If you would like more info on local Mineral shows and rockhound clubs click on the American Geode News page for up to date listings and links to Gem Show, Mineral Show, and Fossil Show announcements. American Geode updates our rockhound news twice an hour and showcase the top mineral shows and rockhound news in the USA and the World. Also, follow American Geode on Twitter for even more rockhound events, commentary, and laughable quips from American Geode. https://twitter.com/AmericanGeode https://www.ebay.com/usr/americangeode
The 37th Annual Grassy Creek Mineral and Gem Show is put on by the Parkway Fire and Rescue to raise money for new equipment and new buildings.
This Gem Show has everything! Over 60 US and International dealers with almost any kind of jewelry, gemstone and mineral specimens, fossil, lapidary equipment and more you might want. Each booth is 20 by 40 foot so there are LOTS of items for sale.
Parking and admission are free.
Food is available.
Portajohns are available. Hopefully by the time of the gem show, the new restrooms and shower facilities will be built.
This is an outside event so be prepared for rain.
Gem Show Dates: Sunday, July 25th to Sunday, August 1st, 2021 with some vendors open on Saturday 24th.
Gem Show Hours: 9 to 6 daily with many vendors open earlier and later because they are staying with their booth.
Gem Show Address: 136 Majestic View, Spruce Pine, NC 28777 at the new Parkway Fire and Rescue event grounds. This location is on the hill above the previous location.
Contact: Donna Collis: collisdonna@yahoo.com 828-765-5519 or Parkway Fire and Rescue at 828-765-2117.
The gem show is organized by Donna Collis, who has been involved with the event for over 20 years, and Roger Frye, who has helped plan the show for more than two decades.
Started by the Grassy Creek Fire Department, for the first two years, the gem show took place where KFC and Taco Bell are now located. When Grassy Creek Fire Department merged with Altapass Fire Department to create Parkway Fire and Rescue, show organizers chose to keep the name. The show was later moved to the field across from Parkway Fire and Rescue for three years before moving to its former location at Parkway Fire and Rescue in 1990, where it remained until 2015.
The department purchased the field on Majestic View from Wade Hughes in January 2016 with the intent of making it the home of the new Parkway Fire and Rescue.
Parking and admission to the gem show are free and money raised goes toward new equipment for Parkway Fire and Rescue.
If you would like more info on local Mineral shows and rockhound clubs click on the American Geode News page for up to date listings and links to Gem Show, Mineral Show, and Fossil Show announcements. American Geode updates our rockhound news twice an hour and showcase the top mineral shows and rockhound news in the USA and the World. Also, follow American Geode on Twitter for even more rockhound events, commentary, and laughable quips from American Geode. https://twitter.com/AmericanGeode https://www.ebay.com/usr/americangeode
Knoxville Gem and Mineral Society will be holding a rock sale Saturday May 29, 2021 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM and Sunday Sunday May 30, 2021 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The sale will be at the KGMS clubhouse 2931 Fawver Lane, Knoxville 37914. Please bring checks or cash.
There are over 80 varieties of rough available including Angel Wing, Black Onyx, Bloody Basin Agate, Brenda Agate, Brazilian Agate, Carnelian, Golden Moss Agate, Graveyard Point Agate, Kentucky Agate, multiple varieties of Obsidian, Ohio Flint, Oregon Picture Jasper, Petrified Wood, Red Agate and Jasper, Serpentine, Tennessee Paint Rock, Tiger’s Eye, Rhyolite, Unakite, and Wonderstone.
If you would like more info on local Mineral shows and rockhound clubs click on the American Geode News page for up to date listings and links to Gem Show, Mineral Show, and Fossil Show announcements. American Geode updates our rockhound news twice an hour and showcase the top mineral shows and rockhound news in the USA and the World. Also, follow American Geode on Twitter for even more rockhound events, commentary, and laughable quips from American Geode. https://twitter.com/AmericanGeode https://www.ebay.com/usr/americangeode
Field Trip to Graves Mountain on Friday, January 29,
This was my first field
trip, and outdoors adventure since hernia operation exactly one month earlier,
and my first trip to famous Graves Mountain, so I had my gear, tools, and
clothes laid out for at least a week prior. I had to take the day off of work
too, so this was a special day.
