Holiday Gift Guide: What to Get for the Rockhound in Your Life

Posted on November 15, 2020 by rocky

Rocks! (Or maybe more properly in this case: "Minerals")

The holiday season is rolling in quickly and that means it’s time for gifts! But what do you get for that special rockhound in your life? We’ve compiled a holiday gift guide for you!

Disclaimer: Every rockhound is going to be a little bit different, but here are some ideas for you to consider. Once you’ve spotted the perfect item, we suggest a Google shopping search to find the exact model that will work for you. We can make some recommendations of items that have worked well for us, but take a look around and shop smart!

1. Rocks.

Rocks! (Or maybe more properly in this case: Minerals!)

Obviously. Because what rockhound doesn’t want more rocks? But let’s be honest, some of you might not have any idea WHICH rocks your rockhound will love. We have good news! Many mineral dealers, lapidary companies, and others in the mineral trade DO offer holiday gift cards and holiday promotions! Take the trouble out of choosing a rock and let your loved one choose their own!

Yeah, yeah, we know that gift cards kind of get a bad reputation. But from a true rockhound, the idea that I can go into a dealer’s inventory and pick out something I LOVE is definitely exciting in a way that a gift card to the local fashion boutique will never be.

So how do you find the right company to go through?

First, decide what kind of material you think your rockhound will love – some love mineral specimens, others love gemstones, and others love just rough lapidary material! Find a company that deals in the material you’re looking for.

Next, find a company that has a great reputation. Checking out Facebook and other reviews is a great way to establish whether a company has a good reputation amongst its customers. If you know that your Rockhound has had good relationships with a company in the past, go with that one! (And if there’s a small-time company in your area, think about sharing the love by shopping local!)

Finally, if the company you’ve found doesn’t have a posted notice about gift cards or holiday promotions – ASK THEM! Shoot them an e-mail or a message to their Facebook page – chances are, whoever receives your message will be happy to work with you!

2. Tools.

Every rockhound needs tools. Similar to a rockhound’s choice in rocks, a rockhounds choice in tools might be a little difficult to pin down. We’ve got a few ideas for you though, so take a look at some of these items to see if any of these seem like they fit your rockhound!

The Rock Scoop

A rock scoop in use by the Apollo astronauts to collect lunar samples! Because the suits worn by astronauts made bending over nearly impossible, the rock scoop allowed them to collect rock and soil samples for return to Earth.

Though your rockhound might not be likely to be collecting on the moon, this is a proven tool. A favorite amongst those who do a lot of beach combing, the rock scoop is a handy gadget that lets you scoooooop up your treasures without bending over. This saves your rockhound on back and knee strain! Of course, this tool works well in places other than beaches too (you know, like the moon!)! We wouldn’t recommend this for the rockhound that likes to hammer on rocks, but for the collector who likes to walk along and pick up treasures, this is perfect! (It can also double as a walking stick!)

There are a lot of different models of this tool out there. Some feature a scoop with holes to let smaller debris fall through. Some are collapsible for easy transport.

The Rock Hammer

The Rock Hammer – the most essential tool of the Rockhound!

Now, for those of you who have a rockhound who likes to do some damage on your hands, there is no tool more critical than the rock hammer. And even if your rockhound already has a rock hammer, check it! These tools wear out over time, so a new hammer is never a bad thing!

There are a lot of choices in this department, but make one important distinction: NEVER think that a regular hardware store hammer is the right tool. It’s not. Be sure that whatever product you choose is labeled as a rock hammer or a geologists’ hammer. (This author has had great experiences with the tools made by Estwing, but there are certainly other choices out there.)

Note: if you need a stocking stuffer to go along with your gifts, some eye protection is always a great idea when using these tools. Throw in some safety glasses!

The Geo/Paleo Pick

The Geo/Paleo Pick – perfect for a competition over who’s pick is the biggest…

Now, some of you might have a rockhound who’s mastered the rock hammer and needs something bigger. That’s where the Geo/Paleo Pick comes in. This tool features a longer handle for maximum power in the swing. It also has two tips: one pick-end for, you know, picking. The other end is broader and flatter and makes a great tool for scraping away debris.

There aren’t many choices available for this tool, so Estwing is a solid choice.

The Gad Bar:

The Gad Bar – for poking and prying.

