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FEATURED PICKS |
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Opal Hill Fire Agate Mine |
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LA-Rocks e-list |
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Petrified Wood e-list |
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Kinney's Rock Shop |
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Gold Rock Ranch |
www.dzrtgrls.com
Western Counties Alliance |
LINKS OF INTEREST |
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Nano Updates |
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R&D Starts to Watch |
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Crystal Growth |
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Minerals & Antigravity |
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Growing Your Own |
NASA Tech Briefs
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Prospecting & Mining Journal
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GeoTimes
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Clear Creek Update |
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California 4 Wheel
Drive Clubs
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Mining: Proposed Regulations, Rules, Projects
Kevin
Sites:
Our World As I See It
World Info. 1
World Info. 2 |
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Superb list of URLs to
Africanized Honey Bees
Bears
Desert Survival
Health Resources
Hypothermia
Mountain Lions
Mountain Survival
Red Imported Fire Ant
Scorpions
Snakes
Spiders
Watch for Smugglers
West Nile Virus
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OUR MAIL BOX |
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FEE DIG
FAT JACK MINE
North of Phoenix in the
Bradshaw Mountains
7000’ elevation
Amethyst Scepter Quartz
Gary & Nancy Spraggins
(480)839-0151
We now have a backhoe!
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ASHLAND
ROCK SHOP
Scott Blair
Proprietor
397 East Main Street
Ashland, Oregon 97520
(541) 488-3600
Mon.—Sat. 10-6
Sun. 11-3.
A gallery of:
- Crystals
- Minerals
- Treasures
Rocks for less since 1995
ashlandrock@hotmail.com
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A California Geological
Survey site dedicated to students having fun while learning about the
geosciences.
Parents and teachers will find activities and links of interest here as well. Click here |
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The largest crystals
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No upper limit on the size of crystals is to be expected, but the dimensions and occurrences of the largest known crystals in each of twenty-four categories (nine classes) of minerals are presented and discussed. The largest authenticated crystal of any type is a beryl from Malakialina, Malagasy Republic, being 18 m in length, 3.5 m in diameter, having a volume
estimated at 143 m3 and a mass approximately 380,000 kg...
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Geologist-In-Training
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Kalgoorlie full
with
1300 diggers and dealers |
In Kalgoorlie they're
chilling the beer and French champagne, the skimpy barmaids are trimming down
their costumes - or throwing them away - and residents are bracing for a deluge
of miners and investors attending the 12th annual Diggers & Dealers Mining
Forum...
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California
Underground
Activities
Black Chasm
Boyden Cavern
California Cavern
Moaning Cavern
Sutter Gold Mine
16-2-1 Gold Mine
Cavern Tours
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The TUNC UFO Collection |
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American Institute of
Mining, Metallurgical, and Exploration
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How many times has your heart beat since your birth ?
Click here.
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Discover How Rocks Are Formed!
View these animations that will show you how the three different kinds of rocks are formed by clicking on different areas of this picture... |
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OBSIDIAN
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Click every day to give hope
to women in need.
It's free!
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Trilobites
U-DIG Fossils
Millard County Trilobites
The Semi-Complete Trilobite
Prem's Trilobite Page
trilobites.com
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International Colored Gemstone Association
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What's this Bike Made Of?
Shows the variety of minerals
that make up a bicycle.
 Click here for the answers! |
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Lapidary Journal
Lapidary
Journal is dedicated to jewelry-making, gems, beads, and minerals.
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Welcome
to the Mount St. Helens Institute |
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Rockhound
Etiquette
While a miner’s tools, equipment and personal belongings remain in or next to a digging, that is his until he relinquishes it either by removing said property or announcing that he is finished digging in that area. Furthermore, specimens or rocks cached on or near said personal property are also the property of
the miner and shall not be touched or removed without his express permission. Every Rockhound should obey this rule. |
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16 THINGS IT TOOK ME MORE THAN 50 YEARS
TO LEARN
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Rockhound
Bathroom
Make-Over
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Click here to see what's been published recently by California Geological Society.
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Ghost Towns
in the USA
A national database of ghost towns with links to local sites.
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USGS has named 18 United States volcanoes as being "Very High Threat". We have
marked these volcanoes on a Google satellite image map so you can zoom in for a
closer look...
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Most Dangerous US
Volcanoes |
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 Here is a young rockhound “after calcite.” Can we consider him a psuedomorph? |
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A tour of the
16-1 Gold Mine
Pics of our Tour
Alleghany Mining Museum
Empire Mine project digs into history
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I'll stick to rocks |
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Just what
is 'Cubic Zirconia' Anyway?
