Where to find amethyst geodes in arizona

The entire area around Phoenix is ripe with great rockhounding locations, but north of the city along the Black Canyon Highway is particularly prolific. The rivers and streams around the city are well known for producing quality specimens of agate, chalcedony, jasper, and gem quality copper-associated minerals.

The Tucson area is a great place for anyone looking to do some rockhounding. There are a wide variety of minerals available to collect if you know where to look, including copper minerals, pyrite, fluorite, calcite, and azurite.

There is a great mix of rocks and minerals to find here, including agate, jasper, quartz, precious metals, and even thundereggs. Note that it appears this area has been recently developed quite a bit so some of these locations may no longer be useful or accessible.

Just to the northwest of Phoenix is the town of Morristown, where you can easily spend a day doing some rockhounding. You can find specimens of many rocks and minerals such as calcite, quartz, mica, garnet, feldspar, tourmaline, jasper, and agate. The area around the city in western Arizona is littered with old mines and prospects. There is an even greater variety of minerals here than in other parts of the state.

There are also quite a few pegmatite veins that have yielded specimens of minerals like bismuth, beryl, and microcline. The area of Congress junction is one of the best places in Arizona to collect rocks and minerals. You can find some nice specimens of minerals like agate, jasper, fluorite, and garnet. The area was once known to produce gold nuggets and placer gold, and although they are very likely depleted you may still be able to make some lucky finds if you search in the right places.

Many of the old mines and mining camps are privately owned, so make sure to get permission to search and collect on their property. Right smack dab in the middle of Arizona and surrounding by National Forest, Payson is a great place for rockhounds to spend some time searching for specimens.

There is a nice variety of rocks and minerals to find, including fluorite, agate, jasper, quartz, and even geodes. Many of these locations are on National Forest land but some especially the mines are likely private property, so be sure to do your research and get permission beforehand. One of the most common questions rockhounds have is whether or not they are allowed to collect at a certain location.

The ownership and status of land can and does change frequently, making it impossible to document accurate information on this page.

However, I have compiled a list of resources here so that you may investigate and obtain permission for any locations found here or elsewhere for yourself. I have written entire articles which cover the rockhounding laws and regulations for nearly every type of public land you can think of.

The scorching deserts of Arizona are unforgiving, with very little shade cover if any. Going out on wild tracts to rockhound is fun and exciting, but if you get bit by a poisonous rattlesnake, your trip can turn painful and deadly fast. Be sure to wear high-ankle leather boots for protection and make plenty of noise as you move to give rattlesnakes a chance to vacate the area. Do not attempt to move or disturb any rattlesnake you find while rockhounding.

The rules for legal rockhounding vary across different areas of Arizona. These rules are especially important to pay attention to in rockhounding areas located on Native American territory. These are protected lands, and the rules for rockhounding there may be much stricter than in others. To be safe, verify the regulations ahead of time. Source: Bureau of Land Management. As long as you come prepared when you show up to collect rocks and gems in Arizona, you should be able to start finding excellent specimens in no time.

Feel free to read this article here:. Quartzsite Showcase and Swap Meet : Quartzsite, Arizona is a small desert town, but this town has become synonymous with rockhounding over the years.

This rock and gem showcase attracts rockhounds and jewelry makers from all over the world, not just the state. While there are only around three thousand residents of Quartzsite, the town explodes with rockhounds who flock to the town for the rock shows in January and February. Tyson Wells Rock and Gem Show : The Tyson Wells Rock and Gem Show is one of the biggest rock and gem show in the world, and this ten-day market is so large it will take you the full two weeks to see everything.

So, plan accordingly. Not only can rockhounds pick up a dazzling array of precious metals and minerals at this show, but they can also pick up specialized rockhounding tools and supplies. This show is held over 25 acres and features 2. Quartzsite is known as the RV capital of the world, and many of the vendors who sell rocks and gems in Quartsite live there year-round.

The Desert Gardens Showground includes both finished pieces and raw rocks. Combining a rock and gem show with some local rockhounding expeditions can help you get the most out of your Arizona rockhounding trip! Note: The schedules of some of these rock and mineral shows may be affected by the current worldwide COVID pandemic. It may well be the only gem mine in the U. Supplies and miners, as well as any tour visitors, must be flown in, and miners remain for weeks at a time.

Mining is done by hand and solar panels provide power for light and ventilation. There is no electricity or running water at the site, which is located in the rugged Mazatzal Mountains about 45 miles from Phoenix. The mine has a rich history. Amethyst Indian arrowheads have been found in the area, and mining operations have been taking place for about years.

Although tours are offered, they have been, hopefully just temporarily, suspended during the present COVID crisis. There is also information on the Sami Jewelry site about what to expect during this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Near the now-demolished town of Constellation in Yavapai County, northeast of Wickenburg, are the ruins of several mines. Rockhounds frequent the area to hunt for gold, pyrite, jasper , quartz, and amethyst. The area is deserted, so bring everything with you that you will need, including water and food. The finest concentration of geode sites in Southern California is in Riverside and Imperial counties.

You can experience the excitement and mystery of geode hunting at home. Each geode set contains five natural geodes that have never been broken open. You will be the first to see what treasures lie within each geode. Your "Break at Home" geode have either quartz or calcite crystals inside.

To order or for more information Get Geodes How to Keep Ice Cold in the Desert. Desert Survival Skills. Get the Best Hotel and Motel Rates.