The gad bar is a tool with a little more subtlety than the hammers and picks, but it is incredibly useful. This is the rockhounds version of the pry bar. There’s a pointy end for sticking into crevices, and a chisel shaped end for wedging into cracks. This tool is great for working in areas where you don’t have the space to make big swings with a tool, or in situations where all you need is a little leverage. (Note: this is the author’s favorite field collecting tool.)

3. Information

One of the most important things you can gift a rockhound is the gift of information! Here are a few different resources you can tap to help your rockhound get more educated!

Field Guides

Fred Pough’s classic Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals

Field guides come in all shapes and sizes. Some will cover topics related to field identification of rocks and minerals. There are lots of options in this department! Pough’s Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals has long been a favorite of rockhounds. The author also recommends Sorrell’s Golden Guide to Field Identification of Rocks and Minerals.

Others tackle the subject on a more regional level and will give your rockhound ideas about new places to go and what can be found there. Check out our section on Field Guides for more regional guides.

Magazine Subscriptions

Rocks & Minerals Magazine

Books are a great gift, but several rockhound magazines are also available. Of course, the major perk to a magazine subscription is that you get new information delivered monthly or bimonthly! Several well established magazines are out there, including Rocks & Minerals magazine (offers a wide variety of topics at different levels, though primarily directed towards mineral specimens), Rock & Gem magazine (suited more for those interested in lapidary hobbies), the Mineralogical Record (specializes in mineral specimens) and the Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist (specializes in lapidary and jewelry). Magazines are a great way to keep your rockhound regularly inspired by new information.

4. Technology

As we move into increasingly advanced times, technology is one of the greatest tools we have accessible. Just because your rockhound is concerned with ancient, dirty rocks doesn’t mean they can’t be aided by technology!

The Dino-Lite Digital Microscope

The Dino-Lite Digital Microscope – for looking at small things.

The Dino-Lite Digital Microscope offers a series of microscope options, from handheld USB models to eye-pieces designed to convert traditional microscopes. These tools allow your rockhound to examine the small things! Microcrystals to wood grains in petrified wood, this is a tool that has a wide variety of applications that will allow your rockhound to nerd out at the highest of magnifications.

The Ultrasonic Cleaner

The Ultrasonic Cleaner – reduce the wear and tear on your household supply of toothbrushes!

Ultrasonic cleaners are a device used to submerge an object in liquid, which is then vibrated with high-frequency sound waves. These waves act to scrub the object of grimes, and hit all the surfaces of an object including pores and cavities. Ultrasonic cleaners are often used for cleaning machining parts or jewelry, but they also work wonders on rocks! Take away the burden of hours of tedious scrubbing by investing in one of these machines! (Disclaimer: do not put your water soluble minerals in here unless you want them so clean that they’ve disappeared entirely.)

Handheld GPS Units

GPS Devices - help your rockhound know where they are and where they're going!

Handheld GPS Units – help your rockhound know where they are and where they’re going!

For those of you who have a rockhound who loves being out in the field, one of the greatest resources you can give them is GPS! Handheld GPS devices can be used to navigate to a new digging spot, or mark an existing one for easy navigation later! Many GPS units feature topographic maps and land status maps, which give your rockhound even more information about where they are and what they can and cannot do while they’re there.

Rock Trimmers

Rock Trimmers – for precision splitting of rocks!

Rock trimmers are perfect for the rockhound who carries home boulders for a small vug of crystals on one side. These tools can be tricky to find, but a variety of models are available – from small and simple, hand-crank units, to large, hydraulic-powered units. All rock trimmers work off the same concept: a rock is placed between two chisel-tipped points and pressure is used to pinch the rock and split it. This method of splitting is not without risk to specimens (sometimes it is going to split where you don’t want it to), but it offers far more control over beating on your rock with a hammer and results in a more natural finish to a specimen than a saw cut. These units can also be adapted to be used in the field, which saves your rockhound the trouble of lugging that boulder home in the first place.

Bonus Section: Stocking Stuffers!

They say it’s the little things that count – so here are some smaller, but very useful items you can throw into your rockhound’s stocking!

Headlamps

Headlamps – for hands free lighting!

Headlamps are an invaluable tool – whether your rockhound is out in the field or trying to organize a dimly lit garage, lighting is always helpful! Headlamps allow your rockhound to have their hands free while still providing plenty of light. These are available in many different brightnesses and light modes.

