Digging Native Ruby and Sapphire at the Cherokee Mine in North Carolina – Pay to Dig

Posted on February 7, 2021 by rocky

A beautiful red ruby straight from the Cherokee Mine.

Digging your own precious native gemstone may sound too good to be true to a lot of folks. Many of the sluice mines in the Southeast “salt” their material, meaning they enrich it with stones from all over the world and this can be disappointing when you expected to find something right from the ground beneath your feet. The Cherokee Mine in Macon County, North Carolina offers awesome ruby and sapphire sluicing from 100% local, unsalted material right from their mine!

image of cherokee mine ruby collecting website

http://cherokeerubymine.com/

Though ruby, sapphire, and corundum in general are the focus, other minerals namely red rhodolite garnet, blue-white kyanite, and metallic red brown rutile can be found with them too. This material is alluvial, meaning these crystals weathered out of metamorphic rock and tumbled around for thousands of years until they arrived at the mine, so given this, the ore is in the form of soil that contains the weathered-out gemstones. It is up to you to screen through the material and identify what is a gem, and what isn’t… but the kind staff is more than willing to help you!

While at the time this is published, Feburary 2021, the mine is closed for winter and the Covid Pandemic, however, we are all looking forward to a re-opening of this location, hopefully, in summer 2021, if life works out well.

Check out Bryan Major digging at the Cherokee Mine video below to get an idea of what the experience there is like!

The Cherokee Mine is a fee dig site, meaning you pay to dig their material, but they supply a lot of the equipment you need to go through the gravel!
From their website:

$20.00/Per Person – Includes One (1) Pre-Filled Bucket of our 100% Unsalted Gem Ore. ( * See below for explanation of this change)
Age 5 and under: Free Admission with an accompanying paid miner (no mining screen or bucket of gem ore provided – Li’l Miners get to “assist” an older accompanying miner).
Only paid miners are permitted to sit on the flume line, other than Li’l Miners as noted above. Other non-mining members of a group are welcome to enjoy our picnic area and lawnchairs.
Do not take Coon Creek Road.

Group Rate (20 people or more): $5.00 discount Per Person

Includes One (1) Pre-Filled Buckets of our 100% Unsalted Gem Ore.

Active U.S. Military and U.S. Military Veterans: $5.00 Admission Discount
(Military ID Card is Required Upon Admission)
One discount per customer. Discounts cannot be combined, conjoined, transferred, conferred, or multiplied.
$5.00 per additional bucket of our 100% Unsalted Gem Ore.
CASH ONLY.

Open May through October
Monday-Saturday: 9am to 4pm*
Sunday: Noon to 5pm*
*Weather Permitting
At the mine, you will be shown specimens of the gemstones so you know what to look for before they let you loose. Then they will provide you with a bucket of material to bring to the flume. The flume is a channel of running water used to clean the dirt off your gemstones, which you screen in it and carefully examine to sort the gems from the leaverites. They provide the screen.
Keep in mind that some of the gemstones might be extremely tiny or obscured by surface coatings. You might want to bring a magnifying device, tweezers, and plastic bags so you can extract tiny finds and save them in a place you won’t lose them. Mining can be tough on the hands so you might want gloves too. Bring sunscreen, water, bug spray, and food. Be prepared!
Directions:
For BEST results, FIRST please enter address of “4433 Bryson City Road” THEN enter address of “2586 Ruby Mine Road, Franklin NC 28734”. Any directions which state “Take Coon Creek Road” or “Flowers Gap Road” are INCORRECT! That will force you to turn back and start over.
4433 Bryson City Road is the intersection of Sanderstown Road and Bryson City Road (also known as Route 28). From that point you will proceed north to Cowee Creek Road, which is just after the Cowee Baptist Church, where you bear right. At the next intersection (1-1/2 miles), keep right at the “COWEE VALLEY” sign and the mine will be 2-1/2 miles on the left.
DO NOT TAKE COON CREEK ROAD or FLOWERS GAP ROAD.
DO NOT TAKE COON CREEK ROAD or FLOWERS GAP ROAD.
DO NOT TAKE COON CREEK ROAD or FLOWERS GAP ROAD.
DO NOT TAKE COON CREEK ROAD or FLOWERS GAP ROAD.

ADDITIONALLY: It has been brought to our attention that the evil GPS will also try and lead you astray from the paths of righteous gem hunting, and try to tell you to turn onto RUBY KNOLL LANE, or onto GEMSTONE LANE.
IGNORE YOUR GPS IF THIS HAPPENS. Please stay on Ruby Mine Road until you reach the Cherokee Mine. Modern Technology is wonderful – especially when it works properly

See their website if you need more info.

