GEODE FEST 2018 Report

My trusted rockhound companion (and son) Chase and I traveled to the Keokuk, Iowa area for the three-day Geode Fest 2018 (September 28, 29, 30). Geode hunters, rockhounds, and mineral/crystal/fossil vendors came together in Hamilton, Illinois for three days of digging, cracking, contests, and rockhound fellowhip and fun.

Geode hunters were given special access to private and public dig sites all across the tri-state area. On Friday and Saturday, there were both morning and afternoon digs, and one morning dig on Sunday.

In addition, professional geode crackers were on site to help reveal the hidden treasures, and several contests were held, including Ugliest Geode and Best Geode in both youth and adult divisions.

In this video, we also meet up with Bryan Major, better known as "The Crystal Collector," and he shares insights about collecting geodes.

For more information about Geode Fest (2019) visit:
http://keokukiowatourism.org/event_calendar/geode_fest/index.php

Also, visit their Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/GeodeFest/

For another fantastic rockhounding channel, subscribe to Bryan Major's channel: The Crystal Collector:
https://www.youtube.com/user/surfer1582

Finding Sweet Crystals at Sweet Surrender Quartz Crystal Mine

We travel about 10 miles north of Mt. Ida, Arkansas (Quartz Crystal Capital of the World) and visit the Sweet Surrender Quartz Crystal Mine. Join Chase and I as we explore this interesting SHALE deposit, laced with seams of quartz:

Here is a Google Maps locator for this fee collecting site:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sweet+Surrender+Crystals/@34.6633578,-93.5211947,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x121fe7ef90f33c17?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiA6r3BisPdAhXGx4MKHe4KBTgQ_BIwE3oECAgQCw

To contact the owner (Randy Skates), call:
870-867-0104

Southern Illinois Roadcut Yields a Wealth of Fossils

Many fossil locations require a long hike into the forest, or an exhausting trip across the desert, or extensive travels into the wilderness. BUT NOT THIS ONE.
Join us as we explore a rich fossil site that sits a few feet off of State Road 146, about 5 miles east of Anna, Illinois. Crinoids, Blastoids, Archimedes screws, and more await even the casual collector:

Google Maps locator for this location: https://www.google.com/maps/place/37%C2%B026'50.4%22N+89%C2%B008'15.6%22W/@37.4473354,-89.138757,375m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d37.4473333!4d-89.1376667

You can clean limestone fossils (Calcium-based) with weak solutions of acid (Vinegar), but be careful. The acid will dissolve (not only the matrix) but also the fossil itself. To halt the action of the acid, add small amounts of Baking Soda until the fizzing stops, then soak the fossils overnight in fresh water. If your fossils are silica-based (quartz) then you can use stronger acids (Muriatic) to dissolve away the surrounding matrix, since silica is impervious to most acids.

STUNNING Petrified Wood from near Holbrook, Arizona

Mention the word "Arizona" to rockhounds, and instantly visions of large chunks of luscious petrified logs will fill their minds. Indeed, there is even a national park in Arizona dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of an incredible area of petrified wood.
But where can rockhounds legally collect those wonderful bits of wood-turned-stone? In this episode of Rockhounding USA, we travel about 15 miles east of Holbrook, Arizona to the DoBell Ranch and find more petrified wood than we can haul.

For more information about DoBell Ranch Petrified Wood:
https://www.facebook.com/Dobell-Curios-Rhondas-Petrified-Wood-dig-at-Dobell-Ranch-161287674453101/?ref=br_rs

To call Rhonda DoBell to schedule your visit or dig: Phone: 928-245-9010 

For more information about the Petrified Forest National Park:
https://www.nps.gov/pefo/index.htm 

Google Maps locator for DoBell Ranch shop:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/9490+US-180,+Holbrook,+AZ+86025/@34.800289,-109.9103067,823m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x872f72fbd5bc629b:0x1c9f509cc36b9233!8m2!3d34.800289!4d-109.908118

NOTE:
When using Muriatic Acid to clean your fossils, be sure to wear gloves and eye protection, and avoid breathing the fumes. Always add acid to water, and never add water to acid, and always do your cleaning OUTDOORS. To neutralize your acid bath, use generous amounts of baking soda (until the solution stops fizzing), and then allow at least a few more hours. Once neutralized, pour out the old solution, and then soak your fossils (petrified wood) in fresh water and allow to soak for a few more hours, overnight is best. Never clean fossils containing calcium in Muriatic Acid, as the strong acid will attack your fossil. Use weaker acids, such as Vinegar to clean calcium-based fossils (most fossils in limestone). Only use Muriatic Acid on silica-based fossils, since the Hydrochloric Acid cannot dissolve the silica.

Rock Show/Swap Report: 21st Annual Missouri Mines Rock Swap June 2018

Hailed as one of the last actual rock shows/swaps in the nation, the 21st Annual Missouri Mines Rock Swap (June 8-10, 2018) in Park Hills, Missouri was a complete success.