Chisels

Chisels – necessary, but always disappearing…

Chisels are another indispensable tool for your rockhound. Chances are they have some – chances are that they’ve also lost some! These are easy to misplace, but the good news is they’re easy to replace too! Be sure that you are looking at “cold chisels” when shopping for your rockhound – wood chisels, etc., are not the right tool. Chisels come in a variety of sizes and lengths, and every one of them is necessary for a different situation!

There are an abundance of great gifts for your rockhound – please drop us a note if you’ve got an idea that we missed!

Pecos Valley Diamonds: the Desert is Paved with Diamonds

Posted on December 20, 2019 by rocky

Pecos Valley Diamonds, also called Pecos Diamonds, have been collected by New Mexico rockhounds and mineral collectors for well over one hundred years.

Like many other colloquial mineral monikers (another well-known example is “Herkimer diamonds”), these “diamonds” are not diamonds at all, but quartz crystals. The glint of reflected sunlight off the faces of these quartz crystals can give the barren desert the appearance of being “paved with diamonds” (Albright and Bauer 1955).

Article and Photos by Phil Simmons and Erin Delventhal at Enchanted Minerals LLC – enchantedmineralsLLC@gmail.com

Outcrops of Pecos Valley Diamonds are often densely concentrated. Each “pebble” in this image is a quartz crystal, most measuring ~1-2cm. Many crystals are broken. Field of view is approximately 1 meter. ©Enchanted Minerals LLC

Pecos Valley Diamonds are found in the southeastern region of New Mexico, exposed in dispersed outcrops that span 100 miles long by as much as 25 miles wide. Though the area where outcrops are found is expansive, Pecos Valley Diamonds are limited to a very specific geologic unit: the Seven Rivers Formation, a back-reef segment of the Guadalupe reef sequence. The crystals are authigenic, meaning they have formed in place with no transportation via water or wind, though they often have weathered out of the much softer massive gypsum host rock. Though authigenic quartz crystals are known in ancient shallow marine carbonate and evaporite series across the world, Pecos Valley Diamonds are of note for their variety of colors and forms and for their impressive size (up to ~12cm, though more often ~2-3cm) for this type of deposit.

Surface outcrops of the Seven Rivers Formation (highlighted in yellow) in Southeastern New Mexico. Modified from Albright and Lueth 2003. ©Enchanted Minerals LLC

Habits and Variations of Crystals

One of the most appealing aspects of Pecos Valley Diamonds is the immense variety. They occur as doubly terminated crystals (less often in radial groupings) in a multitude of colors ranging from reds, oranges, and yellows, to whites, blacks, browns, and sometimes even hues of purples, pinks, and greens, and a variety of habits including prismatic, quartzoid, pseudocubic, and pseudotrigonal.

Coloration

A grouping of Pecos Valley Diamonds showing some of the range of coloration in the quartz crystals. Center crystal is 2.5cm. ©Enchanted Minerals LLC

The wide variety of colors in Pecos Valley Diamonds has not yet been fully explored. Observational evidence indicates the coloration is largely due to inclusions: Pecos Valley Diamonds found still embedded in the host rock take on the color of the gypsum, even to the point of preserving the color banding found along laminations or fracture joints (Tarr and Lonsdale 1929).

Crystals displaying color variations within individual crystals. Top crystal is 3.5cm. ©Enchanted Minerals LLC

The geological setting (see Geology below) of these crystals allows for the transition between gypsum and anhydrite, and zonal inclusions of anhydrite rather than gypsum have been reported (Nissenbaum 1967). However, the exact nature of those inclusions is still somewhat enigmatic: early reports refer to “ferruginous” (iron-rich) quartz or hematite inclusions in quartz, but analysis of similar quartz crystals from Spain indicate the red coloration is due to clay inclusions rather than hematite (Gil Marco 2013). Nearby occurrences of aragonite crystals also show coloration determined by inclusions of clay. Additionally, some coloration is suspected to be related to hydrocarbon inclusions (Albright and Lueth 2003). Of further interest, many of the quartz crystals are fluorescent, though the source of that phenomenon has not been explored.

