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.
Is there opal in Idaho?
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.
Where can I dig for gems in Idaho?
| GEMSTONE OR ROCK NAME COUNTY LOCATION | CRYSTALS – QUARTZ CUSTER Near Bayhorse and in Yankee Fork Mining District | BENEWAH Crystal Peak northeast of Fernwood | IDAHO McKinley Gulch in Slate Creek and Ruby Meadows | OWYHEE Long Gulch south of Silver City |
|---|
Where do you dig for opals?
Where can I go rockhounding in Idaho?
The best places to rockhound in Idaho are in
streams and river gravels, particularly in the Clearwater and Salmon Rivers
. Old mine tailings in areas like the Seven Devils district are great for finding gemstones, and the Spencer Opal Mine is a great option for finding raw fire opals.
Where can I find Thundereggs in Idaho?
Tips. 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
. Usually no permits are needed for amateurs to collect rocks on Idaho public lands.
What is the Idaho State gem?
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.
Where can I dig for star garnets in Idaho?
Hidden in the hills of the Idaho Panhandle,
Emerald Creek
is one of only two places in the world where Star Garnets can be found in quantity and the only location where you’re able to collect them!
Where can I find turquoise in Idaho?
The Turquoise Mountain Mine is near Big Springs, Idaho
and is part of the Gallatin National Forest. The Turquoise Mountain Mine is a surface mining operation. The Northern Rocky Mountains physiographic province of the Rocky Mountain System characterize the geomorphology of the surrounding area.
Are there agates in Idaho?
You can find agates in Idaho in places such as Owyhee County – green and red specimens, smokey, mos, or polka dot agates
. In Washington County, you can find agates in Mann Creek, and they are highly prized due to their iridescence.
Can diamonds be found in Idaho?
Diamonds in Idaho…
Diamonds are found in Idaho
, but not enough for mining, but rockhounds find a few. The biggest diamond ever found in the U.S. was found between McCall and New Meadows.
How do you find gems in creeks?
To find gemstones in creeks and along riverbeds, one should
carefully search near eroded stream banks, in shallow, flowing water, and old, dried creek beds
. Alluvial gemstones can usually be found a few days after heavy rainfall. At night, use a black light to search for fluorescent gemstones.
What rock is opal found in?
Opal is found as two types: volcanic opal which infills vesicles and cracks in
igneous rocks
, and the more familiar sedimentary or sandstone type which is found in Australia’s main fields. Most deposits in other countries are volcanic opal, much of which is prone to crazing.
How do I start mining opal?
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. The miner would then branch out sideways, following the “level” of opal.
What kind of rocks are opals found in?
It is deposited at a relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock, being most commonly found with
limonite, sandstone, rhyolite, marl, and basalt
. Opal is the birthstone of October, and the stone that celebrates the 14th anniversary of marriage.
Is it illegal to take rocks from a river in Idaho?
Collecting is not specifically prohibited or restricted
. Your collecting activities result in no more than minor disturbance of the public lands.
Can you find amethyst in Idaho?
Amethyst in Idaho
Amethyst has been found at Pole Creek in Blaine County, Hog Creek in Washington County west of Weiser, along the North Fork of the Lost River, on the Yankee Fork near Stanley, and Challis Creek in near Custer. In Butte County, amethyst has been found at Antelope Creek and Road Creek.
What is the rarest gem in Idaho?
Well, our state is one of the largest producers of precious gems in the country. But the most unique gem — which happens to be our designated “state gem” — is the
star garnet
. This rare gem is only found in two places in the entire world: Idaho and India.
Is marble found in Idaho?
Includes Pocatello Formation (700-665 Ma), formation of Leaton Gulch near Challis, Shedroof Conglomerate in extreme northwest Idaho, and
metamorphic equivalents (schist, marble, calc-silicate rocks, metaconglomerate, and ~686 Ma metavolcanic rocks) of Gospel Peaks successions A and B in central Idaho
.
Where can I collect gemstones?
- Graves Mountain, Lincolnton, Georgia. …
- Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine, Philipsburg, Montana. …
- Gem Mountain, Spruce Pin, North Carolina. …
- Bonanza Opal Mine, Denio, Nevada. …
- Herkimer Diamond Mines, Herkimer, New York. …
- Morefield Mine, Amelia, Virginia.
Why is the Star garnet only found in Idaho?
| Title: Garnet Area trailhead | Credit: Bob Hartsock |
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What is Idaho state flower?
The Syringa (Philadelphus lewisii)
was designated the state flower of Idaho by the legislature in 1931. The species name ‘lewisii’ honors Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis & Clark expedition.
Is there jade in Idaho?
Idaho Gemstones
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 throughout the state.
What color garnet is most valuable?
The most valuable color of garnet is
vivid green
. The green color is represented by two varieties: tsavorite – a grossular garnet variety and demantoid – and andradite garnet variety.
Where can I pan fry garnets in Idaho?
The
Emerald Creek Garnet Area near St. Maries in northern Idaho
, offers rockhounds the chance to dig up their own star garnet. A permit to dig costs $10 per day and allows you to keep up to five pounds of stones.
