Hence the ongoing commencement of the
Greater Wake County Wild Amethyst Goose Chase, hereafter known as the GWCWAGC.

Just like wild dogs hot on the trail of some deer we're out there kickin'dirt
and spending way more time than people with good sense could even imagine
hunting for just a hint, a flash or glimmer of something purple.

All we participants in the GWCWAGC are very aware of this condition of the hunt,
but we've seen the signs and persevere undeterred.
And besides, it's usually an interesting walk.

It sure is pretty exciting looking when you see it sticking out of the dirt at you,
but, as usual, that's about as exciting as it gets.
But we know it's out there. We've seen the signs.
And one of these days...........

Good report Joe, as the founding member of the Greater Wake County Wild EMERALD Goose Chase, hereafter known as the GWCWEGC, I welcome the formation of the Greater Wake County Wild Amethyst Goose Chase, hereafter known as the GWCWAGC and hope the GWCWAGC and GWCWEGC members can successfully achieve their mission and FIND THOSE GEMS!

livin' the life AND lovin' it,
r

You're right, Joe, as usual.

We just finished an emergency meeting of the GWCWEGC and by a unanimous decision voted to switch from mere EMERALD to any and all BERYL.

Long live the Greater Wake County Wild BERYL Goose Chase, hereafter known as the GWCWBGC

We're not picky, we'll be happy finding any flavor of beryl.

r

Excellent report Joe!  Thanks for sharing.  That camera takes great pictures

Joe,

If you ever make it down to Rockingham, get up with me and we'll go out to some of the better spots and do some exploring. In fact, anyone who wants to look around down here give me a shout. I feel that it will take increased efforts to finally bring some of these Richmond County minerals to light and I don't think that there are many others outside of myself looking this county currently. I was over at the smoky quartz locality last year and found veins of massive smoky and I know that there were once excellent crystals found there so more looking should turn up something. That area is bad for snakes so I usually go in the winter. Then there is the corundum locality which also needs to be a winter or late fall trip. There is suppose to be a garnet spot a few hundred yards from there that I was shown some small but very well formed and red garnets in a biotite schist. My friend is usually open almost any time to looking on his land for epidote and some schrol was found there as well and just down the road about 1/2 mile away there is another good schrol locality that needs more exploring. The limonite pseudo after pyrite locailty was producing good as of early this year. I went over there and picked up almost a 5 gallon bucket of crystals one evening, some to 3" on edge and some with twinning and clusters in matrix and a few examples with unaltered pyrite. That area also has produced small but very clear quartz crystals as well down the hill near the road. So anyone up to digging and giving the area a chance, get with me and if I have a weekend that I don't have to work, I'd enjoy getting out a bit myself. I would love to see somebody turn up something really good here. There is a fellow living in Monroe that grew up near Ellerbe. When he was around 12 years old, he and his father were squirrel hunting over near Millstone, just east of Ellerbe and the boy literally stumbled over an 8" schrol included smoky crystal that had been dug up and was in a dirt pile that had been pushed down the hill along the creek bank. The landowner was digging a small pond for his cows and dug out the hole, pushed the dirt over and this is how it was recovered. I saw it many years ago and it was as good of quality as anything I'd ever seen from anywhere. In the years since, I located two other localities outside of that one that smoky quartz occurs on in the same vein but as typical of Richmond County, its all very thickly wooded or private farms, etc. and one has to be careful. Over at the Millstone 4-H camp (you can go on-line and find this place), there are veins of gemmy smoky quartz running between where the cabins were built. Some of it would facet but this is a state backed (I believe) facility and they won't allow digging. Like Joe was saying the area is on the Fall-line so the upper part were the offices, kitchen, recreation building is is sandy but a short walk towards the creek reveals red clay and massive boulders of granite with small beautiful waterfalls and a lake. It is adjacent to this stream where you can observe smoky quartz, some with blades of hematite. So if the mineralization can change that quick, you can imagine what might be just a few feet under ground or a few miles further west of the line. Anyway....I feel that if anyone is up to a new discovery, the potential is here.