Rock hound pastime

[pa_traveler]

Just started tumbling rough agates that were purchased. Wife found beach glass that she wants to make into jewelry,so as I researched it I found rock tumbling sites.Anyway im finding it interesting,next step is to find my own agates ect. Any suggestions where to hunt them in the states,dig sites,desert ect. Seems like you could turn hiking into looking for gemstones.

[Gjac]

We found agates at Furnace Bay CG in the UP and along the north shore of Lake Superior, had to free dive to find them and the water is cold. Not too far from you are Herkimer Diamonds in Herkimer NY which are quartz's crystals, took GS there several years ago he had fun finding them. Also close are garnets in CT, smoky quarts crystals in NH wht mtn nat NF, and amethysts just over the border in ME. Found a few crystals in Quartsite but you really need to know where to go, or else buy them at the gem shows. I am not a rock hound and don't go out of my way to look for them, just a few places that I stumble across.

[SuzzeeeQ2012]

we're near Ogilby Road outside of Yuma. we found some agates 🙂

down a road with power poles, can't remember exactly where we were 😮

[bigred1cav]

What does one do with the stones after finding and polishing? It sounds like an interesting diversion but wife would not like pounds of stones in my little space.

[pa_traveler]

Thanks Bob for woodward rock ranch and others Quartsite sounds great. New to this hobby ,have been buying rocks and tumbling them now want to find my own.

[Parrothead_Mike]

ken56 wrote:
Just recently read where a man found a 98 lb. Petoskey stone in Torch lake I think. Michigan DNR just confiscated it saying it exceeds the 20 lb. limit allowed. I'd like to see that all polished up. lol.

Actually it was a 93 lb. stone and the guy found it in Lake Michigan northwest of Traverse City. Since it was in Lake Michigan there is apparently some law that states people cannot take more than 25 lbs. of minerals out of the Great Lakes per year. Now that the DNR has it I'm sure it will be displayed in some state visitor center. The guy should have kept his mouth shut about finding the rock.

[ken56]

Just recently read where a man found a 98 lb. Petoskey stone in Torch lake I think. Michigan DNR just confiscated it saying it exceeds the 20 lb. limit allowed. I'd like to see that all polished up. lol.

[LJAZ]

MrWizard wrote:
Goto Quartzite in Jan and you can find everything from world round, in the gemstone swap stalls,
Plus the desert is a great place to look for stones
Q started as a winter rock hound meeting

Or Tucson in February. One of largest gem & mineral shows in the world.

[bob_nestor]

Well if you're into Geodes there's a place just S of Alpine, Tx on 118 called the Woodward Rock Ranch. He's got a small RV park and a great rock shop. You can roam his fields picking up rocks and he'll charge you by the pound for them, but only after he throws away any rock that's not worth anything. The Geodes found there are "volcano flame" geodes (very colorful and pretty) and if I recall correctly it's the only place in the world you can find them. There's also a great rock collection at the ranch and he has rock saws there so he can open up the geodes for you too.

[pa_traveler]

Thanks Wizard, good to know we do want to attend Quartzite.

[MrWizard]

Goto Quartzite in Jan and you can find everything from world round, in the gemstone swap stalls,
Plus the desert is a great place to look for stones
Q started as a winter rock hound meeting

[pa_traveler]

Thanks for suggestions,new to this,but liking it.Want to look as we travel,just tumbled a batch of rocks,looking forward to digging my own instead of buying the rough stones.Thanks Parrothead that is a lot of info.

[PenMan]

Rockhound State Park in southwest New Mexico.

[terry_thiessen]

Goggle the,state and rock hounding and you will find lots of information

[SDcampowneroper]

In the Black Hills area, Icebox, Teepee canyons,Fairburn agate are free to search.
Gold nuggets might also be found to a keen eye.
Look up icebox nugget . Its at Presidential pawn, Rapid City