Carol Watson stands near a pocket discovery in Pit A. The specimens were discovered 2 meters beneath the surface, inside a collapsed pocket, eventually named the Tree Root Pocket. found ever in North America. 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. Some rarer specimens are replaced with opal due to higher moisture levels. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Close-up of material initially taken from the Tree Root pocket. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Many of the pieces consist of groups containing amazonite, quartz and (sometimes) white albite. [4] Hahns Peak was named after Joseph Hahn, a gold miner who, with companions William Doyle and George Wray came to the area in the 1860s. Crystal park is handicap accessible to a degree below are a few of colorado's richest rockhounding sites to get you started jerry's rock and gem was established in 1954 as jerry's. Part 10 carbondale / crystal river koa offers excellent camping amenities to its guests completely furnished cabins and lodges on most leases a rockhounding field . Topaz Mountain. The Two Point Mine lies in the northeastern portion of the Lake George intrusive center, which in turn lies on the western ank of the Pikes Peak Batholith. The Two Points steep terrain and hard rock kept serious development from occurring until. In any case, it was originally discovered in Brazil, hence the name. It is your responsibility to know the rockhounding laws and regulations for each site you visit. If youre interested in getting started with rockhounding, this blog post is for you. Pegamite, a gem-bearing granitic formation, is what youll be looking for. crystal peak colorado rockhounding 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. The rst groups were heavily damaged but within a couple of hours, two very nice groups were pulled out. This site contains affiliate links to products. Graphic by Bill Tanaka. 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 . The discovery came after three summers of exploration, test trenching, and open pit mining. The valleys contain small streams, several of which run year-round. The survey was a disappointment. You might need to work to find your geodes, as you will probably need to dig to find unbroken pieces. Specimens of calcite, agate, quartz, topaz, diamond, gold, and more can be found in the mountains and mining prospects surrounding Fort Collins. Mineral County is certainly deserving of its name, and has long been a destination for hopeful rockhounds. For activities that end up bringing you out to the remote reaches of the lands (like rockhounding) having a guidebook along has the potential to save you a lot of hassle. 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. on a small mining claim in Teller County, Colorado, approximately 65 km west of Colorado Springs, Colorado near Lake George. crystal peak colorado rockhounding. Amazonite during this time was still an oddity and was often discarded on the dumps. Most of the crystal group dismemberment involved the separation of amazonite from quartz. This season, it was decided to try a larger machine which would provide much more digging power than was previously used. Within a week, the pocket had opened up to 2 meters wide and about 1.7 meters deep. Once youve collected some rocks and minerals, its time to clean them up. 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. I'm Mike Rhea, and I'm a professional Geologist with a passion for rocks, minerals, and everything related to Geology. At the same time a ground-penetrating radar system was employed to scan for near-surface pockets, that is, those pockets within 7 meters of the surface. Its been a while since weve posted an update on the Detroit City Mine project at the Sweet Home deposit [], Collectors Edge Minerals Inc. recognizes and thanks Rocks & Minerals for permission to use portions or all of their original [], The 2020 Denver Gem and Mineral Show was a Success! Its also found on the slopes of mountain gem fields, such as those on Mount Antero. Still, there are many locations in Mineral County where one can hope to find amethyst, agates, geodes, moonstone, and plenty of other minerals. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. at least 30 cm thick, it did not bend into a vertical orientation, instead, it intersected the fault and opened into a pocket, lying in a near horizontal orientation. In Colorado, its distribution is far-flung for the most part. Every piece was stained with limonite. Minerals found in the area include fluorite, quartz, calcite, zeolite, and aquamarine. The minerals are often encased in cavities and pegmatites in the granite, so a rock pick and a hammer should be in your pack. The area is marked by a small brown sign. Always be alert of your speed. Once this happens, theres no turning back. While the color was medium blue-green, the association with the albite made them very desirable to collectors. JEEPN4GOLD/Google. The other is a slightly ner grained pink granite covering the southwestern portion of the claim. A catalog number was permanently afxed to the back of each specimen along with a small label marked repaired. The pocket discovery lay exactly at an intersection. Care should be taken to respect private property and the claims within the national forest. Bryan Lees poses to show its total size: over 2 meters long. The microcline color varies from pink to light green to medium green to light blue green to dark blue green, the latter being the best and most desirable color. The