Graves Mountain is the
site of an old mining operation, like so many rockhound locales, and in this
case Tiffany’s back in the Roaring 20’s was mining for Rutile. Rutile is an
industrial semi-precious gemstone used to polish diamonds. Again, like so many
mining operations it changed hands, owners, there were lawsuits, etc. and so
on. In addition to Rutile, the area was mined for Kyanite for industrial
purposes. As of 2021, the site is privately managed, and opened occasionally to
clubs and private excursions, so I was able to visit this famous site through
my membership with the Georgia Mineral Society.
The directions that
Juergen Poppelreuter, one of the trip leaders, provided were perfect. I
actually arrived 20 minutes before assigned arrival, and I was not the first!
People were excited!
After the safety talk,
we embarked on the march to the pits. There is a main, very large pit, the
primary pit, and then another pit, that I believe is split in two, that is
higher up the mountain. The march is not too difficult but for future
rockhounds, I suggest backpack, sturdy garden wagon, or if no wagon, then some
kind of trolley because, whichever pit you choose, the walk from the parking
lot is about 15 minutes.
The minerals you are
hunting for are primarily rutile, kyanite, lazulite, pyrophyllite, and
iridescent hematite. From socially distanced conversations with the other
rockhound, the iridescent hematite and rutile were arguably the most desirable,
and the rutile the most elusive.
Something that is
essential to bring with you is a camera, a real camera if you can pack one
because the landscape, the mountain-scape is impressive. Before I got to the
pit I took many photos of the landscape as we were luck to have a bright and
sunny day. As this site is private and off-limits otherwise, I took full advantage
of the chance to photograph this famous rockhound locale.
The style of rockhound
here is primarily sifting through the overflow and fallen boulders and surface
hunting. The walls are almost impenetrable without power tools, and signs mark
the clear risk of being near the wall and below the cliffs. So you move from
area to area cracking open larger pieces in search of minerals, and you also
keep a close eye on the ground for any crystals or minerals that have washed or
eroded out, or perhaps fallen out of someone else’s loot.
Personally, I believe
you can only spend a day in one area, in order to substantially mine,
rockhound, and collect. The are is simply bigger than a football field. I spent
my day in the primary, main pit.
I was able to find some
great blue kyanite, some very heavily oxidized kyanite that I will work to
clean up, and one decent example of the iridescent hematite. There is a lot of
quartz if you are interested in quartz! Quartz is the Georgia State Mineral,
and it is very plentiful at Graves Mountain.
If you tumble rocks,
the quartz and quartz composite pieces that are all over would supply you with
plenty of tumbling material. I did not opt for quartz as my residence is full
of it inside, outside, and we have quartz a plenty near us as we live in North
Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.
A rule that I strive to
always follow when rockhounding, is collect, mine, and gather a lifetime’s
supply for yourself. No matter what assurance you give yourself that you will
come back to a locale one day, it seems like life easily gets in the way, and you
regret not collecting more. So, when you go to Graves Mountain, bring plenty of
tote bags, boxes, your cart or trolley, and make sure the shocks on your car
are in good order.
The tools required are
pretty standard, sledge hammers, crowbars, picks, bags, water, sunscreen, and
snacks. While you can go to and from your car, as I described earlier, it is
not the easiest walk, and could be 1/8th of a mile or so, so plan on
spending the day, with breaks, and be prepared. Last point on preparation, there
are no bathrooms or facilities of any sort, so plan accordingly.
I have been cleaning up
my kyanite, and it is a much more vibrant shade of blue than I expected. The
dark kyanite is cool, but I do not see it cleaning up as well. I am happy with
my iridescent, but I wish I was bringing home a coffee table sized specimen. I
did not find any rutile, but in passing conversation with other rockhounds
there that day, some smallish crystals were found.
So, like all rockhounding trips, even if you do not find a specimen worthy of contacting the people at National Geographic, the day was full of fresh air, exercise, fellowship, and adventure. I look forward to my next visit to Graves Mountain, to one of the other pits! More pictures from Graves Mountain, and other rockhounding tips, tricks, advice, and locations can be found on my blog if you Google “American Geode Blog.”
In August 2020 I was presented with the opportunity to move
temporarily from New York to a cabin in the mountains of North Georgia. While
very reluctant to leave New York, under the COVID limitations, and my work
being 100% online, I thought why not accept this once in a lifetime
opportunity.
We drove to Georgia with a stop first in Chester,
Massachusetts where I had the chance to rockhound near the old emery mines of
Chester. That is the topic of another writing. Then, we got to North Georgia,
and I was in rockhound paradise. I wasted little time to start hiking,
exploring, and rockhounding along the Blue Ridge Mountains outside of
Cleveland, Georgia.
