Pegmatite and Amazonite Mining in Lake George, CO

Joe, our friend Leonard and I drove for nearly three hours, through the National Forest containing Pike’s Peak, up 15 degree inclines that felt like 22 degree inclines to get to this private claim to crack pegmatite in search of amazonite. The whole notion of private claims fascinates me, and is something I will write about in the future. This gentleman who was hosting us there had staked a claim to this public land in the National Park, for the purpose of mining. Now there are fees, and papers to file, and annual steps to follow, but to have a mining area to yourself is something that ended up appealing very much to Joe and myself.
The game plan was simple – find a spot, and start clearing the topsoil and coverage, hit rock, and start mining.
This kind of mining in Colorado requires a lot more luck than Herkimer Diamond for instance. There is simply such a vast area in these Colorado claims that you really have to decide to devote your time to one hole, digging deeper and deeper, or do you hit more areas, seeking more pockets, and spread out.
We had a crew of 5, 6 if you include the canine friend seen in the photos, and while none of us hit a grand jackpot pocket, we did uncover some very nice amazonite that we were able to sell very quickly a month later to some collectors at the Herkimer Gem Show.
I don’t know how to recommend this mining expedition, or how to grade it or offer hints. It was a private claim, and I will likely never return. But this adventure was an inspiration for me to learn more about staking a claim. If you are near New York, and would like to discuss the whole process of staking a claim, please “Contact Us” through our site.
For the most up to date gem and mineral events and shows, check out our Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Newswire.


IMG_0917
IMG_0918
IMG_0920
IMG_0921
IMG_0922

Gem and Mineral Clubs near New York


For the most up to date events, check out our Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Newswire.


Are you interested in joining a gem and mineral club? Are you a gem, mineral or fossile enthusiast? We are collecting the contact details for gem and mineral clubs in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and in one listing.
Please feel free to share this link over Facebook or your own club’s homepage.
Continue reading “Gem and Mineral Clubs near New York”

The Bedrock Guide to Gem, Mineral and Fossil Shows


For the most up to date events, check out our Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Newswire.


The Bedrock Guide to Enjoying Your Next Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show

Whether you are attending a gem and mineral show for the first time that perhaps you found on a gem, mineral, and fossil show listings site, www.americangeode.com for example, or you are a veteran of gem and minerals shows, this article on shows will prove to be a valuable resource of tips to make your experience more efficient and more fun.
Continue reading “The Bedrock Guide to Gem, Mineral and Fossil Shows”

The Essential Guide to Rockhounding – Where to Rockhound

For the most up to date events, check out our Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Newswire.


The Essential Guide to Rockhounding – Where to Rockhound

From rockhounding well publicized and private locales in New York, Texas, Arizona, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Indiana, we consider ourselves rockhound aficionados. So whether you are hunting a site that perhaps you found on our Adventure blog, or you are a veteran rockhounder, this primer on how to plan your rockhounding trip will prove to be a valuable resource of tips to make your experience more efficient and more fun.
Continue reading “The Essential Guide to Rockhounding – Where to Rockhound”