A Pecos Valley Diamond embedded in the host rock of massive gypsum. These crystals appear to take the color of the surrounding gypsum, though the crystals tend to universally be darker. Specimen is 15.2cm across; crystal length is 3.4cm. ©Enchanted Minerals LLC

Prismatic Habits

An example of a fairly “typical” Pecos Valley Diamond – a doubly terminated prismatic crystal. The red coloration is also fairly common. Crystal is 5.9cm. ©Enchanted Minerals LLC

The predominant habit found is single doubly terminated prismatic crystals with the regular m prism topped by hexagonal pyramids of equal or near equal r and z rhombs. This habit of quartz is common all over the world, although the majority of crystals worldwide are not doubly terminated. This habit tends to have the most color variations of Pecos Valley Diamonds. Elongated crystals are more rare than short, stubby crystals, though they can be found in several known locations.

Elongated prismatic crystals are unusual in Pecos Valley Diamonds. Longest crystal is 5.5cm. ©Enchanted Minerals LLC

Equant Habits

Though Pecos Valley Diamonds are most often found as prismatic crystals, the variety of equant (length, width, and depth are roughly equal) habits of quartz are of particular note.

Crystal diagrams of equant forms found in Pecos Diamonds. Modified from Albright and Lueth 2003. ©Enchanted Minerals LLC

Crystals that display equal or near equal r and z rhombs, but significantly lacking m faces display a quartzoid, or Cumberland, habit. This habit is often erroneously referred to as beta-quartz, which is a high-temperature polymorph of SiO2 that is unstable at room temperatures. The presence of this habit in the low-temperature environments of Pecos Valley Diamonds indicates that the quartzoid habit is not tied exclusively to high temperature deposition.

Two unusual equant habits in worldwide deposits are relatively common in Pecos Valley Diamonds: the pseudocubic habit and the trigonal habit. Both are described by dominant development of r-faces with minimal z-faces and next to no presence of m–faces, though the latter two forms are never completely absent. The pseudocube and the trigon can be differentiated crystallographically by the orientation of z-faces: the pseudocube features alternating r– and z– faces across the a-axis, while the trigonal form shows r– and z– faces mirrored across the a-axis (see crystal diagrams above).

Comparison of equant forms with the left-hand side viewing the crystals down the c-axis and the right-hand side viewing roughly perpendicular to the c-axis. Top: quartzoid (Cumberland) habit; Middle: pseudocubic habit; Bottom: trigonal habit. Largest crystal is 2.1cm. ©Enchanted Minerals LLC

Pecos Valley Diamond pseudocubic crystals are of particular note: while the pseudocubic habit is very unusual worldwide, Pecos Valley Diamonds boast an unusually high percentage of crystals in this habit and crystals can reach sizes in excess of 5cm. Given the tendency for crystals to be fully formed and doubly terminated, coupled with availability, it can be argued that Pecos Valley Diamonds are the world’s best source for pseudocubic quartz.

Various orientations of the pseudocubic form in Pecos Valley Diamonds. Left-hand crystal is 2.5cm; largest crystal in center grouping is 2.7cm; right-hand crystal is 1.5cm. ©Enchanted Minerals LLC

Other Features

Pecos Diamonds often display different lusters on different quartz faces. This is typically found in lustrous terminations (r– and z– faces) and dulled, or pitted, m-faces. Luster can also vary between r– and z– faces, creating alternating finishes on terminations.

Two prismatic crystals displaying lustrous terminations (r- and z-faces) and dulled, or pitted, m-faces. Left-hand crystal is 3.0cm. ©Enchanted Minerals LLC

Somewhat similarly, some Pecos Valley Diamonds are found with differing degrees of quality of quartz within the same specimen: very crudely crystalline “knobs” give way to well-formed and lustrous crystals. These are currently poorly understood and more research into the relationship between the crude crystals and their well-formed counterparts is needed.

Examples of Pecos Valley Diamonds displaying both crudely crystalline “knobs” and well-formed, lustrous crystals. Clockwise from top left: crystal is 5.1cm; terminated crystal is 4.6 tall; crude crystal is 7.2cm across; crude crystal is 7.6cm across; right-hand crystal is 4.7cm. ©Enchanted Minerals LLC

Groupings

Though Pecos Valley Diamonds are predominantly found as single crystals, crystal groupings can also be found. The dominant arrangement of multiple crystals is in a radial orientation, often with one central crystal oriented perpendicular to the rest.

