frank Perham...in pursuit of the crystal pockets in the pegmatites of this mineralogically-rich region. I will be posting a longer field report in the next few days, but for now, enjoy PART ONE of this TWO-PART (eventually) video about our experience.

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