Fluorescence of Ruby:
Ruby glows when exposed to green or blue laser light or UV light. It will fluoresce a brilliant, easy to notice orange color when exposed to the light. Keeping a laser pointer or pocket LED UV light can help you determine if you have a true ruby if you think you’ve found one. Take a look at this video where a green laser pointer is used to differentiate a natural ruby from a fake one:

The natural ruby on the right gives off a blinding orangey fluorescence. The rubies in your screen will do this too. It is due to the presence of chromium in the rubies and the ability for that element’s electrons to get excited and emit photons when they are exposed to the upper parts of the visible light spectra and the UV.
It is a good idea to buy a cheap green laser pointer or a tiny UV light to bring with you to this mine.
UV lights used to be expensive, but the prices have dramatically come down. Look at this great deal on Amazon for some pocket UV LED flashlights. This would be a great thing to bring to this mine.

This photo shows two LW UV lights for collecting ruby crystals for sale on amazon

These inexpensive LWUV lights are perfect for spotting the bright red glow of a ruby crystal.

The Cherokee Mine offers some of the fines, unsalted alluvial gem mining in the US. If you live in North Carolina or planning on travelling there, this is one of the finest places you can visit for gemstone flume mining. Few mines offer ore of high enough quality to catch the interest of locals if they didn’t salt it. For just $20.00 and a fee of $5.00 per extra bucket of ore, this is a great deal for the rockhound, gemstone, or lapidary enthusiast.

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Dig Quartz – Milky, Smoky, and Amethyst at Diamond Hill, Antreville, South Carolina

Posted on July 20, 2020 by rocky

Manganese and Iron Coated Quartz cluster from Diamond Hill Mine South Carolina

If you enjoy quartz and want to find your own, the Diamond Hill Mine in Antreville, South Carolina provides the public with one of the only opportunities to collect so many varieties of it in one place. Many of these quartz crystals also have a gorgeous oxide coating adding splotches of reds, yellows, black, and browns to the surface. In addition to the quartz, pegmatites containing beryl and other minerals have been dug on the site. This amazing variety and abundance of material on just under three acres of land is why so many diggers flock to this special site.

These specimens of quartz, collected by John Krygier: https://www.mindat.org/gallery-13767.html, are typical examples of what you can find at this mine. The black coating is due to manganese oxides, and the orange coating is due to iron oxides.

Amazing amethyst cluster found by a guest to the mine. This photo of Diamond Hill Mine (Courtesy of Tripadvisor)

Smoky Amethyst Quartz Crystal from Diamond Hill Mine

Smoky amethyst found at the mine and featured in their online gallery.

https://diamondhillmine.com/gallery/

Geology: The Diamond Hill Mine is hosted in a granite, and is one of numerous quartz localities in the Eastern US to be hosted in such geology. As the granite cooled, water rich in silica and other chemicals became less soluble in the molten rock, escaping and creating veins hosting the quartz crystals. Pegmatites — coarse grained rocks also formed in the granite as a result of cooling, and these are where rare elements escaped to, forming minerals like beryl. Subtropical weathering broke down the feldspar in this granite into clay, exposing this deposit very slowly over the eons.

Digging: This is a site good for rockhounds of all experience levels. Hand tools are welcome and there are many strategies for collecting in the various pits at the mine. Be aware of which areas allow public digging. Machinery in the main workings dig up material for guests to search for in massive spoils piles. Surface collecting is your best option here. Bring gloves, a small rake or trowel, a screwdriver or stick to poke around, and some water to rinse off your finds.

You may also decide to try to find your own vein and work it. This method doesn’t guarantee you’ll get anything- the results vary, but there is a possibility for you to get incredible material if you develop a skill for understanding this location. You will need a hammer, chisels, pickaxe, shovel, buckets, and water for rinsing material to work these veins. You will likely have to move a lot of rock.

General Information & Pricing

Diamond Hill Mine
100 Diamond Mine Road
Abbeville, SC 29620
(864) 934-3744 or (864) 446-7357

Camping is available on site. Tents and small motor homes are welcome. Camping is free, but please call the mine in advance to make reservation. Call Gina Clary at (864) 934-3744 or email at dhmine@rocketmail.com.

