Gem Mining & Rockhounding Guides

Plain-English guides to finding gems, gold, crystals and fossils in the US. Every guide cites government agencies, state geological surveys, state parks or official mine websites, and never guesses at hours or fees.

• Gem Mining for Beginners: What to Expect at a Pay-to-Dig MineA beginner's guide to gem mining in the US: how pay-to-dig mines work, buckets vs. digging, what you can keep,
• How to Pan for Gold, Step by StepHow to pan for gold step by step: where gold settles in a stream, how to work a pan, black sand, and the feder
• Salted vs. Native Gem Mine BucketsSalted (enriched) vs. native gem mine buckets explained: what each means, how to tell, which mines say they se
• Rockhounding Laws on US Public LandWhere you can legally collect rocks, minerals, petrified wood and fossils in the US: BLM, national forest, nat
• How to Identify Common Gem Mine and Rockhounding FindsIdentify what you found at a gem mine or rockhounding site: quartz, garnet, agate, jasper, corundum, emerald,
• North Carolina Gem Mines: Where to Dig and What You Can FindGuide to gem mining in North Carolina: rubies and sapphires near Franklin, emeralds and hiddenite in Alexander
• Montana Sapphire Mining: Yogo, Spokane Bar and Gem MountainMontana sapphire mining guide: Yogo sapphires, the gravel deposits you can wash, how Spokane Bar and Gem Mount
• Arkansas Quartz Crystal Digging: Where to Go and How It WorksHow to dig quartz crystals in Arkansas: the Ouachita quartz belt, Wegner and Ron Coleman mines, tools, cleanin
• Herkimer Diamonds: What They Are and How to Dig Your OwnHerkimer diamonds are double-terminated quartz crystals from Herkimer County, NY. Learn the geology, how minin
• Gold Panning in Alaska and California: Where You Can Pan LegallyWhere to pan for gold in Alaska and California: state recreational mining areas, Marshall Gold Discovery, BLM
• Rock Tumbling for Beginners: A Step-by-Step GuideBeginner's guide to rock tumbling: choosing rocks, the four grit stages, how long each stage takes, cleaning b
• Metal Detecting for Gold: A Beginner's GuideBeginner's guide to metal detecting for gold nuggets: how gold detectors differ, where detecting is legal on B
• Sluice Box vs. Gold Pan: Which One Do You Need?Sluice box or gold pan? How each works, how much gravel each processes, where sluices are banned on public lan
• Gem Mining Trip Checklist: What to BringPrintable gem mining and rockhounding trip checklist: tools, clothing, safety gear, documents, and the rules t
• Gem Mining with Kids: A Family GuideHow to plan a gem mining trip with kids: which activities suit which ages, what to bring, safety at flumes and
• Fossil Hunting in the US: Where and How You Can Legally CollectWhere you can legally collect fossils in the US: BLM rules for invertebrates and petrified wood, national park
• Geode Hunting: Where to Find Geodes and How to Open ThemHow to find and open geodes: BLM geode beds in Utah and California, how to recognize a geode, opening methods,
• Thundereggs and Oregon RockhoundingGuide to Oregon rockhounding: thundereggs (the state rock), the BLM Oregon Sunstone Public Collection Area, fo
• Historic Mine Tours: Go Underground SafelyGuide to historic mine tours in the US: Quincy copper mine, Lackawanna and Portal 31 coal mines, Reed and Big
• Getting Your Gem Mine Finds Cut or FacetedHow to turn rough stones from a gem mine into finished gems: faceting vs. cabochons, which finds are worth cut