Cubic Zirconia....Are They For
'Real'? |
Cubic zirconia, rhinestone, crystal,
imitation diamond...people often use these
terms interchangeably, but do they really
know what each item is? Used to refer to the
clear, sparkly, faceted gems often used in
the crafting of sterling silver rings,
earrings, necklaces, and pendants, each of
these terms actually refers to a distinct
and unique product. Although each of these
gems look somewhat alike to the untrained
eye, cubic zirconia and the others are all
made of different substances, and
have very specific qualities.
Cubic Zirconia, which are widely used today by makers
of sterling silver jewelry, are in fact an
imitation, or synthetic version, of
themselves. Unknown to many is the fact that
cubic zirconia are actually genuine
gemstones in their own right. A 'gem', as
defined by Websters Dictionary, is a 'cut,
polished, faceted stone...notable for its
beauty, perfection, or rarity'. A natural
cubic zirconia, formed under extreme heat
and pressure, over a long time, from the
mineral zirconium dioxide, is all
that! However, as with crystalline carbon (aka
diamonds), this natural process yields up
very few genuine cubic zirconia of any size.
Originally noticed in 1892 in Russia, the very simple
cubic zirconia was deemed irrelevant and
unstable for use in either the scientific
realm or for the jewelry trade, and was thus
ignored. This same basic stone was then
created, in a stabilized form, by German
scientists in 1930. Interestingly, in 1937
naturally occuring stable cubic zirconia
were 'discovered' again, although these
stones were tiny and virtually disregarded.
Then, in France in 1960 research into
manufacturing cubic zirconia
began in earnest. The process of
synthesizing zirconium dioxide to create the
cubic zirconia we see in sterling silver
rings and earrings today was finally
perfected by Russian scientists in the early
1970's. This Russian stone was briefly named
a 'fianit', but regardless of its name or
lack therof, by 1980 the commercial
production of manufactured cubic zirconia
had reached 50 million carats! Of course,
all these scientists were not working to
find an affordable gem for the jewelry
trade, they were seeking a reliable source
of diamond-like stones for use in the laser
and optical applications currently being
filled by genuine diamonds.
More...
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Faceted red
labradorite |
High Desert Gems & Minerals
currently owns over 40 sunstone
mining claims in the Plush and White
Horse Ranch area of Oregon. We are
very active in prospecting and
exploring the Plush sunstone area
for new sunstone deposits and have
discovered more Oregon Sunstone
Mines than any other company in the
world. Recently, Chris Rose, Jessica
Schenk and the rest of the crew
discovered several new and exciting
red and green sunstones of
exceptional quality. Some of our
recent discoveries include the
world famous Northern Lights Mine,
Blue Sage Mine, Work Um Hard Mine
among others. We now have 11
properties currently producing red
and green sunstones, more than any
other mining company. The nerve
center and home base of our sunstone
mining and exploration is the
Spectrum Sunstone Mine.
Spectrum Sunstone Mine is a 20 acre privately owned
patented mining claim located 27
miles northeast of Plush, OR. Once
owned by Tiffany’s of New York, it
is Oregon’s first commercially
operated sunstone mine. Also, it is
one of the richest color Oregon
sunstone deposits in the world,
producing up to one kilo of colored
sunstones per cubic yard of dirt. In
June of 2004 Chris Rose, owner of
Spectrum Sunstone Mine, found a
single pocket that contained ¾ kilo
of red labradorite sunstone.
More...
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GOLD
General Types of Auriferous Deposits |
"El Dorado!" Gold is the
most noble of metals, and its geochemistry
is conditioned principally by this fact.
Compared with other elements in the periodic
table the terrestrial abundance of gold
(0.005 ppm), is low compared with copper (50
ppm) and silver (0.07 ppm) the accompanying
two elements in group IB, and approximately
equal to that of platinum (0.005 ppm), the
adjacent element in group VIII.
Two general types of auriferous deposits are
recognized:
-lode (vein) deposits
-eluvial and alluvial placers.
The enigmatic quartz-pebble conglomerate deposits, the
largest known auriferous concentrations on
earth, have generally been classified as
modified paleo-placers, but some geologists
have considered them to be of hydrothermal
origin and akin to lode deposits.
The quartz-pebble conglomerate deposits supply 50% or
more of the world's annual gold production.
