Diamond Hill 7-23-11

Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:52 pm

I braved the heat a humidity and went back to Diamond Hill on Sunday. Man was is brutal. I took me a beach umbrella to dig under but it was still awful..Here is a pic of the best piece that I have ever found anywhere.

I have gold fever for sure but got the rock flu as well. Happy Hunting!

Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:54 pm

It looks great but to us laymen (ones with no clue) what is it?

Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:58 pm

Its an amethyst and smokey quartz cluster...the purple in the amethyst is better seen in person.

Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 7:05 pm

very nice and thanks for explaining what it is.

Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 7:16 pm

That is just flat out awesome!!!

Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 7:46 pm

Southern Prospector wrote:

That is just flat out awesome!!!

Thanks Shay. I didn't even know how cool it was until i got it home and cleaned it up. Its like opening up Christmas presents when you get everything home and wash them off. The mud is packed tight between the crystals so all you see is just the tips. I have a couple I've picked out for your shop.

Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 9:03 pm

thats a nice cluster their mitch!

at some point I want to take some time off from gold for a bit and do some gem hunting and what not.

might go to hiddenite(sp?)

Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 9:10 pm

I wouldn't go to Hiddenite if you want to find native gems. If you go to the creek all you will find is cheap crap that they dumped in there. The only way to find anything native is do the digging. I spent every weekend for three months there digging and found a few low quality quartz crystals. From what I have heard from good sources is that there are emeralds there but they are more like 40 to 60 feet below your feet. Good luck with that. First you have 10 to 12 feet of clay...they two or so feet of weathered rock than solid bedrock the rest of the way.

Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 11:08 pm

mitchnc wrote:

I wouldn't go to Hiddenite if you want to find native gems. If you go to the creek all you will find is cheap crap that they dumped in there. The only way to find anything native is do the digging. I spent every weekend for three months there digging and found a few low quality quartz crystals. From what I have heard from good sources is that there are emeralds there but they are more like 40 to 60 feet below your feet. Good luck with that. First you have 10 to 12 feet of clay...they two or so feet of weathered rock than solid bedrock the rest of the way.

lol that doesnt sound like a fun dig to me..

i've actually found most of my gemstones right in greensboro nc...go figure eh. I did read about a guy who found a massive sized emerald at hiddenite...I think it was some kind of record? I have seen alot of awesome gemstones both precious and semi precious ones while prospecting. Alot of people find them in their classifiers/pan but dont know what they have...and you know how hard some of them are to identify in raw form. I got a good book on gemstones and precious metals as well as a gem field guide that is pretty good.

Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 7:53 am

WOW really nice!!!!

Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 3:38 pm

What a monster! I bet you were super happy. That is one of the nicest finds I have seen. Thanks for the post.

Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 9:55 pm

Has anyone been to the Jacksons Crossroads amethyst mine in Tignall Ga?

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 12:21 pm

Astrobouncer wrote:

What a monster! I bet you were super happy. That is one of the nicest finds I have seen. Thanks for the post.

Yes I was super happy. Didn't know how nice it was until I got it home and cleaned it up. I have load of skeletal quartz that I was able to dig straight from the vein.

Dredger Joined: 22 May 2010 Posts: 605

mitchnc wrote:

I wouldn't go to Hiddenite if you want to find native gems. If you go to the creek all you will find is cheap crap that they dumped in there. The only way to find anything native is do the digging. I spent every weekend for three months there digging and found a few low quality quartz crystals. From what I have heard from good sources is that there are emeralds there but they are more like 40 to 60 feet below your feet. Good luck with that. First you have 10 to 12 feet of clay...they two or so feet of weathered rock than solid bedrock the rest of the way.

Of course, it helps to know where to dig...we are going to find out this month...eh, Mitch!

Sam

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 9:34 am

You know it Sam! Wink

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:08 am

shhhhhhhh....... Wink

hope to meet ya'll in the hole.

-Dave