Bring food and water! Also bring sunscreen and bug spray! The only facilities are an outhouse and picnic tables. There is no running water. The closest place for supplies is a mini-mart type gas station about 5 minutes away.

Digging is from time of registration to sunset.

Adults 18+ : $20
Teens 13-17: $10
Seniors 65+: $10
Children 6-12: $5
Children 5 & under: FREE (as well as non-collectors but they will not be allowed in the collecting area.)

For larger groups, discounts are available. Visit diamondhillmine.com for more information.

Article by Jeremy Zolan

Sources:

https://www.gamineral.org/_docs/11-16may04.pdf

https://diamondhillmine.com/

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Visit the Trilobyte Me! Quarry in Delta, Utah for a Gourmet Trilobite Buffet to Snack on!

Posted on June 29, 2020 by rocky

Known as the most prolific trilobite specimen source worldwide, the Trilobyte Me! Quarry operated by the folks at High Desert Gems and Minerals is where you can dig your own specimens of those iconic Utah trilobites. These classic specimens, most notably of the species Elrathia kingii are preserved in exquisite detail in the Wheeler Shale formation of Western Utah. The Wheeler Shale is a truly ancient rock and is 505 million years old, a time when Utah was very tropical, oriented close to the equator. The Trilobyte Me! Quarry gives the public a chance to explore one of the world’s best quality, most finely preserved fossil occurrences. Not only are a variety of trilobites found here, but other ancient sea life such as brachiopods, sponges, primitive crustaceans, and rare soft bodied animals.

Photos from the mine operators. The operators state on their site that the pile represents approximately the finds from just two days of basic digging! The trilobite specimens in matrix show what you might find splitting rocks

What is a Trilobite?:

Trilobites are ancient arachnomorph (arachnid-like) class of arthropod invertebrates, meaning they are related to insects, crustaceans, and arachnids. Despite their crustacean like appearance, they are most closely related to spiders, horseshoe crabs, and scorpions. They were among the most diverse classes of life on earth during the lower paleozoic but many became extinct in the Devonian, and were all finally wiped out in the Permian mass extinction event.

Trilobites remain so well preserved in the fossil record because of their hard exoskeletons, which were easily replaced by calcite over time. They range in size and shape greatly from a few millimeters to about a foot long and are found in paleozoic rocks worldwide. Trilobites have large, prominent compound eyes and a pair of flexible, sometimes long antennae as well as many pairs of segmented legs for moving and feeding, similar to a pillbug. Some trilobites had elaborate spines, but those species are not often seen in the Wheeler Shale. Many species could even roll up in a ball for defense. Trilobites were mostly scavengers or sifted through the substrate for food, but there is some suggestion a few species were carnivorous. A great diversity of well preserved species is found in the Wheeler Shale, and the Trilobyte Me! Quarry is an extremely rich source.

The Trilobite body is divided into three main parts that can be thought of a head, torso, and tail. See the above figure, the head is called the cephalon (1) , the torso is the thorax (2) , and the tail is the pygidium (3). Lengthwise the body is divided into three lobes, the right pleural lobe (4), the axial lobe (5), and the left pleural lobe (6)

Some examples of trilobites found in the wheeler shale

Some species of trilobites encountered in the Wheeler Shale. Source: https://u-digfossils.com/trilobites/

Geology and Paleontology:

The area where the Trilobite me Quarry would have been 50 million years ago

The approximate location of Utah in the early Cambrian period (~505MYA) Source: https://www.trilobites.info/Utah.htm

The Wheeler Shale of Western Utah dates back to the early Cambrian period, representing a period in which oceanic invertebrate life greatly diversified. This unit consists of mudstone, shaley limestone, and a platy limestone. Before the Cambrian, most vertebrates were soft bodied, poorly preserved as fossils, and difficult to classify. The Cambrian is the period where arthropods such as crustaceans and trilobites, cnidarians like jellyfish and corals, and brachiopods came into existence and started to thrive. During this time Utah was located along the equator and the Wheeler Shale is the bottom of a shallow, warm sea. Think of the water being similar to a tropical destination like the Caribbean. That is the type of climate these trilobites thrived in. Elrathia kingi is the commercial trilobite species most sought after by collectors. It is the iconic trilobite from this formation and is one of the most abundant. Elrathia kingi specimens are the most commonly encountered American trilobite on the market. However, there is variety at the Trilobyte Me! Quarry and about 15 genera of trilobite total exist in the Wheeler Shale.

