Where can you find fire agates in Arizona?
Some exceptional fire agates can be found in Arizona. This beautiful mineral is very collectable and a prize for any serious hunter. They can be found in many places throughout the state. A few locations are worth noting. Perhaps the best known agate beds are between Kingman and Oatman along Highway 66, just west of Ed’s Camp.
What are the Best Places in Arizona to collect rocks and minerals?
The area of Congress junction is one of the best places in Arizona to collect rocks and minerals. You can find some nice specimens of minerals like agate, jasper, fluorite, and garnet.
What kind of rocks are found in Phoenix AZ?
The entire area around Phoenix is ripe with great rockhounding locations, but north of the city along the Black Canyon Highway is particularly prolific. The rivers and streams around the city are well known for producing quality specimens of agate, chalcedony, jasper, and gem quality copper-associated minerals.
Where can I find quartz crystals in Arizona?
Diamond Point northeast of Payson is another area with nice quartz crystals. This is a higher elevation site. Heavy rains can expose fresh crystals but you will definitely find the best stuff if you get dirty and do some digging. A popular collecting site is in the mountains north of Aguila.
Where do you find agates in Arizona?
The Black Hills Rockhound Area is one of two designated fire agate localities on BLM land in Southeastern Arizona, the other being the Round Mountain Rockhound Area, some 27 miles to the southeast near the Arizona-New Mexico border. Both of these areas are well known and receive many visitors each year.
What gemstones can I find in Arizona?
Arizona Gems. The best known gems found in Arizona are turquoise, garnet, peridot, chrysocolla, azyr-malachite, malachite, agate, chalcedony, amethystine quartz, diamond (meteoric) dioptose and topaz.
Where are agates most commonly found?
Agate is found throughout the world. In the United States it is produced in several western states; Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana are the chief sources of gemstones. Most agates occur in cavities in eruptive rocks or ancient lavas.
Can you find geodes in Arizona?
Arizona has an inclusive circulation of Geodes. The land around Payson is one area with lavish Geodes. Geodes found here range in size from marble to grapefruit. Southern Arizona is another area that offers Geodes.
What rocks are worth money in Arizona?
Below are some of the most valuable minerals in Arizona and some of the locations where they are found.Turquoise. The Sleeping Beauty mine of Arizona produces very high and expensive quality of the gem. ... Opal. ... Amethyst. ... Jasper. ... Peridot. ... Azurite. ... Malachite. ... Wulfenite.More items...
Are there rubies in Arizona?
Arizona Ruby These garnets have been given the nickname “Arizona Rubies” because of their deeply saturated color. Even the small size of these gems doesn't take away the gorgeous hue.
How do you tell if a rock is an agate?
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How do you determine if a rock is an agate?
Inspect the surface of the stone for pit marks. Agates sometimes form in igneous rock and are surrounded by softer rock that erodes away, which can result in surface pitting. Slide your fingers into a crack in the stone or a part of the exterior that has worn away. If you feel waxiness, this is a sign of an agate.
What is the rarest agate?
It's called the Plentitude Stone. It is considered to be the most valuable form of agate.
Where can I go rock hunting in Arizona?
The best places to collect rocks in Arizona include the areas around Phoenix and Tucson, as well as smaller towns such as Cave Creek, Clifton, Morristown, and Kingman. These locations offer a diverse array of rock and mineral specimens such as agate, jasper, petrified wood, turquoise, and copper.
Where can I go gem hunting in Arizona?
Below you'll find some of the best places in Arizona to find the gems, stones, rocks, and minerals you are looking for:Burro Creek BLM Land in Wickenburg, Arizona.Santa Cruz County outside of Nogales, Arizona.Arizona Amethyst Mines in Fountain Hills, Arizona.Petrified Forest National Park in Northeast Arizona.More items...
Can diamonds be found in Arizona?
Diamond: The only diamonds found in Arizona are meteoric, and occur in meteoric iron found at Canyon Diablo, near Coon mountain, in the northern part of the state. The crystals are very small, and have no commercial value.
Can diamonds be found in Arizona?
Diamond: The only diamonds found in Arizona are meteoric, and occur in meteoric iron found at Canyon Diablo, near Coon mountain, in the northern part of the state. The crystals are very small, and have no commercial value.
Can you find Jade in Arizona?
Arizona Gemstones Agate, amethyst, garnet, jade, jasper, obsidian, onyx, and opal have all been found in Arizona and used to make gems.
Where can I go crystal hunting in Arizona?
One of the most popular crystal collecting sites in Arizona is at Crystal Hill, just southeast of Quartzsite. Due to its close proximity to Quartzsite and relatively easy access this area gets a lot of visitors. There is still good quartz here through because it takes work to find it.
Are there any opal mines in Arizona?
The Arizona Opal is a copper, gold, and silver mine located in Yavapai county, Arizona at an elevation of 5,801 feet.
What is the size of agates in the desert?
The desert around Payson is one area with abundant agates. They range in size from tiny up to big ones the size of a grapefruit. Some have rather boring interiors but on occasion they will have nice crystallization inside.
What is the most abundant mineral in Arizona?
Jaspers. Perhaps the most abundant and widespread minerals all across the state of Arizona is jasper. It is a favorite with rockhounds because it is hard and can take a nice polish. You can put it in a rock tumbler or cut it into cabochons and use it for jewelry. Most jaspers are dark, solid colors.
Where to rockhound in Arizona?
