FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[derekwil]

Hi there,

I remember when I was a child I use to love collecting shiny rocks and smash them open to find the suprises within. Since then I have pretty much lost interest in any mineral collecting. I can't explain why. Maybe just a lack of interest and time. I don't know what it was, but after taking my three young boys to the museum of natural history something rekindled insided of me. The fascination and beauty of each specien suddenly took me back to when I was younger. My sons were full of questions regarding the many mineral and gem displays. I wish I had a lot of the answers for them. These days I'm getting ready to join the Tidewater Gem and Mineral club that often offer trips to collecting sites. Living in NE NC is tough for collecting being that it is a mostly flat, sandy region. Nonetheless, my enthusiasm continues to grow especially knowing I can pass it down to my childeren. It's great to find such an informative forum.

[Gail]

Hello there. You will enjoy that group...Brooks Britt, who is on this forum, is the newsletter editor and webmaster.

[mraffordable]

I have gotten a lot of suggestions for rock-hounding from the Rock and Gem Magazine. I am sure you can find it on the internet. They have archives of self gathering sites for most states, telling you where to go, who to get permission from and almost anything else you could want to know. It's my favorite magazine.

[Jordi Fabre]

Welcome here Derek. Share our thoughts with people like you is one of the reasons of the existance of this Forum.

[Antonio Alcaide]

Welcome, Derekwil. I understand you perfectly. My elder son is the main reason for me to come back to mineral world. I loved minerals when I was young, but Life usually pushes you to the wrong way. I agree with you: It is a true luck to have sites like this.

Best whishes,
Antonio

[derekwil]

Thanks guys for the warming welcome. I havn't got a collection started yet due to finances and the time right now, but it's great to share our common interest here in this forum. I just subscribed to Rock and Gem magazine yesterday to help get me started. I also found out that there are several public digging localities within a six hr drive west. One of which is called Hiddenite where you can find emerald, aquamarine, sapphire, garnet, topaz, amethyst, citrine, rutile, and others. Hopefully that will be something to look into next spring. Also I'm excited about checking out some local mineral shows that occasionally pop up around here. Thanks again and I'm glad to be part of this great forum.

Derek

[chris]

Hi Derek,

Welcome on the forum. Hope you'll enjoy talking about minerals with us.

Christophe

[Steve Foster]

Derek,
welcome to the forums. Given the new (renewed) interest, might I suggest beginning to study the local geology either thru books or online publications. NE NC is not as barren a geologic area as you may think. Yes, it is relatively flat, but the fall zone between the Coastal Plain and the Piedmont is just north of I-95. The further west you go, the older the rocks and formations. You are currently in the deposition zone of active erosion to the west. What this means is that anything you find nearby, probably came from west of you.

Check the local streams and river beds for alluvial deposits of rocks and minerals. They will probably be well worn by the time they get to you, but it is a start. Begin by tracing the water path west to see where these rocks and minerals might have come from.

Further west is the Carolina Slate Belt (cuts thru the middle of the state) and more and more interesting things are available for finding.

West in the foothills and the Appalachian mountians, you will find many interesting things. Hiddenite is a fascinating place with many "Pay-To-Dig" sites. A recent vaction thru the area was a blast for my wife and kids. We chose Gem Mountain in Spruce Pine for our session. Granted, we were doing "seeded" buckets, but a good time was had by all. I plan a trip to some family owned land in Hiddenite in the near future myself. Emeralds (especially Native Emeralds) fascinate me.

Personally, i live in Western PA. I thought that the geology was pretty tame there. Nothing but sedimentary rocks and coal in my area. Lots of mountains, but they are all the same rocks (sometimes literally the very same layers from mountain to mountain). Once i really started looking though, I found some really cool things about the common everyday rocks I always see. Fossils, Iron Banding in Sandstone, "Pennsylvania Geodes" (what I call hollow iron bearing sandstone), etc. etc

Don't get down for living in the coastal plain! Look around and see what you really have. It is a great reason to meet new people, take hikes and drives, and even travel a bit. Good luck and welcome to the fun!

[mholdgraf]

Some great ways to involve kids (and enjoy yourself!) would be the three Bluecap Productions Crystal Hunters DVD's and the Mineral of the Month Club which provides great monthly specimens with wonderful information as well (I just enrolled an 8 year old "pebblepup" ). Lots of fun for the whole family!