The following project review provides historical and geologic information concerning the amazonite/smoky quartz occurrence at the Two Point Mine and the efforts of Collectors Edge Minerals, Inc. (CEMI) to conduct specimen mining and recovery during the 1996-1997 season. The hole was deepened and a nice pegmatite dike was exposed, the source of the color. It is along the edges of these intrusions where some of the better specimens can be found. Allanite, Astrophyllite, Epidote, Garnets, Hyalite Opal, Hornblende, Magnetite, Sphene, etc. In three different areas on the mine property, it was observed that when pegmatites intersect the north-south faults they commonly thicken into lenses, and often produce pockets. It is the responsibility of each rockhound to obtain permission from a landowner to search and/or collect on a piece of property. Top 5 Rockhounding Spots In Colorado Wolf Creek Pass: US 160, also known as Wolf Creek Pass, can be a challenging drive. Cherry Creek was one of the first places early prospectors found gold in Colorado. Also, most pieces had only one repair. Jack Buckner, owner of the Two Point Mine, holds a beautiful specimen just completed. Its formed by the displacement of a wood buried under sediment. While the internet is a fantastic resource to access information on rockhounding Colorado and network with fellow enthusiasts, its hard to beat the convenience, reliability, and knowledge associated with an in-depth guidebook. Snag a few pocket-sized baubles that catch your eye, or load actual buckets of finds for a tiny fee. In October, Graham Sutton drills, blasts and deepens Pit B, yielding nothing. Hundreds of pieces ranging in quality from excellent to rubble now have to be carefully sorted and cleaned. Though most weekend prospectors did not stake claims on the public land on which they found specimens, some did stake and file claims to prevent others from encroaching on their property. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; Thelma Hurianek holding a large amazonite crystal. Photo by Dave Roter. By the middle of October, blasting work was completed and the pits were reclaimed and re-seeded. Though many weekend prospectors have combed hillsides digging with hand tools, few have had the resources to mine these valuable specimens with mechanized equipment. This site contains affiliate links to products. Photo by Jared Heiden . By the end of June, the Tree Root Pocket was finally empty. Circa 1980. About 3 meters down, the unconsolidated granite gave way to hard rock and the digging was discontinued. 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). As always, take care never to go underground when searching. A wide variety of rocks and minerals can be found including rhodonite, amethyst, sphalerite, agate, garnet, fluorite, and fossils. The adventurous rock hound wanting to venture further in search of lovely stones and crystals should go to www.peaktopeak.com/colorado/index.php3, an excellent Web site where you can access locations and availability for any mineral. Looking for suggestions on how to clean up these Amazonite pieces. I will be visiting Colorado towards the end of next week. And as an Amazon Associate, we earn a commission on qualifying purchases after clicking on those links, at no additional cost to you. crystal peak colorado rockhounding. 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. Amphibole, Chalcopyrite, Corundum, Epidote, Pyrite, Muscovite, Quartz crystals, Sagenitic Quartz, Sapphire, etc. (Find Of a Lifetime! The limited success of Pit C however, provided enough incentive to continue operations into 1997. The State Line Kimberlite District, Colorado & Wyoming, USA While small compared to the great diamond-bearing [], The Collector's Edge Minerals Inc. P.O. Pit B, the original discovery pit of Two Point Mine, did not yield anything but broken quartz crystals. Found some Amazonite near Crystal Peak. Once a discarded byproduct by an early silver mine, it has now become highly sought after. Thus, the Two Point Mine sits among some ne company within the amazonite district; its location being center stage to several historic discoveries. Late in the summer, the difficult cleaning work begins to yield some outstanding specimens. Claims are typically 182 m wide and 457 m in length. Several of the amazonite plates contained snow-white albite balls that measured to 4 cm and two pieces contained 1.5 cm cassiterite crystals. Bill Kazel operates a Caterpillar 977 crawler/loader to remove overburden and expose the pegmatites. A view of the west wall of Pit C. At one point, four different pegmatites were exposed in the face. Two kilometers northeast of the Two Point Mine lay the 10 Percenter claim, site of the famous Key Hole Pocket mined in 1985. Over another 40 million years other magma intrusions, containing minerals different than the original intrusion, pushed their way into the existing granite, remelting it and forming cores containing the mineralization we see today. Amethyst geodes, Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper, Moonstone, Quartz crystals. Some of the groups and families that own these allow rockhound clubs onto the property, but there are no guarantees. (1) A stream valley is carved into the sedimentary rocks of the Pogonip Group. Pegamite, a gem-bearing granitic formation, is what youll be looking for. Due to its location, its often found alongside other gemstones in Colorado. "A Fruitful Field for the Specimen. Pikes Peak is another place where topaz can sometimes be found. improvement in digging and repair techniques during the l990s, the potential for future important large nds is very good. Recreation Activities. Given the. Though effort continued beyond 1997, only the first two years are summarized here. 