Radially oriented grouping of crystals; specimen shown front and back. Crystal is 3.8cm across.

Previous reports (Albright and Lueth 2003) have indicated the presence of Japan law twinned Pecos Valley Diamonds, though it is the opinion of the authors that further examination is needed to determine whether these geometries are truly Japan Law twins. There are a number of other unusual relationships between multiple crystals that are also worth further investigation, including crystal pairs that show indications of potential relationships along the c-axis.

Unusual geometries in groupings of multiple crystals. Top left crystal is 3.1cm; top right crystal is 2.6; bottom right crystal is 3.1cm. ©Enchanted Minerals LLC

For more information on the History and Geology of Pecos Valley Diamonds, see the full-length article from Enchanted Minerals LLC: Pecos Valley Diamonds: the Desert is Paved with Diamonds.

Where to Go!

As mentioned earlier, outcrops of Pecos Valley Diamonds are prevalent throughout the Seven Rivers Formation – this means that anywhere in the yellow area below is prime territory to find them.

Surface outcrops of the Seven Rivers Formation (highlighted in yellow) in Southeastern New Mexico. Modified from Albright and Lueth 2003.

We’ll give you directions to a few of our favorite spots, but we encourage you to take some time to explore on your own! You never know what you might find – though please be sure to check land status of where you’re at and obtain proper permissions.

BLM land is fair game for surface collecting, but private land is not. Many cattle ranches operate in this part of New Mexico – many times you can simply ask permission and you’ll be good to go. Many oil and gas operations are also active in this area – surface collecting is legal around these operations, but be respectful of equipment (re: do not touch it), and also be very aware of any signs or warnings posted indicating the presence of H2S gas – it can and WILL kill you. In short: be smart and be safe while you’re out!

Location 1: East of Artesia (click for map)

Location 1 features small to medium dark red crystals – mainly equant crystals, sometimes pseudocubic!

Location 2: East of Roswell (click for map)

Location 2 features druzy crystals ranging from light to dark red.

Location 3: Acme – northwest of Roswell (click for map)

Location 3 is the site of the first professional paper published on Pecos Valley Diamonds (Tarr, 1929) – crystals are white to pink and usually do not exceed more than 2 cm in length, but this is a fun spot for the history!

Other things you need to know:

The southern region of New Mexico is barren desert. There’s usually not a tree, and if there is, it’s probably a short and stubby one. If you are going to this area during the summer, be sure to be prepared for the heat: pack lots of water, bring sunscreen, etc. Surface collecting without shade in July can be pretty miserable even with all these preparations, so we recommend that you take this trip in the spring or fall. Winter is also an option, but just as the desert is prone to extreme heat in the summer, it has a tendency to be bitterly cold in the winter. New Mexico in the spring time is also known for wind – this is an unpleasant thing when your face is inches from the ground and you can’t see anything except the sand grains in your eyes. There’s not much to be done about the wind, but be aware that it is a possibility.

Other things to do in the area:

If you’re making this trip, there are some other really fantastic things in the area worth checking out. Schedule some of these into your trip, or keep these as a backup option if the weather is poor for collecting.

Number 1 for us on this list is Carlsbad Caverns National Park – this is arguably New Mexico’s pride and joy, and is around 2 hours from Roswell, New Mexico. This National Park protects hundreds of miles of natural cavern systems, including it’s namesake Carlsbad Cavern. There are many things to do while in this park: walking trails, cave tours, historical stops, etc., but we absolutely recommend that you try to make it for one of the Bat Flight Programs that are held from late May through October – this experience is absolutely magical.

Rock of Ages in the Big Room, c. 1941; photo by Ansel Adams

Number 2: you’re near Roswell, New Mexico. You know what that means. Make a stop at the International UFO Museum and Research Center to explore your alien curiosity or grab some great knickknacks featuring little green men.

There are some other museums and parks in the Roswell area worth considering, including art museums, an aviation museum, and a number of wildlife refuges and bird sanctuaries. Check out some of the options here: Roswell Area Attractions. If you’re up for going out a little further, also consider: Carlsbad Area Attractions, and if you’re up for a real jaunt, consider White Sands National Monument and the White Sands Missile Range Museum.