Many unusual fossils including peculiar ancient crustaceans and soft bodied animals have been found in the Wheeler Shale. Some of these fossils are not easily noticeable but may be significant or important. If you see an unusual fossil, even if faint, keep it and try to get it identified. There have been many important fossils of soft bodied animals found in Utah. In addition many fossils of trilobite-like fossils have been found. These organisms are closely related, but not true trilobites.

Pseudoarctolepis sharpi trilobite fossil

A fossil of a peculiar ancient crustacean from the Wheeler Shale- Pseudoarctolepis sharpi, a Phyllocarid. It is definitely important to look out for strange fossils at the Trilobyte Me! Quarry, you might find something rare and unusual. Source: http://www.fossilmuseum.net/Cambrian-Explosion/Utah-Cambrian-Explosion.htm

Collecting and Supplies:

To collect these trilobite fossils you will be splitting shale, which has a particular technique to it. Hit the shale in the direction it splits with a geologists pick or crack hammer and thin chisel. Use a sturdy tap, when this rock splits, it often happens all at once. For digging in the quarry, bring a prybar, pickaxe, and wedges to remove and split bigger pieces of shale. Also bring a screen to go through finer material, a bucket, gloves, and safety goggles. Bring plenty of food and water, sunscreen, and bug spray. From the High Desert Gems and Minerals website, several collecting options in different price ranges are available, but all give you the experience of digging tons of your own awesome quality trilobites!

Dig Gemstone Fossils
Open Daily April 1 – October 10th 9am – 5pm
No reservations required, just show up, any day!

Basic Trilobite Collecting

Split the shale or screen dirt for shale and find matrix specimens or loose jewelry grade trilobites.
Adults $50
8yrs-14yrs $35
7yrs/ under Free

Quarry Bank Digging

Dig and split shale using hand tools in the actual freshly exposed trilobite bearing shale layers of the quarry
Adults $100
8yrs-14yrs $50
7yrs/ under Free

E x c l u s i v e Digging Options…..
High-End Quarry Bank Digging

Our exclusive digging area reserved for our commercial trilobite operations.
Adults $200
11yrs-14yrs $100
10yrs/ under Free with paying adult

“Trilobite infested” Ore Pile

Our trilobite pay dirt shale dug up with our machinery and put in a pile for your convenience to sort.
$150/ pile
Price includes whole family

High-Grade “Trilobite Swarm” Ore Pile

Our exclusive commercial trilobite bearing shale dug up with our machinery and put in a pile for your convenience to sort.
$300/ pile
Price includes whole family

Directions: See Map

Driving Directions
From the West: use Hwy 50 in Nevada at the state line border drive 56 miles into Utah.
From the East : use Hwy 50/ 6 out of Delta, Utah drive West 29 miles.
On Hwy 50/ 6 at mile Marker 56 & 1/2 turn onto dirt road North (Known as Long Ridge Reservoir Road).
0.0 reset odometer at the U-Dig Fossils sign/ cattle guard.
4.9 drive over cattle guard.
6.3 drive over another cattle guard.
Slow down! for tight curves in road.
10.1 intersection for Margum Pass sign.
15.0 intersection for Swasey Spring sign.
Slow down! curvy road.
18.8 intersection for U-Dig and Death Canyon, stay on road as it bears right.
18.9 immediate right turn into driveway of Trilobyte Me! Quarry.
Parking: cars continue on through the gate, RVs and trailers park before gate!
Follow these directions! The internet may get you lost!

Accomodations: Free camping and RV accomodation on site! Pet friendly! Bring your own food and water. There are hotels near Delta, Utah also available. Rancher Motel (435) 864-274, Delta Inn Motel (435) 864-5318, Days Inn (435) 864-3882, Antelope Valley RV Park (800) 430-0022

Sources:

https://www.highdesertgemsandminerals.com/html/trilobyte_me_quarry.html

http://www.fossilmuseum.net/Cambrian-Explosion/Utah-Cambrian-Explosion.htm

https://www.trilobites.info/Utah.htm

Trilobites

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Dig Your Own Gemstones – Oregon Sunstone – A Guide to the Spectrum Sunstone Mine Dig

