In Idaho, Opal is the second largest contributor to the total value of gem material produced. The varieties produced include precious (white and pink), yellow, blue, pink, and common. The Spencer Opal Mine, the largest privately owned gem stone producer in the State, is the major producer of Opal.
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Where can I mine opals in Idaho?
The small town of Spencer in eastern Idaho is often referred to as “The Opal Capital of America”. After all, it’s here you’ll find the largest opal mine in the state—Spencer Opal Mine—where you can dig for your own opals.
What gemstones can be found in Idaho?
The most important gems produced to date have been garnet and opal. Notable amounts of jade, topaz, zircon, and tourmaline have also been found in Idaho. Agate, jasper, and petrified wood in many colors and patterns have been found and produced from small deposits in many parts of the state.
What states have opals?
Opals: – These are mainly found in the states of Nevada, Oregon and Idaho. In Virgin Valley in Nevada there are black fire opals. Oregon is also famous for its Thundereggs and Sunstones.
Where can I dig up opals?
Rockhounds have been flocking to the Virgin Valley to dig up precious black opals since the early 1900s. You can do the same when you pay a visit to Bonanza Opal Mine near Denio, Nevada. Surrounded by wide open spaces and rugged scenery, the opal mine is as remote as can be. However, it’s SO worth the journey.
Where can I go rockhounding in Idaho?
Other varieties of garnet including almandine are also relatively common throughout the Idaho panhandle, as are opal, quartz, and many other desirable rock and mineral varieties.
Idaho Panhandle Rockhounding Sites.
| Location | Rocks & Minerals |
|---|---|
| Deadwood Gulch | Garnet, Gold |
| Emerald and Ruby Creeks | Garnet |
Can you dig for gems in Idaho?
Idaho gems can be found throughout the state, particularly in mining sites and stream beds.Throughout the state there are numerous and popular gem-hunting spots where enthusiasts can find deposits of corundum, jasper, agate, opal, garnet, topaz and zircon.
Where can I find geodes in Idaho?
According to the Gemstone Guide on the Idaho Department of Lands website, quartz-lined geodes can be found in the upper valley of Lost River in Custer County, near the DeLamar Silver Mine in Owyhee County, and northwest of the town of Weiser, Idaho in Washington County.
What is the Idaho State gem?
Star Garnet
One fabulous exception to this limited availability is the official state gem, the “Star Garnet,” a beautiful stone found in some abundance only in Idaho and India. Look for your very own 4-ray or 6-ray star garnet at the Emerald Creek garnet area in northern Idaho operated by the U.S. Forest Service.
What is opal worth?
Once categorized, opals are sold in price per carat, or weight. Because there are so many opal fields in Australia, there really is no singular form of opal. This means that opal costs can vary from about $10 per carat to approximately $6,000 per carat.
What is the rarest gemstone?
Musgravite. Musgravite was discovered in 1967 and is arguably the rarest gemstone in the world. It was first discovered in Musgrave Ranges, Australia, and later found in Madagascar and Greenland.
Where are black opals found?
Black opals are exceptionally rare in that they are known to form in only one place: Australia. In fact, most of the opals found on the continent are from the town of Lightning Ridge.
Can you mine opal?
Opal is one of the few minerals which can be extracted economically by a miner working alone. The simplest form of mining, carried out in the early days of opal mining, is by shaft sinking with a pick and shovel. A shaft is sunk straight down until some promising “opal dirt” is discovered.
Where is the rainbow mine?
Mine Overview
The Rainbow Gold Mine is near Alleghany, California. Historically the site has been associated with the Alleghany Mining District which is now part of the Tahoe National Forest.
How can you tell an opal from a rock?
Most genuine solid opals have an irregularity in this area – curved or bumpy due to their natural formation – whereas a man-made stone will be perfectly flat because the two sections are flattened so they can be glued together. Be especially wary if the opal is set in jewellery and you cannot see its back or side.
What to look for to find opals?
Opal of many kinds – black, grey, white, crystal – can be found in seam formations. Seam is more abundant than nobby opal and is found in sedimentary deposits at Lightning Ridge, the Grawin-Glengarry-Sheepyard area, White Cliffs, Coober Pedy and the other South Australian opal fields.
Is it legal to take rocks in Idaho?
Collecting is not specifically prohibited or restricted. Your collecting activities result in no more than minor disturbance of the public lands. Equipment is limited to hand tools and metal detectors. You may not use explosives or motorized/mechanical devices such as earthmoving equipment.
Can you find crystals in Idaho?
What Rocks and Crystal Can You Find in Idaho? Idaho certainly has a variety of rocks, crystals, and gemstones that would interest any rockhound. From diamonds, rubies, emeralds, gold, sapphires to geodes, topaz, turquoise, opals, obsidian, amethyst, agates, jades, jasper, garnets, quartz crystals, and petrified wood.
How do you go rockhounding?
Connect with Your Local Rock and Mineral Club(s)
There may be organized trips or activities that you can join, or you might be able to find an experienced club member who is willing to take you out rockhounding. Clubs are also very useful for accessing reference materials.
Are there diamonds in Idaho?
Idaho is rich in industrial minerals.Agates, jade, opal, garnet (pink, green, and red), and diamonds-to name a few-have all been found in Idaho. It is believed the biggest diamond ever found in the United States – weighing nineteen and one-half carats – was found between McCall and New Meadows.
Where in Idaho are diamonds found?
Diamonds in Idaho…
The biggest diamond ever found in the U.S. was found between McCall and New Meadows.