Agate Collecting in Colorado – Wolf Creek Pass Zeolites

Posted on November 14, 2012 by rocky

Near the border of Archuleta County in Colorado, Wolf Creek Pass and Treasure Mountain contain a deposit of silicates and zeolites that have made their way into mineral collections around the world. The collecting area, spread out over the rocky mountainside, is often referred to as Wolf Creek Pass. However, Wolf Creek Pass is actually a 10,000 foot mountain pass that wraps around Treasure Mountain and follows the Wolf Creek. The mountain does not bear gold or jewels, but the volcanic basalt deposits are near a very photogenic waterfall, Treasure Falls. Surrounded by scenic views, this basalt deposit is one of the most thrilling areas of Colorado. Hotels.com has great deals on hotels around Wolf Creek Pass, Colorado

Quartz specimen with banded agate and a crystal center with a slight purple hue.
Photo by Mathew Marulla (marulla.com)

Treasure Mountain is named after the legendary stash of gold, left behind by a French expedition in 1790. Several search parties have tried to find the fortune of gold bars acquired from a gold deposit near the Peak of Treasure Mountain, but none have been successful in finding the bars or the deposit.

Much of the collecting area is adjacent to highway route 160 and in the boulders and exposed rock of the mountainside just north of the falls. The mineralized area is fairly large and boulders containing the material have been distributed across the area, both naturally and due to the construction of route 160 and Wolf Creek Pass. In fact, due to the close proximity to Archeuleta county to the south, part of the deposit crosses this manmade border separating the counties which only serves to cause confusion in geographic labeling of specimens from this deposit.

Map of the Agate and Zeolite locations around Wolf Creek.

Rounded amygdaloids fill the voids in the volcanic deposit of basalt, as with many occurences. These host crystals of quartz and about half a dozen zeolite minerals.

The quartz and agate are similar to that found in many other volcanic silica deposits. The agate is typically clear, white and/or shades of blue, often with alternating layers that make it desirable for lapidary use. Some have crystallized centers. Typically the crystals form on a layer of agate, which varies in thickness from miniscule shells to thick rinds. Sometimes the crystals are amethyst, making attractive specimens on dark colored volcanic matrix. Though the agate and quartz found here do not rival that found at many other locations, it is one of only a few still open for collecting.

Of course, the zeolite species are what makes the location a true Colorado classic. Analcime is typically found as very small crystals usually below 1 cm in size. However, at one location, analcime is found up to 3.5 cm. Chabazite occurs here, but not in crystals larger than a few millimeters in size. Heulandite is sometimes found as crystals up to 5 cm across. However, typically the crystals are only millimeters in size, lining the cavities and serving as matrix to other minerals. One such mineral is mordenite, which is found as well formed clusters of white fibers. These clusters, up to a few centimeters in size, were referred to as being one of the best locations for the species in the United States for many years.

Mordenite crystals in a vug of basalt
Photo by Mathew Marulla (marulla.com)

Mordenite Crystals up to 2 cm long can be found at the location
Photo by Mathew Marulla (marulla.com)

Other associated minerals include globular common opal, small rhombs of calcite, and small pyrite crystals. The locality is also a classic locality for the clay minerals celadonite and nontronite, which form in abundance. Laumonite, natrolite and wellsite also occur in the deposit, but they occur rarely and only as small crystals

Isolated Heulandite crystal on matrix. Specimen size is 6 millimeters
Photo by Luigi Mattei

Several voids filled with celadonite overall size 10 x 5 x 3 cm.
Photo by Martins da Pedra

Due to the vast deposit and mountain conditions, this source of colorful quartz, agate and zeolites will always exist in the mountains of Colorado. Maybe the lack of gold is a bit disappointing for a mountain with such high aspirations, but to many mineral collectors around the world, the real treaures are the mineral collecting opportunities and the often-visited Treasure Falls.

If you enjoyed this article, it was originally printed in The-Vug.com Magazine, which was released as a hardcover coffee table book, collecting all 16 issues of the original magazine. It is 324 pages, hardcover and full color, available directly from the publisher at FortySevenPress.com For $34.95, it is full of great photos, articles, collecting locations and more! Get your copy to add to your mineral book library!

