Well about 5 years ago I saw an episode on cash and treasures and ever since then I wanted to go check out the mines of North Carolina ... Well I knew I could visit cause my family is out here . Just never thought I'd move here but since I did ... I went out the first week if this year, and I have to say it hot me hooked
Now I am we'll aware they salt their creeks and their buckets but hey it was just about the experience I tryd my hand at digging even though that yielded nothing but then again I didn't dig deep or long so who knows but the creek had plenty of stones and the buckets were fun... I was convinced it will be a perfect place to bring the kids however I think ill bring them to Brushy Creek instead that way I get a new part of the adventure at a real mine lol

I will say that ever since that experience I can't stop looking for stones it's like I'm addicted ... At least it's a healthy addiction ... I'm thinking about ordering mine run from different parts of the world in between my treks into the NC wilderness and hills just because its so much fun I feel like a kid again walking the creeks and finding pretty rocks

One of these days I want to check out a rock quarry too just want to experience so many different aspects of the hobby ... And I figure the field work will be a good advantage before I take geology ... I know there are two quarries near by but don't know the first step in finding out if its possible to scavenge

Any way here's a pick of a few stones from hidenite NC

Yeah, Dusty, Cash and Treasures got a lot of folks interested,
but most folks lose interest after just an outing or two.
I'd have to say you got it BAD.
And that's good.
It ain't easy going out on your own and try and find something,
anything, worth bringing home. It's totally understandable
that you have to break down every once in a while and buy
a salted bucket to sluice. It beats going home empty-handed.
Here's some info and ideas for you;
First of all, there is one of those gem sluice places off
Hwy 55 in Cary. It's called the Blue Diamond Gem Mine, or
something like that, close to the intersection of Hwy 55 and
Jenks Rd. He usually opens up around the first of May.
It's a pretty place and you don't have to drive so far to get
your fix.
Another thing you might try is join the local Raleigh club,
The Tar Heel Gem and Mineral Club. It's $20.00 for the year,
plus $5.00 more for each additional family member.
The club tries to go on as many fieldtrips to area quarries
each year as possible. The next fieldtrip is scheduled for
March 9th, and we're going to the Stokesdale, NC quarry
northwest of Burlington. Most of the time there's not much
but a lot of rock to look at, but it's about the only way you
are going to get access to any of the quarries to have a
look around. If you rush your membership to them you could
probably still make it to this next one. No telling how many
more fieldtrips the club will have this year, but I'm sure there
will be atleast a couple more. You can go to their website,
print off the membership form, send it in with your check, and then contact the fieldtrip guy and let him know if you
plan on going.

Other than that all I can say is we'll have to plan a trip to
the Burgin one of these weekends. I guess it would have to
be sometime after March 9th. You can read about the place
in the Fieldtrip Report section. It's a great place to get some
firsthand quartz crystal digging experience, although, again,
there's no guarantees.

Happy Hunting,
Joe

I'll deffinately have to join the gem club... It sounds like a great way to get some ecperience. Thanks for the tip on the blue diamond mine I can take my little cousin there cause she love to go rock hunting with me...
I plan to order some Montana gravel for those itchy days some time I'll have to try my hands at panning for gold too just sounds fun...
Thanks joe for all the suggestions, if I can't make it to the march 9th outing we will have to set something up.

No luck on today's outing but had a great walk and got a new pick axe

Dusty T, what Laurie says is straight on!  His rock shop is a treat any time you can stop by there.  So very gracious in sharing his treasures that don't make it to the price box and very reasonable prices on the treasures that did.  Too, he is a wealth of information on the many digging sites in your area.  Get on over there on your way to the Burgin mine that you need to go play at.  happy hounding!!
b

dusty, check out the magma club, they have taught me a ton of stuff about the rock collecting hobby in the last coupleof years and they have access to many sites that others dont; http://www.wncrocks.com/magma/magma%20join%20club.htm

"Best of all, at some point you will be able to dazzle/bore to tears your friends with the finer points and distinctions between argillites, claystones, shale and indurated clays."

aye, aye, aye...... *sigh* 

As has been mentioned before, join a club where you will be taken to locations known for a specific mineral or gem, and then your chances of finding something will be almost guaranteed.  We must learn to walk before running.   

Rebecca,

Always giving me the business Need to clarify a minor descrepancy in you reply. I am an Engineering Geologist, Rather than a Geo-Engineer, there is a difference. A Geo-Engineer is a Engineer with a fundamental understanding of Geology, An Engineering Geologist is a Geologist with a fundamental understanding of Engineering. The biggest difference is I don't sport a pocket protector . But seriously; although it may seem a trivial distinction, from a professional and therefore liabillity point of view, our contributions to projects in which we are involved are not the same.

John