specimens were. Gold prospectors and sightseers alike scavenged the hills around Lake George and Crystal Peak looking for crystal souvenirs. Though effort continued beyond 1997, only the first two years are summarized here. Rockhounding in Washington State - Jade, Agates, Quartz and More! Story and Photos by Mark Leatherman. Though effort continued beyond 1997, only the first two years are summarized here. So, be sure to check where in the area you can go rockhounding. It was . Colorados state mineral is rhodochrosite (well-known areas are near Alma). Smoky Quartz is grey-to-brown colored quartz, often with high clarity. Its most characteristic gem is amazonite, the bright green mineral that is often mistaken for jade. Rockhounding, Rockhounding end of March. This updated and expanded comprehensive users guide to finding different rockhounding sites across the state includes pertinent information like driving directions, access specifics, seasons, regulations, and specific methods to help improve your rockhounding adventures at each site. A few miles north on County Road 2 accessed via Highway 40. 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. One of these is sure to spark your interest and sense of adventure. It is along the edges of these intrusions where some of the better specimens can be found. The overwhelming majority within this formation are plant-related fossils, though insect fossil discoveries are also common. November 10, 2018. Colorado ranks among the most strongly mineralized areas in the world, and its especially noted for alabaster, amethyst, lapis lazuli (blue sapphire), topaz and turquoise. Much additional geological information was collected from eld observations made during the 1997 work. These locations offer a diverse array of rock and mineral specimens such as agate, jasper, petrified wood, turquoise, and copper. Some of the links on our website are affiliate links. The Tree Root Pocket occurred at the intersection of its pegmatite host dike and a major north-south structure. Weekend rock hound, Chuck Baldwin, holding a nice amazonite crystal just removed from a pocket on Hurianeks property. Other sources include: California Rockhounding Location Guide & Map, Where to Buy Tumbling Rocks: 5 Popular Sites, Compared. In the tight connes of the pocket, the roots created extensive damage to the amazonite groups; the quartz terminations received the worst. ). It is up to the individual to identify these boundaries and seek permission before attempting to prospect on the claims. After some cleaning, the deep blue-green color of the amazonite begins to stand out. The pocket opening was about 50 cm in diameter, 10 cm high and produced about 50 single crystals. They may however, dip wildly within the horizontal trend. Market acceptability of nely-repaired specimens will give the eld collector the incentive to save and repair important pieces. Probably why it was unclaimed! Photos (6,647) Directions. Including in the area around Pikes Peak, making it another target for many rockhounds. The opening never reached more than about 20 cm high. Mining Amazonite for FREE in Colorado! Recreation Activities. too fast for risk of injuring a good pocket. 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. Both are part of the Lake George intrusive center. Felch Creek: Felch Creek will provide you with agate, geodes, and jasper. All 50 States Answered, Rhyolite, Perlite, Apache tears (black rubies), Spessartine, Topaz (yellow), Feldspar, Quartz crystals. 1997 turned out to be the year of discovery at the Two Point Mine. There were two sites left at the Two Point Mine to explore. Gunnison and the surrounding area have long been noted for their rock and mineral specimens. Mount Antero is the center of aquamarine collecting in Colorado. Like aquamarine, topaz has a lot of commercial potential and the good spots are mostly wrapped up in claims. Its claim to fame and reason for its name is due to its unusual summit block, which is apparently made out of solid quartz. It was formed by the erosion of sedimentary rocks. Dont miss it if you decide that youre going to go rockhounding in this state! The plates containing albite balls, amazonite and quartz created a beautiful array of color. For additional reading, Id highly recommend these books you can find on Amazon: Please remember that rock collecting locations are constantly changing. The pocket lies sandwiched between them and is mostly collapsed. Crystal Peak is the best area but most of it is under claim. Thousands of years of erosion have reduced the colorful sandstone formations to rolling grassy hills. The majority of these locations are my interpretation of Robert Bestes A Location Guide for Rock Hounds in the United States. Most of the Colorado material formed in the Pike's Peak granite batholith at various well-crystallized places. However, because of the terrain and vegetation, these marked claim boundaries are sometimes difficult to see. It was Mr. Whitmore who brought worldwide prominence to amazonite by debuting some of his fabulous nds at the Chicago Worlds Fair in the 1890s. The blue-green microcline feldspar and rich black smoky quartz crystals create an unparalleled contrast making these specimens highly prized among collectors. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. These east-west structures are also vertical and during the mining process are exposed as perfectly at vertical walls. The end result is a mineralized fossil thats known as a limb cast These often preserve the finest details of the bark, growth rings, and cellular structure. Native Americans collected crystals from the site for millennia before the first recorded visit to the area by pioneer wagon trains in 1845. The mine area is crisscrossed with faults, joints and pegmatites. Geologic features including textural variations in the granite bedrock, fault systems, and pegmatite locations were plotted on a base map. The disease strikes when least expected. For the casual collector or the obsessed amateur, theres a little something for everyone, just about everywhere. Well, and the other minerals scattered about! "A Fruitful Field for the Specimen. Though some property is private land and requires the permission of landowners to prospect, a significant swath of area is within National Forest. No kidding, this thing is around 3 feet long! Each produced a few high-quality small amazonite and smoky quartz plates. It does not store any personal data. The broken root (left center) was followed directly into the pocket. After a few field trips with seasoned explorers, you will discover how to recognize crystal- and gem-bearing rocks, as well as learn about local geology and topography. Rarely will open cavities be found, as they have either collapsed due to movement in the surrounding rock, or have filled with clay and other sedimentation. 8 Mine is located on Hwys 24-285 5.9 miles east of the intersection of Hwys 24/285. The pegmatite is arched and tapers towards the edges. The area is known as the best amazonite hunting ground in the world. Colorado is well known for gems and minerals. To determine what type of public land a particular location is on, I would recommend the Colorado State Land Boards Map Tools which keeps accurate maps of every kind of public land in the state. The opening only reached 20 cm high. The joints are almost undetectable and care must be taken that the working face does not peel away when one is near. Though there are many locations listed here, this list is far from exhaustive. Is Iron out ok to use? Pikes Peak is another place where topaz can sometimes be found. Youre out for a hike and something on the path catches your eye. Given the. Houselog Creek usually offers its diggers great rewards, so be sure to take your digging tools and large buckets for your haul. 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. 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. A hint of the amazonites quality can be seen through the clay. American . For those looking for the excitement and satisfaction of splitting open shale rock to reveal fossils, check out the town of Florissant. A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid, and has its own characteristic crystalline structure. The beauty of rock hounding is its simplicity. Back at the Collectors Edge cleaning facility in Golden, Colorado, they were nally washed off and examined. Consequently many crystals have detached from their matrix. Graphic by Bill Tanaka. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; The hole was deepened and a nice pegmatite dike was exposed, the source of the color. Rockhounding Colorado: A Guide to the States Best Rockhounding Sites (Rockhounding Series). Thus, the Two Point Mine sits among some ne company within the amazonite district; its location being center stage to several historic discoveries. A rock pick or folding shovel is a great idea. As luck would have it, the rst day of digging revealed an extraordinary pocket. There is little or no movement along them. Schematic of an intact amazonite and smoky quartz pocket. The lower is composed mostly of green and gray mudstones. At the end of 1996, no major discoveries had been made. Over another 40 million years other magma intrusions, containing minerals different than the original intrusion, pushed their way into the existing granite, remelting it and forming cores containing the mineralization we see today. Careful pocket documentation and repair work will yield higher percentages of ne specimens than ever before. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Most of the mineral lies in claims, unfortunately. The area also has an interesting history. Every possible open space inside the sandwich was lled with clay, making specimen extraction difcult. As a CMS member said after finding a lode of geodes, It gives me a funny feeling, knowing how long theyve been here waiting for me to find them.. All of the road construction and removal of trees and overburden for the buildings has uncovered ample ground for searching and rockhounding. 39.5965N 120.0760W. The area around Denver, particularly west into Jefferson County, is a fantastic destination for rockhounds. 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. About 100 ne pieces were removed in addition to several hundred lesser pieces. There are actually four areas just for those within a few miles of the peak itself. Jasper The Black Rock Range geode mine is also a great place for rockhounding. The areas at, or near, the hilltops usually contain the best hunting ground for amazonite. A typical scenario for pocket discovery is this: One follows a pegmatite and it begins to thicken into a lens. Here, Robert Lorda removes a heavy clay layer coating a beautiful group of amazonite and smoky quartz. Careful pocket documentation and repair work will yield higher percentages of ne specimens than ever before. The lens soon discharged thousands of quartz and blue green amazonite fragments. The terrain hosts abundant wildlife including deer, elk, beaver, bear, mountain lion, coyote, fox and bobcat.