Cummingtonite – We know you were looking for iron rich amphiboles…

Posted on November 1, 2012 by rocky

As mineral collectors on the internet know, the jokes can often lead back to one mineral.
Cummingtonite. Eliciting snickers in a room of freshmen geologists (and honestly, still getting chuckles from aged field geologists under the right conditions). Lately it is the most popular iron rich amphibole mineral to be searched for on Google. We all know when we see that fact it is not because people are looking for their favorite ugly brown rock! Most minerals are searched for their beauty, this mineral can only claim its name as the claim to fame.

Cummingtonite is a rather uncommon mineral, hailing from the riverside on the far western edge of Cummington, Massachusetts. Here is a sample of the mysterious brown crusty amphibole they were mining. Scratching their heads, someone noticed this as an unknown mineral and dubbed it Cummingtonite, in honor of the town it was found. This is often the case, such as Elbaite, Annabergite, and Boleite.

This specimen pictured is from the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences. It shows a chunk of brown radiating crystals with embedded garnets. Donated by a prominent American Mineralogist Charles Upham Shepard, a man who submitted the approvals for Danburite, Microlite and others. He had one of the largest collections of minerals in the United States, donating specimens to various museums in life and death. He was a well respected lecturer on subjects of Natural History. Charles Upham Shepard graduated from Amherst College in 1924, the same year that Cummingtoite was accredited.

1824. Cummingtonite. (Dewey.)
“I have here given this name to a mineral found by ‘Dr. J. Porter in
Cummington. It appears to bo a variety of epidote. Its color is gray,
sometimes with a faint reddish tinge, unless when acted on by the
weather, when its color is yellowish. It is in distinct prisms, with oblique
seams like’ zoisite, and in radiated or fascicled masses, which are com-
posed of slender prisms. Luster somewhat shining or pearly. It is nearly
as hard as quartz, and sometimes makes a slight impression upon rock
crystal. Before the blowpipe it blackens, and a small portion melts, when
the heat is very great, into a black slag, which ik attracted by the mag-
net. With quartz and garnet .it forms a largo mass in Cummington.”
C. Dewey : Geol. Min. Mass.; Am. Jour. Sci., 1st series, Vol. VIII, p, 59.
1824. Cummingtonite. Lies by the roadside in the east part of
Cumnimgton.
Known to the common people for several years under the name.of copperas
rock; occasionally used in dyeing as a substitute for sulphate of
iron.
J. Porter: Min. Loc.; Am. Jonr. Sci., 1st series, Vol. VIII, p. 233.

Cummingtonite, the inspiration for snickers, memes and lame t-shirts, has a much more benign beginning!

With your knowledge of what Cummingtonite is, beyond a cleaver play on words, now I will tell you how you can go collect your very own specimen, along with brightly colored Lepidolite mica, UV reactive opal hyalite and shiny Hematite crystals. Far off in the desert of Arizona, nobody will hear your terrible off color humor besides your collecting partners. If you’ve ever been collecting petrified wood with a group of geologists who loudly exclaim “I’VE GOT WOOD!”, you have an idea of what to expect.

The location to collect Cummingtonite is just off to the north of the BBC Mine, a half hour away from Parker, Arizona.
The area is a wonderland of mineral collecting, with the BBC mine area boasting FINE crystals of Hematite, sometimes assosicated with Chrysocolla. Further to the North is the Planet area, filled with Barite, Malachite, Chrysocolla and all sorts of beautiful minerals. Fluorite, Gold and more copper minerals are found within 20 miles of this location, so beyond the oddball amphibole Cummingtonite, there are plenty of reasons to visit this area!

The location is a simple series of trenches, where you can find a very odd form of Lepidolite, normally known as being bright purple, here it is yellow. The hematite at the cummingtonite location is not nearly as nice as the hematite at the BBC mine. <---click to view photos on MinDat.org

The material from here is not even a tenth as nice as the crunchy material from Massachusetts, however, being able to collect your own specimen of this odd, uncommon material, is something to get excited about! 😉

If you would like a more “in-depth” view into this collecting location, let me advise you to check out the excellent Android App that will guide you to several locations around the Quartzsite/Parker area. Download this Android App for $4.99

We love you readers so much that we provided a google map pointing you to the locations.

View Cummingtonite and BBC Mine in a larger map

And I’m not completely innocent on the juvenile jokes…I am the proud owner of a Dickite specimen from Beaver Creek. 😉

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