NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Dec 16, 2021 16:14:49 GMT -5
Thank you Bob, we appreciate the information.
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Post by Bob on Dec 17, 2021 9:57:00 GMT -5
When you find them in the pockets they are covered in thick moist clay. Sometimes opposing crystal faces are only a few mm apart. If you screw up you hear this horrifying CRUNCH as the terminations impact each other and ruin the points! You have to be slow and patient.
But will your adrenaline pop when you pull out a nice cluster the size of a grapefruit, heavy from both the weight of the quartz and the clay, and see the perfect tips of points, each of which are almost as large or larger than any perfect single crystal you have ever found previously in your life! Those tiny but famous Herkimer diamonds are nothing compared to Arkansas crystals.
The terminations are dark gray to almost black then, before cleaning, because the clay blocks all the light from entering the cluster. But you know what you have.
You soak the whole thing in warm soapy water a few days, go to the carwash, set your clusters in a plastic milk crate or something else to cradle them so they don't move and be prepared for a jaw dropping sight. There are other cleaning steps after that. Maybe I'll post some pics if get the chance.
For the rest of your life you will laugh at these scrawny lousy crystals for sale in rock shops in other parts of USA. It makes you feel a little bit overwhelmed at how much you got in only 1 day and probably with less effort and a whole lot less money than you would have guessed.
I have tumbled hundreds of reject crystals. Many of those years ago I would have been thrilled to find on the open ground. They look like glass when done but usually have tiny imperfections inside but not always.
The first few hours you will have what happens that we call "crystal lust" when someone near you pulls out a cluster you would have paid over $100 for easy and you are drooling and he says what are you waiting for you are practically standing on one. You look down and get going.
WARNING. Do not forget to bring food and drink because once the lust kicks in you are obsessed for a few hours and the world outside your little spot no longer exists.
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Post by MsAli on Dec 29, 2021 18:37:23 GMT -5
Just booked our Airbnb for March (insert happy dance)
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Post by Bob on Dec 29, 2021 19:30:58 GMT -5
Airbnb near there? Guess should not be surprised. There is a bfast cafe in middle of town, an old place but ever so good!
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Post by HankRocks on Dec 30, 2021 9:03:28 GMT -5
Just booked our Airbnb for March (insert happy dance) My friend from Arkansas indicated that he may do a trip this winter for a couple days. If he does I will post a report from him on where he went and how he did. Based on this past Oct trip, Wegner's was the best mine we did. Mainly because we got into a decent vein and were able to pull out some nice point and clusters. My only warning about any recommendations I or anyone else may give, things change on regular basis. Sort of like favorite fishing spots. Henry
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Post by MsAli on Dec 30, 2021 9:35:40 GMT -5
Airbnb near there? Guess should not be surprised. There is a bfast cafe in middle of town, an old place but ever so good! Yes, there are actually several in Mt. Ida and surrounding areas. I like then better than motel/hotel as you tend to get a little more personal touch and most of the times they are less expensive. Thank you for the breakfast tip as both Nate and I are always looking for good spots to have breakfast
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Post by Bob on Dec 30, 2021 10:01:33 GMT -5
I prefer Airbnb's too. In the last few years I've gotten quite a few interesting responses to asking hosts about rock collecting areas, gravel bars in creeks and rivers, etc nearby.
Starting in Mt Ida, and stretching for several miles on the hwy going E, are perhaps 4-5 rock shops that are very interesting to visit. The old one in town especially so. One of them has large outside pile and I get a few things there each time.
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NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Jan 1, 2022 12:41:14 GMT -5
Definitely have to check out the local rock shops. That's a must for any trip đź‘Ť
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ericabelle
spending too much on rocks
Instagram acct: @erica_shoots_everything
Member since April 2021
Posts: 482
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Post by ericabelle on Sept 24, 2022 20:41:30 GMT -5
We are back to do some crystal mining for a few days this week, and I had to come back and read everyone’s (very helpful) posts! Tomorrow we are going to Twin Creeks. We may stick with that one for a couple days, or we may try Avatar or Sweet Surrender. Tuesday we have booked two spaces for Wegner’s Phantom Crystal Mine. I’ll keep you posted!