In southern Arizona, there are several good rockhounding sites near Gleeson in the Sugarloaf Mountains. There are lots of abandoned mines in this area and the dumps can have a variety of different minerals including nice agate and geodes. Of course, be extra careful anytime you are around old mining shafts!
Where to find terminated quartz crystals in Arizona?
One of the most popular crystal collecting sites in Arizona is at Crystal Hill, just southeast of Quartzsite. Due to its close proximity to Quartzsite and relatively easy access this area gets a lot of visitors.
Where to find Apache tears in Aguila?
You can find them along the creek and all up the hills in this area. The creek holds water and this is a lovely place to camp. There are several places around Aguila where apache tears can be found. Explore the desert flats south of town. Apache Tears Cave is located near Superior.
Where are Apache tears located?
Apache Tears Cave is located near Superior. There is a pay-to-dig site here that produces some very nice samples of apache tears. These area often very high quality and quite abundant.
Is it safe to travel to Arizona with agates?
Just about every corner of the state has something for an ambitious rockhound. Always be safe when you venture out to explore Arizona.
Where can I find gypsum in Arizona?
2. Camp Verde. While St. David is the major collection sight for gypsum, or selenite, desert rose rock in Arizona, formations have also been found in other sites around the state, including in the Verde Valley region. Camp Verde is a town located just off I-17 in central Arizona.
Where is the Arizona Desert Rose located?
David. The area is located near Benson in Cochise County in the southeastern region of the state.
What are the two types of desert roses?
These are a more delicate, flower-like rock formation and are found in only a few locations in the state. The second type of desert rose is the chalcedony desert rose.
Where are desert roses found?
Both types of rocks have been called desert rose and are found in deposits throughout Arizona. Lake Havasu City is located just inside the western Arizona border next to California’s Lake Havasu.
What is a desert rose?
The stone is milky white with a slightly pink tint. Others form more rough-shaped flowers, closer to the more popular selenite desert roses. Chalcedony desert rose is often found nestled in rock cavities or in cave formations. Both types of rocks have been called desert rose and are found in deposits throughout Arizona.
Where to find fire agate?
The fire agate found in the Saddle Mountains is of high caliber and will complement your mineral inventory.
Where was gold found in Arizona?
Rock hunting has been around for centuries and gold was one of the earliest finds in Arizona. Pauline Weaver found gold on the Arizona segment of the Colorado River in the early 1860s, and her discovery sparked what became the Colorado River Gold Rush.
What is a geode in rock?
A geode is a mineral in the form of a sphere with a crystal-lined cavity.
What crystals are found in the Date Creek Mountains?
Rockhounding Date Creek Mountains – Quartz Crystals. While quartz may be a common crystal across the globe, it is still a top choice for rockhounding in Arizona. This is because you are guaranteed to find amazing specimens that are nicely crystallized in this area and its environs.
Which state is the best for rockhounding?
If you are a rockhounding fanatic, then Arizona should be your first pick when it comes to finding amazing rocks.
Where to find rock samples in Arizona?
One of these sites is the Date Creek Mountains. While this zone has been heavily exploited over the decades, there are still some nice parts to be found.
Who owns the Amethyst Mine in Arizona?
The mine is reached by helicopter for visitors. The guests meet and interact with the mine owner, Kurt Cavano, as well as the miners once they arrive.
What are the minerals found in western Arizona?
There are also quite a few pegmatite veins that have yielded specimens of minerals like bismuth, beryl, and microcline.
Where to collect rocks in Arizona?
The best places to collect rocks in Arizona include the areas around Phoenix and Tucson, as well as smaller towns such as Cave Creek, Clifton, Morristown, and Kingman.
What is Arizona known for?
Arizona is one of the most prolific and exciting states in the country for rock and mineral collectors. Famous for its turquoise and copper deposits, Arizona is one of the first destinations everyone thinks of when it comes to rockhounding. Thousands of old mining dumps, productive stream beds, and pegmatite veins continue to draw collectors ...
What is Phoenix known for?
The rivers and streams around the city are well known for producing quality specimens of agate, chalcedony, jasper, and gem quality copper-associated minerals.
Where to rockhound in Arizona?
Just to the northeast of Phoenix, the Cave Creek area offers some of the best rockhounding you can find in a small area in Arizona (and that’s saying something). There is a great mix of rocks and minerals to find here, including agate, jasper, quartz, precious metals, and even thundereggs. This would be a great place to spend a day or two enjoying the sights while adding to your rock & mineral collection. Note that it appears this area has been recently developed quite a bit so some of these locations may no longer be useful or accessible.
Where to find calcite in Phoenix?
Just to the northwest of Phoenix is the town of Morristown, where you can easily spend a day doing some rockhounding. You can find specimens of many rocks and minerals such as calcite, quartz, mica, garnet, feldspar, tourmaline, jasper, and agate. Be careful when wandering around this area however, as it’s covered in cholla cacti. Don’t get pricked when reaching for that pretty specimen that catches your eye!
Where to find gold in Arizona?
The area of Congress junction is one of the best places in Arizona to collect rocks and minerals. You can find some nice specimens of minerals like agate, jasper, fluorite, and garnet. The area was once known to produce gold nuggets and placer gold, and although they are very likely depleted you may still be able to make some lucky finds if you search in the right places. Many of the old mines and mining camps are privately owned, so make sure to get permission to search and collect on their property.
