Fieldtrip Report:
N.C. Amethyst Hunt!
May 15th, 2004
Fieldtrip Report:
N.C. Amethyst Hunt!
May 15th, 2004
Well actually this fieldtrip report was supposed to be on the 3 day rockswap and dig at Graves Mountain this weekend, I had planned on going with several members of our club and meeting with some of our out of state members. After receiving many calls from club members stating that they would rather go to the mountain as a club trip instead of going for the social event I started to change my mind, then I got a call on Thursday night which made up my mind. My long time digging friend in the area called and asked if I would like to spend the day Saturday working a vein of amethyst on private property. We had talked about this property in the past and he finally obtained permission to hunt for the deposit. He had worked the site earlier in the week and had a hole down about four feet and needed some help opening the area to work the vein better. We arrived at the site Saturday morning and like human backhoes we opened the hole to ten feet wide and ten feet deep and then did a dance in the hole, ha, ha, just kidding, actually I dug out the area to about seven feet deep and about six feet around so we would both be able to work the veins, at seven feet we hit on two feeder veins about a foot wide each, these continued to widen as we dug farther down into the veins and then started to open into a larger deposit. I kept many nice pieces for helping dig out the hole but it is my friends dig and I was just helping out, he will be working the site until it is finished or until he calls and wants me to do some more digging 8^).
A plant?
Small tabular pale amethyst.
Larger mud included crystal cluster about 3" x 3"
Crystal cluster that came from the top of the main vein. 2.5" x 2.5"
I will post more pics later of what comes from this site, we have already agreed to fill in any holes we dig since this is on private property. I'm happy, more nice crystals for my N.C. collection.
