Where to collect

The best place to find quality, sellable minerals is at mines. Mines produce large amounts of specimens of certain minerals, and continue to provide specimens as long as the mine is worked. Most mines, however, are not open to the public. There are a number of mines that, although closed for commercial mining, have been transformed into tourist attractions for the public. Minerals can be extracted from some of these mines without membership or requirement of a permit. A collector usually pays a fee to search a quarry or dump. Most minerals, however, are not found this way.

In the past, it was easy to get permission to take minerals from a commercial mine. Collectors would enter the mining areas and exploit the minerals without interfering with the workers. This is now very rare, primarily because most mines are now privately owned, and the mining companies themselves are selling to collectors. Therefore, it is very hard to collect from most of the prestigious mineral localities. The only way to collect from such a mine is to either have connections to the owner of a mine, or join a mineral group, which receives permission to enter areas where an individual would not be permitted.

Many famous mines and deposits have been overtaken by urban sprawl. These mines no longer exist, as homes, buildings, and factories have been built over them.

Some minerals are found in roadcuts on the side of roads, highways, and railroads. Roadcuts may yield some interesting specimens, but the quality and quantity is usually limited.

Collecting Procedures

Mineral collecting requires certain tools which can be purchase in hardware and hobby stores. They are:

• Geologists hammer or pick - for light chipping of unwanted material
• Chisel and hammer - to remove crystals and matrixes from the surrounding rock
• Backpack and old newspapers - for wrapping specimens and minimizing carrying strain
• Notebook and pencil - for recording specimen information
• Magnifying lens - to view small crystals
• Protective goggles - to protect the eyes from sharp chips that fly out when chipping rock

A geologists hammer or pick is best used for lightly picking unwanted material on a specimen. To separate large crystals from rock, or to remove a section of rock, a chisel and hammer should be used. It is wise to wear protective goggles when splitting rock, as sharp fragments may fly out. All minerals should be labeled on a memo pad or index card with specimen information, which should include the minerals name(s), exact location, color, and form. The specimens should be wrapped in old newspapers for protection, and then gently placed in a backpack.

Behavior at a Collecting Site

It is always beneficial to find out all about a collecting locality before going collecting. Care must be exercised when chipping at a cliff not to leave any unstable portion. In addition, make sure not to chisel rocks when a person is in close proximity, lest a mineral fragment fly out and injure the person. When visiting an operating mine, must make sure not to disturb the workers. Any such offense can permanently close a mine to collectors!

Specific Collecting Localities

Many books go into detail describing various mines: what is found there, how to get there, and collecting procedures. Some internet sites also describe a few individual collecting localities. Visit the link page to see some of these sites.

Types of Collecting Areas

There are various mines and mineral deposits where one can collect minerals. These are:

Open pit mine - A large, open, terraced hole in the ground. Open pit mines eventually fill with water if the water is not pumped out.

Underground or tunnel mine - A shaft where rock is blasted out underground or in a cliffside; the ore is brought out then processed. Underground mines can be a network of tunnels, often on different levels. Some are over a mile deep!

Quarry - Cliff which has been created by continuous digging into a mountain or hill for ore extraction.

Dump - Area where left over material is placed after being brought out of the mine. If no new material is brought to a dump, the material eventually gets exhausted because of collectors.

Stream or river deposit - Area in a stream or a river bed where collectible material is found. In such an area, boots and sieving apparatuses are required for collecting, unless collecting is done on the banks.

Related Articles

Purchasing Minerals | Acquiring Minerals | Mineral Value