Hello, I am new here and have been collecting semi precious gem stones from local area as a hobby. I am no expert. I live in N.C. I have found in my garden a small maybe 3/4 by 1/2 inch emerald in biotite. What I am wondering is there a possiblility of be bigger ones and how to search for them. What to look for and what other minerals and semi-precious stones I should be looking for that I might find along with emerald in biotite in area. Which according to local gemologist and others haven't been found in this part of state before. I also found 2 maybe 1 x 1 inch green-blue quartz and what looks like a broken geo with clear crystals. All these tested as quartz on gem tester. They mentioned that maybe someone just dropped them here. Which maybe but they were underground in the dirt. This is so much fun!
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
If these minerals are not normally found locally, perhaps they were put there by whomever lived on the property before you. My garden is filled with specimens I collected all over the world...someday someone will move aside some dirt and really be befuddled.
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 6:14 pm Posts: 640 Location: Hohe Tauern N.P., Austria
Hi and welcome on the forum! I want to add a little story to your experience and Mrs. B´s comment.
A fellow miner (over 45 years of rockhounding, together with his wole family) asked me if I could help him dig out a hole in his garden. He wanted to put in a concrete foundation for a terrace there. On the phone he said, "I can´t pay you anything, but you can keep the rocks you find."
And then he tried to recall what his father said he dumped there: blue quartz, all colors of flourites, beryls, pyrites, malachites and other metallic minerals, simply said, they used to keep the good specimens and dumped the bad ones there.
I had a wonderful experience when I worked with him on that hole!
So, in your case, if you are slightly interested in gems and minerals, consider yourself lucky! Happy digging!
_________________ Gemstones are everywhere. You just have to dig deep enough to reach them.
Now that I know they are there I picked up another emerald in biotite laying on the ground in another spot in the lawn this week. Kind of like finding easter eggs kind of fun. I really have some strange looking rocks in my yard. I have been trying to post photos here just can't figure out yet how to do that. Thank you for the information[img]C:\Users\karlik\Pictures\2012-02-27 rocks\rocks 001.JPG [/img]
Last edited by Cheryl on Mon Feb 27, 2012 10:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 4:40 pm Posts: 2667 Location: South Dakota
I PM'd you Cheryl as I will be up in NC this Friday and Saturday before we head out west to dig a new barite mine and then Arkansas for quartz. If you hit me back I can come out and check the strata and rock type in the area and determine if it's condusive to emerald formation as well as check your specimens to confirm their validity. It would be great if they were not someones old rock pile!
_________________ MrAmethystguy ~ Some jokes just fluorite over my head!
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot post attachments in this forum