CompuServe Thread

Hi, Linda– Welcome to the forum/section! I do not know if it is close enough, but western Arkansas boasts Crater of Diamonds state park, and Mt. Ida collecting areas for quartz nearby. Several of us went to Crater of Diamonds and came up empty, but one woman that day found several grain-of-rice diamonds. You did say any size :), and they could be called colorful when showing their play of colors. A rank novice likely has near as good a chance as a seasoned rockhound in finding anything there – for $4 apiece (last year at least) they turn you loose in a plowed field to crawl, sift, wash, or walk as you like. Bringing a seive, trowel or small shovel, perhaps a magnifier headset if you have one, rake, spray bottle of water or similar tools would be a good idea. If you give up there, one or another Mt. Ida location is likely to be a sure thing for finding some quartz crystals. I have not tried these myself. –Doug

Linda, There are lots of ways of getting more involved in field collecting. Perhpas the easiest is to find people in your area who are knowledgeable and who are willing to share info with you. Try the yellow pages to see whether there are any rock shops near you. The proprietor may know of local clubs and collectors who can direct you to localities. Join a good mineral club that has an active field collecting schedule. Another way to find out where the local clubs are is to check out the April issue (every year) of Lapidary Journal. It lists almost all the clubs in the US, Canada, and most of the rest of the world. Go to the library to see whether there are collecting guidebooks for your area. Write to your state's geological survey. Many states' geological surveys have good publications for collectors. Check out a federal document depository library for bulletins, professional papers, etc., of the U.S. Geological Survey. It may have helpful articles on the geology and mineralogy of the area of interest. This takes a lot of time, but it can be very rewarding. The publications often have good maps showing prospects, mines, and quarries. Good Luck and Be Careful! Nathan A. Schachtman nschacht@omni.voicenet.com

Linda, As an after thought to my last message, I realized that I may have done some collecting within the 400 mile radius of which you spoke. I collected zeolites and wire pyrites at Sugar Grove, West Virginia (Pendleton County). This locality was written up in a recent issue of Rocks and MInerals magazine. Subscribe to a good rockcollectors' magazine. Or two, or three. If you must subscribe to only one, subscribe to Lanny Ream's Mineral News. It is especially authoritative and publishes only the best articles by the best authors. (How was that, Lanny?) On the subject of magazines, they all have annual and cumulative indices, organized by topic, author, and country and state for their articles. So check the indices for the states and areas of interest. Nathan