The remaining half is provided by the other
types of auriferous deposits, including the
vein and disseminated types, eluvial and
alluvial placers, and the various by-product
sources such as polymetallic veins, lodes,
massive sulfide bodies, and stockworks.
GENERAL GEOCHEMISTRY OF GOLD
Gold is a member of group IB of the periodic table,
which includes copper, silver, and gold. In
its chemical reactions gold resembles silver
in some respects, but its chemical character
is markedly nobler. The principal oxidation
states of gold are + 1 (aurous) and + 3 (auric).
These states are unknown as aquo-ions in
solutions, the element being present mainly
in complexes of the type [Au(CN)2]- , [Au
Cl2]- , [Au(OH)4]- , [Au Cl4]- , and [Au S]-
. There is only one naturally occurring
isotope of gold: 197 Au.
In nature, gold occurs predominantly in the native
state or as a major constituent of various
alloys containing mainly silver, copper, or
platinum metals. Several gold and
gold-silver tellurides are known, of which
the most common are sylvanite, calaverite,
petzite, krennerite, and nagyagite. The
antimonide, aurostibite, AuSb2, occurs in
some auriferous deposits, and there is also
an argentiferous gold selenide,
fischesserite, Ag3AuSe2, an argentiferous
gold sulfide, uytenbogaardtite, Ag3AuS2, and
a bismuthide, maldonite, Au2Bi, which is
fairly well differentiated.
The principal ore minerals of gold are the native
metal, aurostibite, and the various
tellurides. The abundance of gold in the
upper lithosphere is about 0.005 ppm and the
Au/Ag ratio is about 0.07. The average gold
content of igneous-type rocks in parts per
million is ultramafic, 0.004; gabbro-basalt,
0.007; diorite-andesite, 0.005; and granite-rhyolite,
0.003. The average gold content of
sedimentary rocks in parts per million is
sandstone and conglomerate, 0.03; normal
shale, 0.004; and limestone, 0.003. Certain
graphitic shales, sulfide schists,
phosphorites, and some types of sandstones
and conglomerates may contain up to 2 ppm Au
or more...
More
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DIAMONDS IN AUSTRALIA.
Diamonds from Argyle lamproite pipe
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Western Australia's Argyle lamproite pipe is now the
world's largest producer of diamond by
volume, yields brown, yellowish brown,
colourless and red to pink diamonds that
have a dominantly eclogitic paragenesis.
Fancy coloured Type 1a Argyle diamonds
typically have low nitrogen content, mostly
in the B-aggregated form. These diamonds are
highly strained, colour zoned parallel to
{111}, and mostly contain proto/syngenetic
inclusions that reveal an eclogitic
paragenesis.
The Discovery Systematic exploration for diamondiferous
diatremes in the West Kimberley region of
Western Australia commenced in 1969,
following the recovery of nine diamonds from
the Leonard River by Oilmin N.L. exploration
geologists. By 1972 the Kalumburu Joint
Venture - consisting of Tanganyika Holdings
Ltd, A.O. (Australia) Pty Ltd, Northern
Mining Corporation N.L., Jennings Mining
Ltd, and Sibeka Societe D'Enterprise et
D'Investissements SA - had been formed for
the express purpose of exploring the
Kimberley Region for diamonds above latitude
19° N.
Early 1976 saw the first successful recovery of
kimberlite indicator minerals from routine
stream samples taken from the region. This
discovery led CRA Exploration to join with
the Kalumburu Joint Venturers to form the
Ashton Joint Venture (AJV).
In August 1979, the AJV laboratory in Perth reported
that two diamonds had been discovered in a
sample of gravel collected from Smoke Creek,
a small creek that drained north easterly
into Lake Argyle. Further progressive
sampling upstream led to thesubsequent
discovery of the Lower and Upper Smoke Creek
alluvial deposits, and ultimately, on 2nd
October 1979, geologists walked onto and
recognised the potentially diamondiferous
AK-1 (Argyle Kimberlite No. 1) olivine
lamproite pipe. Today this pipe is commonly
referred to as the Argyle pipe. ..
More
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Paramount
Recovers 15ct Diamond at Peakstar |
RAPAPORT... Paramount Mining Corporation
recovered a 15.47 carat diamond at its
Peakstar Project in South Africa, the
Australia based company reported Tuesday.
The diamond was twice the size of any
recovered to date at Peakstar, giving the
company confidence in the prospects for the
site. “This is a substantial jump in size
for our largest diamond, and a very exciting
development for the project,” said Maureen
Muggeridge, Paramount’s chief executive
officer. “Considering that we are testing
relatively small volumes of kimberlite,
recovery of a diamond this big is
particularly significant.”