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ericabelle
spending too much on rocks
Instagram acct: @erica_shoots_everything
Member since April 2021
Posts: 482
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Post by ericabelle on Sept 30, 2022 10:24:53 GMT -5
Here is a rundown of three mines, and I’ll post photos when we get home: Twin Creeks Mine: So, we wound up going to Twin Creeks and mining one of their pockets. I had dug around in their tailings area and not found much, so we decided to do that. My husband chiseled away at the vein and got some g good stuff- I hunted through the rubble at the bottom of the wall and found good stuff under the large rocks. The people that work there are so nice. All in all, I would say Twin creeks is really good for nice, clear, small to medium clusters. I got some really good clusters there and one pretty large single crystal.
Wegner’s Phantom Mine: The other mine we went to was Wegner’s Phantom Mine. That mine is tailings to dig through. We found some small to medium size Phantom crystals and clear crystals. We also took some really large rocks with some clusters, too. So I’d highly recommend that one for the Phantom crystals. It was exciting hunting for a different sort of quartz.
Ron Coleman’s Mine: Last year we went to Ron Coleman’s, and I neglected to report back on that one because I was so bitter about losing my awesome digging spot, which was entirely my fault. We had started digging in the tailings and I had a really good “feeling” about my spot. Then it was time for our tour (which is very interesting, so I highly recommend that), but we should have left our tools there to save our spot. So, of course, someone was in it when we got back. We dug nearby while this guy that was digging in my original spot pulled out huge crystals all day long. Ugh! Nice guy, though. He and his wife go to Ron Coleman’s every year. They say it is the best. He told us he has bags and buckets of huge crystals from there is his basement that he has never unpacked from previous years. What a waste! Anyway, I think Ron Coleman’s is indeed the best for large crystals, even though I didn’t get any of the huge ones I wanted. And a lot of theirs are clear, so I really liked that, too. And Ron Coleman’s has a campsite right there beside the mine, so you could walk over to the mine from there, so that was a big plus.
I liked all of them. But I’m still on the hunt for a giant crystal, so I may go back to Ron Coleman’s next year. Maybe not. Maybe I’ll just find that guy’s house and steal some bags from his basement!
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ericabelle
spending too much on rocks
Instagram acct: @erica_shoots_everything
Member since April 2021
Posts: 482
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Post by ericabelle on Oct 15, 2022 13:17:49 GMT -5
Well, I have been working on cleaning all the quartz I brought back. It is not all clean yet (that clay is a force to be reckoned with); but I thought I would post some photos. I have soaked them, scrubbed them, soaked them in Iron Out, and put some of them through my ultrasonic cleaner. They are still pretty dirty, but I just bought a Textile cleaning spray gun, and there's always muriatic acid to play with. First some Twin Creeks quartz: This one is in the shape of a heart! It is the only one I didn't Iron Out because I thought it looked neat as is. This may be my favorite find from Twin Creeks - It is a delicate, double sided cluster. This is the largest point I've found - not as big as I would have liked, but still impressive Here's a good example of how much clay is on some of the clusters A large criss-crossed quartz Now for Wegner's Phantom Mine: This is probably the best example I found of the phantom crystal. In this one, you can really see how the manganese formed in the shape of the crystal I love this one, but it's hard to photograph - It is in the shape of a pie and has clear crystals on one side and phantomcrystals on the other Here is the phantom crystal side We brought back some large rocks from the Phantom mine. Lots of clay here, but there are some phantoms in the middle, spotlit by the sun here You can see the veins of quartz on the back It is easy to find lots of this size crystal at both mines Another small phantom cluster
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 2,556
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Post by rockbrain on Oct 15, 2022 14:51:01 GMT -5
Some nice looking crystals. Thanks for sharing and for the great report.
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