What Equipment Do I Need to Dig for Crystals

Virtually people may not realize that rocks & minerals that you store for at your crystal shop, could actually exist very close by, patiently waiting in the earth for someone to come uncover their magic. Did you know that just outside San Diego, CA some of the best watermelon tourmaline, blackness tourmaline, kunzite, morganite & lepidolite can exist found? Or that at that place is amethyst growing right now in the earth of South Carolina. It certain is! - but thats for another blog… This one is all about gorgeous Clear Quartz Crystals growing deep in the world in the heart of America.

For the past ii years I have had the pleasance of excavation these beauties up from Female parent Gaia & I cannot really describe the feeling it brings to observe i yourself, knowing that you are the only human that has touched this powerful marvel. I hope every crystal lover gets to feel this magic in their lifetime & I am delighted to share my feel at three public mines below equally well as tips for your offset dig!

Where to go in Hot Springs, Arkansas Area

I flew from Los Angeles to Kansas where my female parent & I loaded up my dad's truck (THANKS DAD!) and hit the road for an 8+ hour road trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas. We had traveled there the year earlier for 1 day of earthworks, simply this year nosotros were doing it large, staying for 3 days & checking out multiple public mines. We decided to stay at a very prissy but very affordable AirBnB in Hot Springs just a couple of miles from the Celebrated Downtown. Below I have reviewed the 2 mines that we visited. At all mines, you lot pay a fee to dig & get to keep all that you find!

Wagner Mine

Cost to Dig - $18 for two hours

Hours of Performance 8am - 5pm

Website

This mine is located merely outside of Mt. Ida, Arkansas most 1 hr from Hot Springs. The Mine opens at 8am but the get-go dig does not exit for their Crystal Forrest until 9:30. They accept a little crystal shop where you sign up & pay for your dig. They accept crystals non only from Arkansas simply all over the earth. 15 Minutes earlier your scheduled dig you will meet in the parking lot to discuss the safe measures & board the back of a truck to make your way out to the mining surface area. Please annotation that this a pretty bumpy ride through a forrest with branches & trees that you demand to watch out for, only we found this very fun & part of the feel. You can instead asking to ride in the cab. They likewise have a small tailings area (for an additional cost) behind the building for younger children or anyone that does not desire to make the expedition out to the mining expanse.

One time yous get in to the mining area you are told what areas are available to dig in that day as well every bit given some tips for how to spot a crystal. Usually you volition meet them the moment you step off the truck just lying on the clay! This year nosotros were pointed to mainly rows of clay that I am pretty sure were moved at that place from the nearby wall or another identify in the mine. I do not believe you tin actually dig into a wall or into any pockets hither, as this year it was all fenced off, however, terminal twelvemonth I was able to. *They do have a special Phantom Quartz Mine, nevertheless you demand 10 people to be able to dig there, I have not been lucky enough to make that happen yet!

The Goods:

This is a not bad place for families & young children! It is a very like shooting fish in a barrel walk effectually the mining location.

We mainly found smaller crystals at this mine, perfect for making jewelry. The crystals here the by 2 years have been very clear!

The store at the height has a lot of other specimens available from all over the earth with very friendly staff to aid you discover everything.

The Non So Good:

The last ii years nosotros establish relatively smaller crystals here, this could possibly be because there are piles of dirt (I believe) equally opposed to digging into the wall with the take chances of uncovering a large pocket, or possibly they just aren't as prevalent here.

There is no identify to wash your crystals off, if you lot are staying at a hotel or an airbnb with no hose like us, just be aware that you will have buckets or boxes of muddy crystals traveling with you. Tip - you can observe a do it yourself hand carwash & rinse them off - just bring quarters!

Twin Creek Mine

Cost to Dig - $25 for all solar day

Hours of Operation - 8am - 4pm. (do non trust google it says 9:30am, call ahead only they told me they open at 8am)

Website

This mine is located a trivial less than an hour from Hot Springs, Arkansas. Y'all will for sure need a truck or SUV with 4wheel bulldoze - a vehicle that tin can handle a very bumpy, very steep at times, very rocky road. Once you have finally completed the bumpy journey you will arrive at the mine itself. Nosotros were greeted past a very friendly couple that said they prefer cash payment but all we had was menu. Information technology wasn't a problem, I just had to ride up to the top of the loma with her to become plenty service on her phone to utilize the card reader. You will receive a fiddling safety chat & sign paperwork promising you empathise the hazard of mining & that you will follow their rules to stay within the perimeters.