Posted on April 19, 2018 by rocky

watermelon sunstone from the spectrum sunstone mine

Spectrum Sunstone Mine- Dig Your Own Fiery Gemstones in Oregon

It is very rare that a mine producing something as gorgeous and valuable as Oregon sunstone and the folks at High Desert Gems and Minerals are allowing you to do that at their site located northeast of Plush, Oregon in the High Desert! Featured on the History Channel’s Cash and Tresures, The Spectrum Sunstone Mine currently produces some of the most gorgeous gem sunstone out there in amazing colors, but mostly hues of red and orange but some amazing exotic colors too like purple, green, watermelon, and schiller-effect material. This gem can only be found in Oregon and nowhere else in the world. To be specific, this sunstone is a variety of labradorite but appearance and chemistry wise it differs from the classic, bluish iridescent material from Madagascar or Finland. There is nothing out there quite like them, a truly unique and gorgeous American gemstone.

gorgeous freeform stones cut from Oregon sunstone by master gemcutter Dalan Hargrave- dalanhargrave.com

About the Gem-

Unlike many precious gems such as diamond or sapphire, sunstone is prized for its variations of color and inclusions. Many faceters prefer to work with these inclusions when cutting stone, adding to the uniqueness to each piece. The high hardness (6.5 to 7) gives this gemstone enough durability that it can be set in jewelry without much worry of chipping or cracking the stone. Value of these stones varies from tens of dollars per carat to thousands and depends on color, saturation, and how the inclusions if present catch the light. These beautiful colors and inclusions are formed by inclusions of copper that precipitate from the molten feldspar as it is crystallizing. The copper included gem sunstone is extremely unique to Oregon. Many amazing carvings by the finest artists in the world have been made from sunstone rough, highlighting the amazing degree of variation held inside.

History-

Sunstone is Oregon’s state gem, granted that status in 1987 after being recognized by the US government as a gemstone in the 1970s. Interest in Oregon sunstone and mining for it in the Plush area was happening decades before the 1970s, however. Sunstone was a prized stone collected by Native Americans who were likely the first people to ever assign value to the gemstone. They believed the sunstones held great power and would even bury them with their dead.

There is local Native American lore about the sunstones, and they were used ceremonially among certain tribes. The legend goes as follows: An ancient warrior was hit by an arrow in battle and his blood dropped on the ground, where it scattered on the sunstones, giving them sacred power. It is not only the beauty, but this power that the natives valued and drove them to use these beautiful stones in their jewelry.

A picture of sunstone with evidence of working by Native Americans- published in the Ore Pit, a publication of Oregon State University's Mineralogy Department

Collection of sunstones in the Jacksonville (OR) Museum believed to have been brought into the area by Indians.

Sunstones didn’t gain popularity among europeans until beautiful, desirable material was discovered in Scandinavia in the early 1800’s and Eastern Siberia in the late 1800’s. Later on, settlers discovered deposits of sunstone in Oregon’s Warner Valley and interest grew in mining these stones. In 1908, Utah prospector Maynard Bixby announced his findings Tiffany & Co. of New York City acquired mining claims in the Plush area in the early 1900s which they no longer mine. One of these claims, which they did previously mine is now the Spectrum Sunstone Mine!

Interest has continued to grow to the point where many private claims and several commercial mines have been opened, the Spectrum Sunstone Mine offering some of the finest, deeply saturated material to the public to dig! Chris Rose and High Desert Gems and Minerals has continued the legacy of mining for this special gem and has opened many world famous sunstone mines, 11 total, producing a dazzling array of gems. Here is your chance, provided by High Desert to take part in the legacy of mining your own American gemstone.

Geology-

Sunstone forms in basaltic rock laid down in a giant lava flow and were formed around 15 to 16 million years ago. The source of this rock were volcanic eruptions that built the terrain of eastern Oregon. The sunstone itself is a form of feldspar, specifically a calcium rich labradorite. This labradorite is very different from the bluish shimmering material from Madagascar and elsewhere many of you likely have seen.

Feldspar is an important rock forming mineral, one of the most significant worldwide but that with the high gemminess and color of Oregon sunstone is very rare. The sunstone forms in unique flows of porphyritic basalt. The term porphyritic referring to large crystals suspended in finer grained matrix. These crystals are the sunstones and they formed within the lava freely floating before it cooled, so they became suspended in a finer grained rock matrix. Porphyritic texture in basalt is relatively common, but most of the time the feldspar porphyroblasts from elsewhere are opaque and never worth saving. The Oregon sunstone deposits are some of the few mined for this kind of gem material. The presence of copper in the flows of the Plush area, which give these gems their color is unique to the region.