The Georgia State Mineral is Quartz, and there is plenty of
it around. The cabin is also situated near a stream, full of rocks and stones,
and possibly artifacts too. So, for weeks I was rockhounding and collecting
fine quartz specimens, and panning for gold and gemstones in the creek. It was
a great way to spend each weekend.
Then I suffered some pain one day, and went to the doctor
who informed me that I had a hernia and it required surgery! After repeated,
“you’ve got to be kidding me, I accepted the planned surgery, and also started
to plan on what I would do while recovering indoors, resting and relaxing. That
is when I thought why not try rock tumbling? I have a creek nearby, a lifetime
supply of rocks and stones, so while I can not be our working on my mineral
collection, let some work be done FOR ME, by a new rock tumbler!
So, I started to shop around, and researched and read
reviews of various tumblers. There are two types of tumblers, the small kiddy
ones and then the larger PVC Piping for the Barrel industrial types. There is a
price difference between them of course, but the time is the same. If you have
a small rock tumbler, or a large rock tumbler, each project takes a month. So,
my thinking was, I have a lifetime supply of rocks right now, and I would like
to try larger rocks, around size of my fist, so I will opt for the larger
tumbler.
I ordered one large tumbler off the internet that is very
popular on eBay, Amazon, and other online marketplaces. I was large, with a 20 lb.
barrel. It arrived however, and it requires assembly. The problem with this
one, and I would guess this is not uncommon, is that each piece must fit
together PERFECTLY and EXACTLY right. On mine there was a steel peg that was
just a few millimeters too long and it would not allow the motor to attached
straight. I did not have a metal saw and would not want to pretend I could fix
it either. The problem, I believe, with this popular large rock tumbler is
that, since you have to construct it yourself, each piece must for perfectly
together, and if it does not, you do not have any spare or extra parts. So, I
can not recommend the large tumblers that require self-assembly. Even if all
the pieces did fit, I am not sure I trust myself to know what needs to be fully
tightened, what needs to be lubricated, and what to expect for maintenance. I
returned that tumbler for a refund.
The next tumbler I bought was from a small business that
mostly sells through their website. I was also a 20 lb. barrel, so suitable for
larger stones. When it arrived, I was delighted to see if consisted of a base
with the motor in place, and the base had two horizontal rods that would
rotate. Then it had a large 20 lb. barrel made of steel with a lid. That was
it! You fill the barrel with stones,
water, and the grit, secure the lid, place it on the rods and plug it in. The
rods start working and the barrel starts rolling. The tumbler also had explicit
directions on the manual, and written on the tumbler itself. It does require
lubrication every single day, and the bolts need to be tightened monthly. That
has proven very easy to accommodate. Once a day I check on it, unplug it, add
the lubrication, and then plug it back in.
For the stones I have chosen, it’s been a mixture of quartz
and schist from the creek, and I am tumbling stones 2-3 inches across. You
change the grit every 7 days, for a total of 4 weeks. Each stage has finer and
finer grit to achieve a polished look. I have been delighted to see the stones
at every stage. Probably the first stage completion, the rough grit to bring
out the potential of what looked otherwise like very uninteresting rocks, was
the most exciting. The quartz is looking brilliant too. This is also a
fantastic way to improve, polish, and have fun with the minerals you collect
that are not natural display specimens. If something had a fine point, or was a
beautiful crystal, or mixture of minerals on matrix, I would clean it to
display it. But every other sort of interesting rock you pick up, that is not
so interesting when you get home and clean up your loot, are PERFECT for rock
tumbling.
As I write this, I am just beginning stage 4, week 4, the
polishing stage. Below are photos of how it started, and how this rock tumbling
project is coming along. I am also in week 4 of recovery from my hernia
surgery, and hopeful to be more active in February.
If you have the place for a rock tumbler, they can be noisy,
and the time to check on it once a day, and also keep it running 24 hours a
day, it’s a great complement to your rockhounding hobby. If you have rocks from
past excursions, that are not on display, tumble them! If you have stones that
are not as shiny or pretty as you wish, tumble them!
I love rock tumbling, and even when I am better, I plan to
keep tumbling various stones from my collection, and consider how much you can
tumble during the winter months, when you are not going out anyway!
If anyone has specific questions about the rock tumblers I
tested and researched, or the tumbler I use, please contact me through “Contact
Us” on www.americangeode.com.
I have been posting videos of the rockhounding adventures in Georgia, and the discoveries can be found by searching in YouTube for “Crystal Discovery at NEW and UNUSUAL North Georgia Site.”