Dozens of vendors from across the nation showcased minerals, rocks, and fossils from across the United States and the world.

Here is a short video report about this year's event:

For more information about attending or getting a booth:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1249800061698210/

Mineral Minute - Episode 3: Tourmaline

Today's mineral: Tourmaline

Tourmaline is a huge family of boron silicates that share crystal structure, but vary in chemical composition. It has a hardness of 7- 7.5 , cleavage is indistinct, a white streak, and a glassy luster. Tourmaline is known to be virtually any color. This awesome gem can even be multi-colored, such as watermelon tourmaline, which was was first discovered in 1902 at Dunton Quarry in Oxford County, Maine. The pegmatites of Maine still provide a rich source of this most sought after variety. 

Tourmaline can be found in the U.S., Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Africa, and Brazil. Here in the United States, tourmaline can be collected at the:

Himalaya Mine at Lake Henshaw, California

Oceanview Mine in San Diego County, California

Hogg Mine near LaGrange, Georgia

Harvard Quarry, Oxford County, Maine

Brushy Creek Mine near Asheville, North Carolina

Mt. MIca in Paris Maine

And finally Mt. Apatite, near Auburn, Maine.

Amazing Tales of Geology - Episode 3: The Giant Crystal Cavern of Naica, Mexico

We’ve all seen crystals small enough to hold in your hand, but how about crystals big enough on which to stand?

That’s exactly what happened to a pair brothers as they were drilling hundreds of meters underground in a mine near Naica, Mexico in the spring of 2000. Eloy and Javier Delgado discovered a horseshoe-shaped cavity in the limestone, and once they had pumped out the water, the two were met with a fantastic wonderland containing the largest forest of free-standing crystals known to exist in the entire world.

It may have looked like a Hollywood movie set portraying an alien planet, but it was right here on Earth, a natural formation almost a thousand feet below ground. News of the phenomenal geological treasure spread rapidly, and scientists literally descended on the unbelievable site, dubbing it the Cave of the Crystals or the Giant Crystal Cave, and with good reason. The enormous structures are composed entirely of translucent Gypsum (Selenite), with the largest crystal measuring in at nearly 40 feet long, weighing an estimated 55 tons.

Conditions in the cave were brutal, with temperatures hovering around 136 degrees and humidity reaching 99%. Even wearing specialized suits, researchers could only remain in the cavern for around 30 minutes at a time. Unfortunately, any samples of the crystals from this specialized environment would quickly deteriorate if brought up to the surface.

Interested in the prospect of visiting the Giant Crystal Cave one day? Don’t get too excited, the mining company ceased pumping operations in February of 2017, and the cavern is once again flooded with hot, mineral rich water. But don’t worry, even if you can’t be there in person, there are a few excellent documentaries available about this geological masterpiece.

It’s the Giant Crystal Cave in Naica, Mexico, another Amazing Tale of Geology brought to you by Rockhounding USA. Check out our other videos in this and other series.

Amazing Tales of Geology - Episode 2: The Black Star of Queensland

Could it be true that one of the most valuable and beautiful gems in all of human history was once considered a worthless rock and used as a simple doorstop in Australia? The shocking answer is YES. Watch this short video about the amazing history of The Black Star of Queensland:

In 1938, an excited 12-yr-old boy found a palm-sized, dark rock on a hillside in Queensland, Australia. Little Roy proudly showed the stone to his family, but his father, Harry, was so unimpressed that he used it as a doorstop in the back of their tiny shack. But Harry Spencer, (himself a miner in the central Queensland gem fields), should have known better. The rejected rock sat on his dusty floor, forgotten for almost ten years.

But then, Harry learned that sapphires could be almost any color. He finally realized that the stone that his son had found was likely a black sapphire, and quickly put out the word that he had a valuable gemstone for sale. The news of this find garnered the attention of the famous jeweler Harry Kazanjian, who journeyed from southern California in 1947 to Queensland to purchase the one-of-a-kind treasure. Kazanjian paid the Spencer family $18,000 for the gem, which translates to approximately $200,000 in today’s dollars.

Kazanjian spent nearly two months studying the enormous stone, planning his cuts and facets with the hopes of revealing the highly-prized asterism that might be hiding deep within. His patience and planning paid off handsomely, and after removing over 400 carats of surrounding material, a six-pointed star appeared in the center of the 733-carat masterpiece.

Dubbed “The Black Star of Queensland,” the spectacular gemstone was appraised as being worth over $1 million dollars in 1949. Now surrounded by a ring of 35 diamonds, the Black Star of Queensland is currently valued at close to $100 million dollars and sits in the private collection of an anonymous European gem collector. From worthless doorstop to priceless treasure, now you know the amazing tale of the Black Star of Queensland.

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.