Pecos Valley Diamonds, also called Pecos Diamonds, have been collected by New Mexico rockhounds and mineral collectors for well over one hundred years. Pecos Valley Diamonds are found in the southeastern region of New Mexico, exposed in dispersed outcrops that span 100 miles long by as much as 25 miles wide.
There is plenty of gold in New Mexico. New Mexico has a lot of gold, but it is generally very fine. Rather than large nuggets, you will find that gold almost always occurs as very fine textured particles and dust.
Fire agate, a variety of chalcedony, is a
semi-precious natural gemstone discovered so far only in certain areas of central and northern Mexico and the southwestern United States (New Mexico, Arizona and California).
Fire agate.
| Fire agate (type of chalcedony) |
|---|
| Specific gravity | 2.59 - 2.61 |
6 Places You Can Collect Your Own Crystals
- Emerald Hollow Mine, North Carolina.
- Craters of Diamonds State Park, Arkansas.
- Jade Cove, California.
- Graves Mountain, Georgia.
- Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine, North Carolina.
- Wegner Quartz Crystal Mine, Arkansas.
Table of minerals, rocks, stones and gemstones
| State federal district or territory | Mineral | Gemstone |
|---|
| New Mexico | | Turquoise (1967) |
| New York | | Garnet (1967) |
| North Carolina | Gold (2011) | Emerald (1973) |
| North Dakota | | |
Texas
| Bar M Ranch Services | Topaz |
|---|
| Mineral Wells Fossil Park | Invertebrate Fossils |
| Seaquist Family Ranch | Topaz |
| Stillwell Ranch | Many different kinds of agate and gemstones. |
| Teri Smith Rock Hunts | Agate hunts to numerous locations in the Big Bend Region |
Texas opal can be found in the Catahoula Formation, a fossilized wood structure that stretches along the eastern Gulf coast of Texas and into Louisiana.
The rich deposits of turquoise in the Cerrillos hills mined at 12 different sites impacted the value of the stone around the world. The Cerrillos hills have a distinctive cone shape rising 1,000 feet above the valley floor formed from ancient volcanoes.
Official State Gem of New MexicoNearly all important deposits of turquoise are located near copper deposits in arid desert regions of the world. Turquoise has been used extensively by Native Americans in the southwestern U.S. and Mexico since about 200 B.C. to make solid turquoise beads, carvings, and inlaid mosaics.
Little Chalchihuitl Turquoise Mine in the hills of Cerrillos, New Mexico. The Cerrillos Mining District is home to some of the oldest, rarest and most substantial turquoise and mineral workings in North America, utilized from at least 900 AD and possibly earlier.
The turquoise is discovered in basalt-covered sandstone, or was initially overlain. There are works of copper and iron in the region.
Look for a bumpy textured surfaceIf you've found a geode it will usually have a lumpy, bumpy sort of texture on the outside. It is very rare for a geode to have a smooth exterior, so if your rock feels smooth to the touch then I'd bet against it being a geode. Geodes are actually pretty ugly rocks!
Hachita turquoise is from a group of mines near Old Hachita, Grant County, New Mexico. They include the Azure, Cameo, Galilee, and Aztec claims. Prospectors began working deposits around 1880's and not only found the turquoise, but silver, copper, and gold as well.
Lime Green Turquoise is very popular for its bright color that stands out in Southwestern Jewelry. It is truly a beautiful gemstone and is also a rarity for Turquoise to be Lime Green. Lime Green Turquoise actually lacks certain minerals (mainly copper) which is the reason it is colored lime green.
Merlinite with Druzy Quartz 170619 Glory Hole Stone of Magic Metaphysical. Merlinite/Indian Gabbro/Dendritic Opal/Mystic Merlinite Merlinite, which is a trade name not a mineralolgical name, was discovered in a small mining claim close by to Lordsburg, New Mexico.
Obsidian is found around the world wherever rhyolitic magma (containing 70% or more SiO2 and less than 2% water) occur. In the United States, obsidian occurs in most western states and is abundant within western New Mexico and Arizona.
Rockhound State Park is a state park of New Mexico, United States, located 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Deming. It is named for the abundance of minerals in the area, and visitors can search for quartz crystals, geodes, jasper, perlite, and many other minerals.
Smithsonite is a variably colored trigonal mineral which only rarely is found in well formed crystals. The typical habit is as earthy botryoidal masses. It has a Mohs hardness of 4.5 and a specific gravity of 4.4 to 4.5.
| Smithsonite |
|---|
| Tenacity | Brittle |
| Mohs scale hardness | 4.5 |
| Luster | Vitreous, may be pearly |
| Streak | White |
In New Mexico, there are only about 12 people per square mile. There are many more sheep and cattle in the state than people. At 7,000 feet above sea level, Santa Fe, New Mexico is the highest capital city in the United States. New Mexico has one of the greatest temperature ranges in the United States.
And there are a number of kimberlite pipes and at least one lamproite pipe in New Mexico. The diamond possibility is primarily in the western part of the state and extends into Arizona, Utah and southern Colorado. This peridotite is probably different but related to the peridotite in which diamonds are known to form.
Santa Fe and the surrounding area is a hiker's dream. Simply hiking on this land feels like the equivalent of laying a rose quartz on your chest - so loving, supportive, and nourishing. It can be much warmer there, so keep that in mind when choosing a day/time of year to visit and bring lots of water.
Sapphire Value, Price, and Jewelry Information
- Hiddenite, North Carolina.
- Murfreesboro, Arkansas.
- Spruce Pine, North Carolina.
- Franklin, North Carolina.
- Philipsburg, Montana.
- Amelia, Virginia.
- Virgin Valley, Nevada.
- Denio, Nevada.
Typically with amethyst, the labor that goes into faceting the stone is going to represent the bulk of the price of the cut gemstone. For some price context, faceted amethyst gemstones from India may sell for as little as $2 per carat where some of the material with better color from brazil will sell for $5-10/caret.
To find Amethyst geodes you are going to want to go deeper underground – level 70 or lower to be precise – or you can search under the sea in the main overworld and just keep an eye out for their spherical structures.
The largest amethyst concentrations are found in volcanic rocks, according to The Quartz Page. These deposits are found all over the world, but the largest deposits are in Brazil and Uruguay. Prior to South America's rise as the top producer, most commercially mined amethysts came out of Russia and Siberia.
Crystals can pretty much be found anywhere on your lawn. Besides soil, crystals could be mixed in with gravel or within a rocky area. When it comes to finding specific types of crystals, it depends on your region.
Diamonds have a specific gravity of 3.1–3.5. Quartz has a specific gravity of 2.6–2.7. In placer deposits, tumbled quartz pebbles and diamonds can appear similar. The difference in specific gravity, however, allows panning or sluice methods to separate the two minerals.
UNDERGROUND MININGTunelling is used when gemstones, such as Emerald, are located as a seam running near the surface. A tunnel is made from the surface down to the gem-bearing rock. This mining is usually done by blasting or using a pick-axe to remove the gem rough.
Opals: - These are mainly found in the states of Nevada, Oregon and Idaho. In Virgin Valley in Nevada there are black fire opals. Oregon is also famous for its Thundereggs and Sunstones.
Different types of healing crystals
- Clear quartz. This white crystal is considered a “master healer.” It's said to amplify energy by absorbing, storing, releasing, and regulating it.
- Rose quartz. Just as the color may suggest, this pink stone is all about love.
- Jasper.
- Obsidian.
- Citrine.
- Turquoise.
- Tiger's eye.
- Amethyst.