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. It was . Although it polishes beautifully, it's unfortunately too brittle and soft for jewelry use. In June, 1997, a beautiful pocket of blue-green microcline (v. amazonite) specimens was discovered in the classic Lake George, Colorado amazonite mining area. Mineral County is certainly deserving of its name, and has long been a destination for hopeful rockhounds. This is a full-blown adventure, which is great but it also means a lot of planning on your end. This magma remained and cooled to form the Pikes Peak granite about 1.5 km below the surface. Then pack a pick and shovel and head out to those beautiful, productive areas that are open to collecting. The area is marked by a small brown sign. 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. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; Agate and jasper, amazonite crystals, blue barite, feldspar, fluorite, garnet, geodes, opal, rhodochrosite, quartz crystal, topaz and tourmaline are just some of the specimens that rockhounds can add to their collections. Unfortunately for rockhounds, the law prohibits them from publishing their names or contact information online. Pikes Peak is one of the prime areas for rock collecting in Colorado, and one of the few thats also famous outside of the state. It is your responsibility to know the rockhounding laws and regulations for each site you visit. It is, simply put, the most comprehensive and easy-to-understand rock identification system youll find anywhere. The discovery came after three summers of exploration, test trenching, and open pit mining. The tree root wound completely through the pocket to its very end, wedging and forcing the plates in all directions. No kidding, this thing is around 3 feet long! However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Blog Introduction: Rockhounding is the hobby of collecting rocks and minerals. Search in the southern areas near this mine, and you will find plenty of geodes of all sizes. Thanks! Of course, with the mountainous terrain comes the complications of weather and accessibility. The mine dump is visible one-quarter mile south of the highway on a low hill across Trout Creek. Careful pocket documentation and repair work will yield higher percentages of ne specimens than ever before. Within a week, the pocket had opened up to 2 meters wide and about 1.7 meters deep. It is in the Tenmile Range, which extends from Peak 1 near Breckenridge south to the Continental Divide, where the same range becomes known as the "Mosquito" Range. Youll have to either know someone or find one of the unclaimed areas to get your own specimens. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; The ownership and status of land can and does change frequently, making it impossible to document accurate information on this page. East of the town of Kremmling, enthusiasts have access to regulated collection of petrified wood on BLM-managed lands. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; Birdseye Marble Quarry. If youre interested in getting started with rockhounding, this blog post is for you. The opening only reached 20 cm high. The broken root (left center) was followed directly into the pocket. Jasper Topaz Mountain. Photos (6,647) Directions. Albite, Ankerite, Chlorite, Diopside, Epidote, Garnet, Lazurite, Magnetite, Stilbite, Talc, etc. If it is a large pocket, thousands of quartz shards spill out mixed with some microcline fragments. They are generally lighter brown in colored mounts that line the hillside. Once youve found a good spot to start rockhounding, its time to start collecting! Four or ve of these faults will group in parallel forming a fault system having a total width of 3 meters. Its found primarily in a few mountain ranges in central Colorado. Follow posted signage and always get permission from the landowner to collect. You wouldnt be amiss for thinking theyre an actual piece of wood. This area was filled and reclaimed. This indispensable guide features: Clear maps and directions Detailed descriptive text Numerous site photos In some areas, the faults are no more than thin planer features cutting through the surrounding granite. Careful water ushing reveals the delicate crystal plates, which then may be removed. Most of the crystal group dismemberment involved the separation of amazonite from quartz. The other is a slightly ner grained pink granite covering the southwestern portion of the claim. The Two Points steep terrain and hard rock kept serious development from occurring until 1995. This site contains a detailed process for accessing as much information as possible through these means. To this day, enthusiasts can still collect gold specimens themselves around the state, just dont expect to strike it rich. The formation has basically divided the area into a lower and upper unit. Inside, the pocket may be open airspace or, if near surface, completely lled with clay. The color is best described as deep blue-green, one of the nest amazonite colors. Back at the Collectors Edge cleaning lab in Golden, Colorado, Bryan Lees reviews the contents of the Tree Root Pocket. 1997 turned out to be the year of discovery at the Two Point Mine. Get to know this 12.1-mile loop trail near Breckenridge, Colorado. Pikes Peak is a bucket list location for many rockhounds. Market acceptability of nely-repaired specimens will give the eld collector the incentive to save and repair important pieces. Weekend rock hound, Chuck Baldwin, holding a nice amazonite crystal just removed from a pocket on Hurianeks property. The Tree Root Pocket contained possibly the highest number of ne amazonite and smoky quartz groups ever documented from the Lake George region from a single pocket. Note the hard graphic granite layers above and below the pocket opening. Care should be taken to respect private property and the claims within the national forest. The pegmatite bending made following pegmatites a difficult job and care had to be taken not to dig too fast for risk of injuring a good pocket.
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