There is little or no movement along them. During the week of June 1, 1997, new equipment was moved onto the property. The limited success of Pit C however, provided enough incentive to continue operations into 1997. Typically they contain the same base minerals as the granite; however, other minerals have been found as well. The area is mountainous with rugged terrain of forest and rock. All of the best Two Point Mine pockets are oriented in a near horizontal position. Walking around with your nose to the ground reopens that childhood part of us that thinks finding a pretty stone is a wondrous event. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Care should be taken to respect private property and the claims within the national forest. Recreation Activities. Many beautiful groups were saved in this fashion and of the nal specimen total, about half were repaired. These magnicent specimens came from claim Number 8 of the old Gem Mines and dazzled Europeans for the first time (McNulty, 1983). For the hardy adventurous soul in good physical condition, the are riches to be found high on the exposed slopes of Mt. Unfortunately, not a single additional pocket was discovered at depth, a surprise to everyone. For paid digs, the South Platte River runs through the town of Fairplay. The mine dump is visible one-quarter mile south of the highway on a low hill across Trout Creek. Topaz is a common gemstone, but its not a very common find outside of the commercial claims. Your reward will be a treasure trove of agate and chalcedony. However, because of the terrain and vegetation, these marked claim boundaries are sometimes difficult to see. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Thelma Hurianek holding a large amazonite crystal. The collecting site, which is just below the mountain's 14,269-foot-high summit, is the continent's highest gemstone locale. Here, Robert Lorda removes a heavy clay layer coating a beautiful group of amazonite and smoky quartz. Some of the more high profile include dinosaur fossils, petrified wood, amazonite, flourite, and even aquamarine. If so, how much iron out per gallon of water ratio? Each day, 4 or 5 superb specimens were removed from the pocket, now named the Tree Root Pocket. And rocks are the preservers of fossils that once lived when Colorado was a vast sea. Theres still gold in them hills! Despite early miners flocking to Colorado by the tens of thousands and pulling nearly their weight out in gold, they didnt get it all. While not the rarest gemstone around, its certainly a great specimen and some of the formations that come out of the mountains in Colorado are very impressive. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The downside is that considerable quantity of the land was developed into cabin and home areas some years ago. Search for amethyst and quartz at the Crystal Hill Mine, check out the view at Douglas Pass while looking for leaf imprints and insect fossils, or head to Saint Peters Dome to uncover green, white, and purple fluorite. Local mining prospects, stream beds, pegmatite veins provide a vast array of minerals for collectors including lapis lazuli, garnets, marble, tourmaline, and even some gold and copper. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Pockets commonly contain microcline at the Two Point Mine. NOTE: All the locations listed in these tables are clickable, and will take you to the location on Google Maps. Amazing smoky quartz, topaz and Amazonite have come from there. 39.5965N 120.0760W. Crystal Park Dillon, MT Phone: 406-683-3900 Additional Information: Activities Amenities Crystal Park is a unique recreation area at an elevation of 7,800 feet in the Pioneer Mountains in southwest Montana. Nevada Adventure, On The Rocks You never quite imagine a hobby like rockhounding may creep into your life and steal all your free time, then you discover a world of garnets, turquoise, opals and beyond right in the heart of the Silver State. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Collectors Edge Minerals, Inc. had the opportunity in 1996-1997 to mine in Teller County, under a lease agreement, using mechanized equipment. Over 1 billion years ago, magma pushed up into the Front Range of Colorado. Its most characteristic gem is amazonite, the bright green mineral that is often mistaken for jade. In some areas, the faults are no more than thin planer features cutting through the surrounding granite. Many pockets are also empty or contain only quartz. In the center of the pocket, the specimens were slightly more blue than the ones at the edges. Each produced a few high-quality small amazonite and smoky quartz plates. 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. If an exceptional piece was found, then additional cost was incurred to purchase it. Apache Tears, properly known as black obsidian (Ruby Mountain in Chaffee County), were named for the Indian legend that they are the petrified tears of Apache women mourning the slaughter of their men in battle. Graphic by Bill Tanaka. Lake George intrusive center, after Wobus, 1976. Colorado is well known for gems and minerals. Careful water ushing reveals the delicate crystal plates, which then may be removed. These pockets all lay within a horizontally oriented pegmatite dike which is intersected by a narrow vertically oriented north-south fault (the fault is the smooth feature in the center near the pry bar). For examples of rocks and minerals that occur in our region, its a good idea to visit a rock shop. Unfortunately for rockhounds, the law prohibits them from publishing their names or contact information online. AFMS Code of Ethics is a list of the "Golden Rules" of rockhounding. The overwhelming majority within this formation are plant-related fossils, though insect fossil discoveries are also common. You can get the landowners name and address by visiting the county records office. Once the newbie hound is hooked, it helps to understand the terms rock and mineral, and how the two are related. So what are you waiting for? As always, take care never to go underground when searching. The best places to search include local mineral prospects, pegmatite exposures, and local creek beds. Though effort continued beyond 1997, only the first two years are summarized here. The Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society is proud to be part of the Pikes Peak Gem, Mineral, and Jewelry Show. The broken root (left center) was followed directly into the pocket. At an elevation of 6,386 feet above sea level, an igneous deposit of rhyolite has been pushed up to the surface. In any case, it was originally discovered in Brazil, hence the name. The Two Points steep terrain and hard rock kept serious development from occurring until. (1) A stream valley is carved into the sedimentary rocks of the Pogonip Group. Though crystals can be found in the pegmatite, it is within the miarolitic cavities that the best-formed crystals are found. The upper is composed mainly of red mudstone, with lesser amounts of yellowish, often tabular sandstone. Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing. The opening uncovered the previous day was originally created when the graphic granite roof plates separated from their ner-grained granite host-rock. 4) Not really a good place for fossils or gemstones (there's not much to be found), but do check out Garden of the Gods. At least two major north-south trending fault systems run the length of the Two Point Mine. The Willow Creek district north of Creede is particularly famous for its prolific amethyst, but the area is largely privately owned and picked over by now. While the variety of minerals is not as large as other parts of Colorado, Mesa County is one of the best places in the U.S. to search for dinosaur bones. Youll also have to deal with the fact that a lot of public land is covered under mining claims. If you are in the area and want to see more interesting stuff, try visiting the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument to see some even cooler finds. Colorado is one of the best states in the U.S. for rockhounds, largely due to its incredible mountain ranges and complex geology. 418 Main St., Fairplay, CO 80440. The Tree Root Pocket. They may however, dip wildly within the horizontal trend. Located in the Colorado Rockies near the Crystal Peak area is a mining spot that is popular for its teal blue amazonite and smoky Quartz combination of crystals. After a simple spray wash, the true color of the amazonite begins to unfold. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; Collectors have the opportunity to find beautiful agates, amethysts, garnets, jaspers, opals, and even the occasional nugget of gold. They can provide you with maps of the area as well as tips on where to find interesting specimens. [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. . Another view inside the Tree Root Pocket. 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. The St. Peters Dome district in particular is famously for its quality mineral specimens. Located at the mountainside in the Pike National Forest, Colorado, is Devil's Head, famous for rockhounding. Photo by Bernie Kowalski. Rock-A-Buy Rock and Gifts. Then, the dip changed to a near-horizontal position and the pegmatite began to widen into a lens. Though much of the good prospecting in this area is on private property or on current mining claims, the adjacent National Forests can be a spot for rockhounds to find Amazonite and Smoky Quartz. The lens then opens into the beginning of a pocket. Pegamite, a gem-bearing granitic formation, is what youll be looking for. Although it polishes beautifully, it's unfortunately too brittle and soft for jewelry use. Length 12.1 miElevation gain 4,314 ftRoute type Loop. Colorado is also host to a dizzying array of rocks and minerals. It is, simply put, the most comprehensive and easy-to-understand rock identification system youll find anywhere. Hundreds of excellent amazonite specimens were collected from it, many containing balls of white albite. But what about those other treasures hidden in rocks the minerals that are at the heart of a collectors expedition? Teller Co., Colo. Collection of the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum. I'm Mike Rhea, and I'm a professional Geologist with a passion for rocks, minerals, and everything related to Geology. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. About 2 kilometers to the west lie the Clarence Coil claims on and near Yucca Hill. These locations offer a diverse array of rock and mineral specimens such as agate, jasper, petrified wood, turquoise, and copper. Fortunately, the same laws dont ban you from the wide array of simpler fossils that can be found. The site has received an overall rating of eight out of 10 from collectors. The quartz crystals were gemmy and sometimes awless. It is also your responsibility to verify and gain permission to visit each collection site that is mentioned on this website. Colorado through the years has continued to produce a diversity of high-quality and important fossil specimens for museums and collectors worldwide. The area around Denver, particularly west into Jefferson County, is a fantastic destination for rockhounds. The county road access to the gulch is the same as that used for the 14er, Quandary Peak, so weekend use in this area can be quite heavy, but those seeking the high 13ers will find much more solitude . By the middle of October, blasting work was completed and the pits were reclaimed and re-seeded. The pegmatite is arched and tapers towards the edges. The area predominately frequented is within the Crystal Peak Mining District located north of Florrisant and Lake George, within Teller and Park County, respectively. By the end of the first day, four killer specimens had been collected. There have been books written just on the unique geology of the area, and the many minerals that can be found in the mountains here. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. By the second day, it became apparent that the pocket was large. The hole was deepened and a nice pegmatite dike was exposed, the source of the color. The following article provides some basic information on safety, rockhounding tools, collecting and our responsibilities towards the environment.