Although basalt is very abundant in the Pacific Northwest, the basalt flows produced in the various eruptions during the region’s past are small and produce some chemical and geologic variation regionally. The geochemistry and petrology of these rocks still needs more detailed description, so there is a lot of opportunity to research this area in detail for anyone academically involved

Mining Yourself-

The Spectrum Sunstone Mine is a patented mining claim and is open daily to fee digging seasonally from May 15th to Nov 1st . They are open to mining from 9am to 5pm every day! The site is located I the remote Oregon high desert. Remember to bring plenty of snacks and drinking water to the site. It’s pretty far out there! It is a good idea to brig your own tools and bags to the site though loaner screens are available. The onsite shop also sells some tools. You will need a screen, buckets, shovels, rakes, baggies for your finds, and if you plan on working the pit a hammer, chisel, prybar, and other appropriate rock breaking tools. Some of the roads getting to the site are rough, so be sure your vehicle and the driver can handle it. Here is a map above and directions from the High Desert’s site:

When driving from the south follow these directions :
(Stay on the main roads according to our directions. After Plush, OR… if you are unsure: do not turn unless there is a sign that says sunstone (some of the signs are very weathered). You will cross 5 cattle guards on the dirt road.)
Follow highway 395 north through Lakeview, OR and then head east on highway 140 towards Adel.
After mile marker 15 you will see “Plush Cut-off” sign, turn there (left).
Set odometer at Hart Mountain Store in Plush, OR to 0.0 miles.
Follow road (Co. Rd. 3-10, a.k.a Hogback Rd.), (which takes a sharp bend to the east at 3.6 miles).
At 5.2 miles the pavement ends, continue on dirt road.
At 10.1 miles turn east (right) onto Co. Rd. 3-11.
Go 1/2 mile (reads 10.7 on odometer) and turn north (left).
(Do not turn until you reach the next sign…)
At 19.2 miles you will see the “Sunstone Area 5 miles” sign, turn left.
Slow down!! Dangerous curves, especially at 20.4 miles and 22.4 miles.
After the cattle guard you will see several mines in the distance. We are the furthest mine… look for the tipi!
24.1 miles turn right on road after passing Dust Devil’s sign. You will be heading towards the Public Collection Area.
(If you are expecting to arrive at night please set up camp in Public Collection Area (follow signs)…continue directions in morning!)
Take the first left or the second left (before reaching Public Collection Area bulletin board)! Follow the road. Please sign in at the office, and don’t run over the sage brush.
IF YOU ARE DRIVING FROM THE NORTH, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION.
From Bend, Oregon take highway 20 east to Riley. Take highway 395 south. Turn left – east- on Hogback Rd (near mile marker 64 – which is north of Abert Lake). Follow Hogback Rd. until the turn for Co. Rd. 3-11 (about 19 miles) where you turn left. Continue with directions above from Co. Rd. 3-11.

They offer several kinds of mining in different price ranges you can participate in.

High Grade Conveyor Belt Run-

This option allows the miner to go through unsorted material immediately coming from the mine! Material is passed down the conveyor belt and is just washed off by water by you to reveal the gems. The cost is $200/hour and though steep, allows you access to premium material immediately as it comes out of the mine. Approximately six tons of mine material are processed per hour through the conveyor, so it is definitely a high volume dig.

High Grade Ore Piles- The mine offers high grade piles of ore you can search through for $150 to $200 each. Water available for washing. You get to keep everything as always!

All You Can Eat Buffet Ore Pile- The miners will pile up concentrate for you to sort for over the course of two days! This is a great choice to get the sunstone mining experience and to score some amazing gems. It’s a great family activity and is perfect for groups! Limit is 2 people for $300, 3 for $350, 4 for $400, and groups of 5 or more for $100 each extra.

Pit Digging- For $100 to $200 per person, you will be allowed to dig in the high grade pit with tools! Perfect for the avid rockhound and those who really want to understand the geology behind this deposit or just do some hard rock mining.

Mine Run Material Through Mail- If you want to get your hands on some Spectrum Sunstone Mine material now, you can buy mine run high grade and have it delivered right to your house! They run about six tons of ore through the conveyor and send you what they pick out after one hour! It isn’t the same experience as digging your own, but will hook you up with some awesome material.

Accommodations-

Primitive camping is available free of charge at the site as well as RV camping. Electricity hookup is not available for RVs. Cabins are also available with provided hot water, showers, and restrooms for $45 a night or you can stay in a tipi for $40 per night! Bedding and cooking supplies not included- you bring your own.

A general store for supplies is located nearby but otherwise this location is very remote. Please plan appropriately. See www.highdesertgemsandminerals.com for more info.