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Do any of you wander around looking for rare minerals and rare earths? I just began researching my area a lot lately and found way more gold mines and gemstone mines I could have possibly thought.
My goal is to find the ruins of mining camps, trams and equipment first. But looking for that special rock takes so much work so I would love to see who prospects for fun or for a career. Maybe share some knowledge here
I found my first gemstone a few days ago. Its Purple Fluorite.
I use to rockhounds up in the hills and found quarts Crystal's. Hessonite(orange garnets)epotote,auxinite,pyrite, tourmaline,gold,wire gold,kyanite and calcite. Nothing of much value but love any excuse to meander around in the cascades. Bought some gold nuggets(way cheaper than finding them) and some mineral specimens.
TnskiI use to rockhounds up in the hills and found quarts Crystal's. Hessonite(orange garnets)epotote,auxinite,pyrite, tourmaline,gold,wire gold,kyanite and calcite. Nothing of much value but love any excuse to meander around in the cascades. Bought some gold nuggets(way cheaper than finding them) and some mineral specimens.
How is buying gold cheaper than finding it?(assuming you are wandering around where the gold is anyways). I should put some time in and do a little panning this summer. There’s gold in dem hills
Op ruins should be pretty easy to find. Dudes were all about documenting their claim and ops and then lazy about cleaning up so they left tons of gear. One shaft I found is perfectly square and right by a waterfall. I’m not going in there tho. Who knows why it was abandoned or if the old schoolers even had a clue about safety
On average I would spend 25$ in gas round trip and spend on average six hours panning and at the end of the day I would find about four dollars in gold.
So 4$÷6hours=66 cents per hour
25$÷6hour=4.66$an hour so it cost 4.66$an hour to find 66 cents in gold. That's why it's cheaper to work at something else and buy a nugget of gold.
OregonDeadHow is buying gold cheaper than finding it?(assuming you are wandering around where the gold is anyways). I should put some time in and do a little panning this summer. There’s gold in dem hills
OregonDeadOp ruins should be pretty easy to find. Dudes were all about documenting their claim and ops and then lazy about cleaning up so they left tons of gear. One shaft I found is perfectly square and right by a waterfall. I’m not going in there tho. Who knows why it was abandoned or if the old schoolers even had a clue about safety
The BC Ministry has 2 great sources of documentations. They even give a complete description of the minerals extracted or even prospected. However, yesterday I found a undocumented mine tunnel. I did not enter the cave (for all the preachers), but stumbling upon it was quite a rush.
I have a confined space entry course for work. I have to inspect the condition of void spaces on commercial ships. There are so many more risks than a confined space. Shit like oxygen levels and possible toxic organic may be present...not even mentioning the dust. Most mines were stripped and have nothing interesting inside anyway.
I do recommend looking around. Its like a scavanger hunt without precise coordinates and the terrain is near impossible to move around. The knowledge Ive picked up about geology and mineral chemistry is so fascinating and quite practical. Remeber boys: Women love shiny rocks!
theabortionatorDamn, why did nobody else ever think to look for gold?
Its still there! 200 years of erosion on a 40 degree slope will uncover hidden veins or ore that fell down the mountain.
Today I found Molybdenum ore at an old mining site. Found some silvery flakes on a pyrite bearing quartz. Sadly, I wanted some uraninite and could not identify the mineral on site. Stuff looks like molybdenum too.
freestyler540Its still there! 200 years of erosion on a 40 degree slope will uncover hidden veins or ore that fell down the mountain.Today I found Molybdenum ore at an old mining site. Found some silvery flakes on a pyrite bearing quartz. Sadly, I wanted some uraninite and could not identify the mineral on site. Stuff looks like molybdenum too.
I'm just fucking around. Actually a big fan of American history, Industrial Revolution , the Civil War, Gold Rush, westward expansion. Also have a lot of friends that mine, buy/sell gems for a living.
Seems like a lot of people think they're going to go out and pick nuggets the size of their fist out of streams tomorrow.
Haven't made it to sutters mill but planning to stop by sometime this spring. Also was chatting to roommate about going out and panning for gold sometime. Not to make any money but to have that physical experience.
Good luck to you though, there's def stuff out there, finding it not that easy, and a bunch of other people looking. But if you enjoy it and you're more than breaking even that's a damn decent hobby. Send 'er
theabortionatorI'm just fucking around. Actually a big fan of American history, Industrial Revolution , the Civil War, Gold Rush, westward expansion. Also have a lot of friends that mine, buy/sell gems for a living.Seems like a lot of people think they're going to go out and pick nuggets the size of their fist out of streams tomorrow.
Haven't made it to sutters mill but planning to stop by sometime this spring. Also was chatting to roommate about going out and panning for gold sometime. Not to make any money but to have that physical experience.
Good luck to you though, there's def stuff out there, finding it not that easy, and a bunch of other people looking. But if you enjoy it and you're more than breaking even that's a damn decent hobby. Send 'er
Im also surprised just how the field of geology is complex. You can read thousands of books, get a doctorate and still come up empty handed after searching. Founding out that the West Kootenays is a 300 million year old volcano blew my mind.
Prospecting has a huge educational value, a great way to get fresh air and pick up rocks that are rare to find.
Panning is boring as shit. Plus rivers and river beds tend to be impassable. I think there is a better probability to find something by walking up the creek and keeping an eye on the quartz.
freestyler540Im also surprised just how the field of geology is complex. You can read thousands of books, get a doctorate and still come up empty handed after searching. Founding out that the West Kootenays is a 300 million year old volcano blew my mind.Prospecting has a huge educational value, a great way to get fresh air and pick up rocks that are rare to find.
Panning is boring as shit. Plus rivers and river beds tend to be impassable. I think there is a better probability to find something by walking up the creek and keeping an eye on the quartz.
I wanted to dig in Africa but ended up being too lazy. There are some decent spots though and some killer deals to be had on gems from roadside shops in nowheresville.
My first geology job was almost a remote gold prospecting job in Alaska but I couldn’t cuz some of the work was in Canada and I had a recent DUI.
I live in Colorado so gem prospecting is something I should do as a hobbie, but I got too damn many of those for the little free time I have available already. God life is short. No idea how some people manage to be bored
One of my good friends has a few claims in Newfoundland. He mostly collects labradorite, and makes things out of the minerals he finds. This is his website. https://www.islandstonedesigns.com/