Muggeridge added that the periodic recovery of diamonds
as large as 15 carats or more would have a
“major positive impact” on the commercial
parameters of the project. Previously,
Paramount’s largest recovery at Peakstar was
an 8.2 carat diamond, which sold for
$61,136, or $7,456 per carat. Other large
finds included a 6.01 carats diamond, which
sold for $8,399 ($1,399 per carat,) and a
4.6 carat stone, which sold
for $14,888 ($3,237 a carat.)
Processing at the Peakstar Project, located on the same
kimberlite fissure system as the Star
Diamond Mine, commenced in late May 2007.
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Suspect
arrested in U-M gem thefts |
University of Michigan police say they arrested a
suspect in the theft of dozens of
semi-precious gems from displays on campus
during two burglaries last week, and they
didn't have to go far do solve the case.
Michael Edward-Lopez Sherer, 27, was
arraigned over the weekend on one count of
breaking...
More
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Rockhounding the Wiley's Well District
of California: The GPS User's Guide
A rockhound from an early age,
Dr. Delmer Ross found the Wiley’s Well District in the Colorado Desert to be exceptionally rich in collectable material such as jasper, agate, and geodes. The problem has been reaching the good locations found by other rockhounds. He started writing articles about such places, giving their history and providing very exact GPS coordinates to guide others to them. The articles have been so well received that he has collected them, added to them, and now offers them in convenient book form to other hobbyists.
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I can without say hesitation that this is
the ultimate guide to rockhounding a most
delightful expanse of America, one that I
have loved for over a decade. Seldom can one
find so much rockhounhding diversity in such
a small area (many square miles). The
Editor
http://ffitch.com/frank/hobbies/rockhounding/wileys-well-feb-2008/
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Carlson’s View |
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Clapp Springs and its Unique Tube Agate |
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Coon Hollow Chalcedony |
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Coon Hollow Camp |
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FIRE on a Desert Hill |
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Hauser Geode Beds Revisited |
Indian Pass Petrified Palm Root
And Dumortierite |
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Limonite Cubes |
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Palen Mountains Quartz Crystals |
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Carlson’s View |
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Clapp Springs and its Unique Tube Agate |
Rockhounding in the Scott’s Pond Region
and so much more......
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another fine book in
the Wiley's Well region by Dr. Delmer Ross
The Gold Road to La Paz
(The Bradshaw Trail)
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Gold
Rock
Ranch
100’s of mines in the
Cargo Muchacho
Mountains
RV
& Dry Camping,
Laundry, Showers,
Store,
Museum,
Meals on the weekends
2401 Gold Rock
Ranch Rd.,
Winterhaven, CA
92283
(928) 919-6220
or (928)
920-0603
Southeastern
Imperial
County
/Southeastern California
Just 12 miles west
of Yuma on I-8,
then
north on S-34
(Ogilby Road) for 9 miles to
Gold Rock Ranch Road
on the left.
“Tell ‘em
Rockhound Notes
sent ya”
goldrockranch@cs.com
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OPAL HILL
FIRE AGATE MINE
Digging on claim. $15.00 per day, per person,
$25.00 per couple, and under 16 free
(760)854-3083
Opal Hill
Fire Agate Mine
by Michael Peterson
FIRE on a Desert Hill
by Delmer Ross
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Kinney’s Rocks
and Gems
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DZRTGRLS
 
Come along with us as we explore mines, ghost towns, rockhounding spots,
petroglyphs, geocaching and metal detecting sites. We both have a long
abiding love of the desert, and use our Toyota Tacoma 4X4 and Jeep
Liberty 4X4, as well as our own two feet, to take us to many out of the
way areas. Our 'trips' page is your gateway to exploring the desert
southwest. Our purpose is to inspire you, and to provide you with
descriptions and photos of what you might see at a particular spot.
We hope your brief stay with us will refresh you in mind and
spirit, and prepare you for your next adventure. As Arthur Ransome said,
"Grab a chance and you won't be sorry for a might have been."
Stop by again, as we are constantly updating our content...
This months fieldtrip:
DVNP: Sand Flat Rock Art & the Mule Tail Mine
Tungsten Flat, Vontrigger
Hills and a Granite Mountain
Geocashing?
