Gemstone mining

Welcome to the Pala Chief Mine! Located in beautiful Pala, California the Pala Chief is one of the oldest gem mines in San Diego County, and is one of the only historic mines still being actively worked in the hunt for American gemstones. The deposits here were discovered in May 1903, and the mine produced large amounts of tourmaline, most of which was shipped to China for the carving trade. It was also the primary discovery site of the purple gem variety of spodumene known as kunzite, and…

When you visit Northern Ontario, you expect to see lots of trees, lakes, and rocks. You may not expect to find these kind of rocks, however. Hidden in an expanse of trees outside Thunder Bay lies an enchanting mine full of glimmering gemstones. The best part is, you can dig for your very own sparkling rocks at this spot. Ontario's amethyst mine is the most dazzling adventure to take this summer.

Do you know what is a Herkimer diamond? Even though people call it a diamond, it is not a precious gem at all but a double terminated crystal found in the Mohawk River in New

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With a bit of luck and skills enhanced by these following Crater of Diamonds State Park tips, you too can find diamonds. Get your sifting screen ready!

A spur of the moment idea lead us to the Herkimer area of New York for a much needed long weekend getaway. We camped at the Herkimer Diamond Mines Resort. It was a one stop spot for our camping excursion and "diamond mining expedition". The place has everything you can imagine. A store complete with groceries, camper parts, souvenirs, clothing, firewood, and even toothbrushes (we found out our son forgot his after unpacking). A schedule of activities started at 9 a.m. right through to 9 p.m…

500 Carat bag of Pyrite (Fool’s Gold) + A Free Faceted Gemstone!!! This listing is your opportunity to receive natural Pyrite in their natural rough state at a very inexpensive price. We are able to offer you this great deal because we have purchased several thousand pounds of genuine natural Pyrite rough direct from a mine in Peru. Peruvian mines have produced some of the world's most expensive and nicest Pyrite. This Pyrite has never been treated in any way and they come unsearched and…

So, you want to search for gold ore. How do you identify good gold prospects? If your strategy involves crushing any and every rock you come across, you'll be crushing for the rest of your life and won't find a flake. Here are some simple field tests you can perform to help you narrow your search.