Later the check in yous are free to roam the entire available area of the mine, that is quite vast and steep. This mine is non for someone that is clumsy or immobile as it has several inclines, basically on a side of a piddling mount. They accept some open walls you tin mine in & try to find your ain crystal pocket! (see how to find a crystal section for more info on this).

We were able to find a diversity of small & medium super articulate crystal points & clusters, and best of all, the clay / mud was not as thick on these crystals, they were the easiest to make clean. You volition be able to have breaks direct at your vehicle & I highly recommend you bring your own footling picnic for lunch. We really appreciated the couple running this mine, overall great energy & they spent a lot of time helping united states & giving u.s.a. the crystals they were finding as well. I advise brining a petty cash to throw in their tip jar & they have some larger pieces bachelor for buy.

The Goods:

This mine is super fun with lots of diverseness every bit information technology has wall digging & tailing piles too.

The free energy of this place & the people running information technology is great & the view is beautiful. It feels like yous are completely secluded on a little mountain with only trees & crystals all effectually.

Yous are able to be right side by side to your vehicle to bring what ever you please to stay comfortable.

The Non So Good:

Yous cannot visit this mine without a vehicle that is able to handle the route up to information technology.

If you have a family with trivial kids / older people who would have problem with the steep areas exist very cautious /conscientious while you lot are here, it may not be the best mine for you!

What to bring:

• Bring some tools if you programme to go to a mine that does not provide whatever for y'all. Exist prepared for all kinds of dirt / mud / clay -  a large brush (I purchased mine in the house cleaning department) , a screw commuter (to pry the crystals without harming them) a small handheld shovel or a larger ane.
• Bring Buckets - some mines do provide them but some practice non and it is nice to use for transporting but boxes could work as well.
• Bring a gardening cushin or something soft to sit / kneel on.
• Bring a cooler with ice water, especially if you are digging in the summer heat.
• Bring a waitress apron or a tool chugalug - this was a new add-on to my dig this yr and totally worth information technology, as you're digging upwards crystal babies you will take a identify to put them & the more pockets it has the amend, it volition go along them from damaging each other.
• Bring gloves to vesture to go along your hands rubber as crystals are every bit abrupt as glass
• Bring a small-scale beach umbrella if you lot tin can - it really helps to give yourself a shady spot for when you want to dig in one surface area for a longer period of time.

Starting time Fourth dimension Tips:

• Apply a lot of sunscreen: This i is kind of obvious, simply super of import to call back & re apply as ofttimes as you tin!
• Dont wear any rings or jewelry - yous're going to get super dingy & your easily may slap-up or get injured while yous are handling tools.
• Clip your fingernails short - even if you are wearing gloves, excavation in the dirt can cause painful breaks & bends your finger nails backwards, speaking from experience. Ouch.
• Wear clothes that y'all do not heed getting very dingy & potentially ruining, as you are earthworks in clay / iron that tin stain, your primary focus should be uncovering crystals not worrying about mud on your clothes.
• Wear closed toe shoes, probably obvious, but you volition be digging in rocky / muddy terrain that can be very sharp.

How to find a crystal:

The easiest way to find a crystal is to walk effectually the mining areas and expect for something shiny. This is a particularly useful technique if it has rained fairly recently equally the rain will wash away a top layer of clay exposing the crystals on superlative.

You tin also dig into the piles of dirt & look for clumps of clay. Interruption open up all of the clumps equally crystals are unremarkably surrounded by dirt.

Look for black (yep black!) in the mud / clay, because if a clear crystal is surrounded on all but one side with mud / clay, its face that is showing volition announced more black than anything.

If you are lucky enough to dig into a wall aka pocket digging, focus on i area for a while. Dig until y'all discover a peanut butter like consistency to the mud. It may exist very red with calorie-free gray clay mixed in likewise. Once you take found this you lot are likely to notice a ton of crystals in that exact area.

If the earth is super dry, apply a brush to motility the clay in gild to expose the crystals without harming them with a shovel.

If you practise spot part of a crystal, employ a screw driver or something long and sharp to move the earth around the crystal - try your all-time to not become too shut to the crystal with the sharp tool every bit you lot exercise not want to scrape or harm it! - so dig effectually it far away from what y'all come across - the crystal could be a lot bigger than yous think!

Want to learn how to clean the crystals or read about other fun things to practise while in Hot Springs, AR? Permit me know what I should write nearly next in the comments!

clarktheyou.blogspot.com

Source: https://moonbodysoul.com/blogs/blog/crystal-mining-how-to-dig-crystals-a-guide-to-arkansas-mines

Share this post