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What's up at
GREAT BASIN MINERALS
My name is Scott
Kleine and I specialize in fine and rare mineral specimens from the
great State of Nevada. I have excellent direct contacts for superb
Nevada specimens and offer an extensive inventory. I also offer
hand-picked, top-quality specimens from new/classic U.S. and world
localities. New minerals are being added to my site on a regular basis.
I also proudly offer a growing educational section for fellow collectors
to enjoy. Please feel free to browse around and let me know what you
think. All the best!
Remember, Denver, April 25-27; HI #124
Costa Mesa, May 16-18; #148
Denver, Sept 8-14; HI #124
Peterson Quartz Dig 2
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COLLECTING ROCKS IN THE NORTHWEST
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The
Journal of Geology |
One of the oldest journals in geology, The
Journal of Geology has since 1893 promoted the systematic philosophical
and fundamental study of geology.
The Journal publishes original research across a broad
range of subfields in geology, including geophysics, geochemistry, sedimentology,
geomorphology, petrology, plate tectonics, volcanology, structural geology,
mineralogy, and planetary sciences. Many of articles have wide appeal for
geologists, present research of topical relevance, and offer new geological
insights through the application of innovative approaches and methods. Contents
range from work on the composition of the lunar interior to computer modeling of
fossil development.
In addition to major research articles, the Journal
regularly publishes geological notes (short, focused contributions that, despite
their length and subject, have the same conceptual generality and significance
as longer articles), book reviews, and stimulating discussions of articles
previously published in the Journal with replies from the articles’ original
authors.
Frequency: bimonthly...
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A
publication of Bureau of Land
Management in California
|
Today the
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) announced
the launch of the new USGS Land Cover
Visualization and Analysis Tool, which
allows users to analyze, in specific detail,
how land cover has changed over time.
Designed for both novice and expert users, the
web-based system provides an intuitive
interface able to selectively view and
analyze land cover data from any web
browser. The USGS is soliciting users to
evaluate the preview release of the
application...
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Gemstone Production
in
the United States
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Diamonds, tourmaline, turquoise,
peridots, beryls, agates, garnets, rubys,
sapphires, opals and much more are
produced in the USA...
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Satellite Images of US States
(Landsat)
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Geology,
Geography and Earth Science
Resources for
Students and Teachers
at
Geology.com |
Geology, Geography and Earth Science Resources for Students and
Teachers at Geology.com
Students and teachers looking for help with
geology, geography and earth science lessons
can now find a geology dictionary, printable
geologic time scale, printable mineral
identification chart, reference maps and
satellite images for 50 US states and 100
counties at Geology.com...
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Shady Myrick
Tales & Trails
by John Lightburn
Open threats
Deserted
mines pose grave
danger to desert explorers
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TRAIL TALES
& CAMPFIRE LIES
2008 Edition
We have all sat around the campfire and listened to those tall stories
told by fellow rockhounds. Now here’s your chance to tell the rockhound whopper of all whoppers...
True or not!
Send them to:
Rockhoundnotes@scbglobal.net
We Pay Copies, a highlight on Rockhoundnotes.Com, and inclusion in our
Archives |
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| The authors have been working with elementary school students for several years. All of these exercises started 30 years ago when John was asked to do geology with the National Wildlife Association Conservation Summits. In his spare time, he always worked with
several groups in the youth program (as young a four years old) and showed them rocks. One outgrowth of this was the exercise on classification. John was invited into his daughters' fourth grade classrooms to talk about geology and instead of talking about it designed and brought in activities. He wrote up his activities in hopes that some of the teachers might
try them on their own. Barbara has worked with after school programs in many of the school systems in Saratoga County NY. She wrote and gave the students work sheets to take home for the next meeting of the class. There are some exercises written by Karin Kirk. She has graciously let us reproduce them here... |
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Minerals by Name
A B C D E
F G H I J
K L M N
O P Q R S
T U V W X
Y Z |
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FAIRLY SIMPLE MINERAL
IDENTIFICATION
EXERCISE |
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Geology Salaries and Demand
for
Geologists Are Up |
The
American Association of Petroleum Geologists annual salary survey
shows a sharp increase in geology salaries across the board -
approximately 16% overall. Charted below are the salaries of entry
level petroleum geologists plotted from 2000 to 2006. The sharp
increase between 2005 and 2006 is likely a result of multiple
factors which include:
High oil prices Lots of geologists are
nearing retirement age The number of geology
degrees earned is down All of these work
together to bump up salaries. .. |
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California Geology
Magazine
Index to Back Issues |
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CLASSIFICATION OF METEORITES
Meteorites
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