Western US Spots

[Arich1819]

So I’m completely new to the whole thing, but I was curious if there were any pay-to-dig spots in the western states? I’m from Utah and would like to start looking for spots I could go to find some sapphires/Ruby’s or even topaz.

Also, if there are, how much does it cost?

 

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[IAMZIM]

Sapphires can be found here in Montana. About a 8-9 hour drive from Salt Lake City. Pay sites, only two of them really, vary, but at Gem Mountain you can buy a bag of gravel to search through for $20 bucks all the way up to $200, depending on the "concentrate" you want to try and go through. at the Spokane Bar pay site, you can pay $10 per 5 gal bucket in the upper pit, or buy $30-$99 dollar bags of gravel from the main lower pit. Or you can pay $300 to dig in the lower pit getting 5, 5 gallon buckets of gravel, and $35 for extra buckets. Or they have mine runs where they use a backhoe and dig up so many yards to run through their trommel, prices vary from $600-$1200 all the way up to $3000 for that. There are websites you can go to in order to buy gravel from these places in the mail as well. These are the prices I saw last time I was at these mines, however, they can and do change, so beware. Some REALLY nice sapphires can be found at both these mines, but don't go there expecting to get rich......One of these days I'm gonna make it down to Topaz mountain in Utah, and get some of your topaz lol! OH, and here is some of the sapphires I have found here in Montana...... Being from Utah, I suggest grabbing the "Rockhounding in Utah" book. Make sure you get an up to date one as some older sites are no longer accessible. Montana ALSO has a "Rockhounding Montana" book I suggest you grab if you come up here. Both excellent books IMHO.

 

[fuss]

Wow nice collection, what are the larger rocks?

Sapphires can be found here in Montana. About a 8-9 hour drive from Salt Lake City. Pay sites, only two of them really, vary, but at Gem Mountain you can buy a bag of gravel to search through for $20 bucks all the way up to $200, depending on the "concentrate" you want to try and go through. at the Spokane Bar pay site, you can pay $10 per 5 gal bucket in the upper pit, or buy $30-$99 dollar bags of gravel from the main lower pit. Or you can pay $300 to dig in the lower pit getting 5, 5 gallon buckets of gravel, and $35 for extra buckets. Or they have mine runs where they use a backhoe and dig up so many yards to run through their trommel, prices vary from $600-$1200 all the way up to $3000 for that. There are websites you can go to in order to buy gravel from these places in the mail as well. These are the prices I saw last time I was at these mines, however, they can and do change, so beware. Some REALLY nice sapphires can be found at both these mines, but don't go there expecting to get rich......One of these days I'm gonna make it down to Topaz mountain in Utah, and get some of your topaz lol! OH, and here is some of the sapphires I have found here in Montana...... View attachment 1647796 Being from Utah, I suggest grabbing the "Rockhounding in Utah" book. Make sure you get an up to date one as some older sites are no longer accessible. Montana ALSO has a "Rockhounding Montana" book I suggest you grab if you come up here. Both excellent books IMHO.

 

[galenrog]

Pick up some of the “Gem Trails” guides. While they do not list every pay or free site, they do list a lot of them.

Time for more coffee.

 

[Arich1819]

Sapphires can be found here in Montana. About a 8-9 hour drive from Salt Lake City. Pay sites, only two of them really, vary, but at Gem Mountain you can buy a bag of gravel to search through for $20 bucks all the way up to $200, depending on the "concentrate" you want to try and go through. at the Spokane Bar pay site, you can pay $10 per 5 gal bucket in the upper pit, or buy $30-$99 dollar bags of gravel from the main lower pit. Or you can pay $300 to dig in the lower pit getting 5, 5 gallon buckets of gravel, and $35 for extra buckets. Or they have mine runs where they use a backhoe and dig up so many yards to run through their trommel, prices vary from $600-$1200 all the way up to $3000 for that. There are websites you can go to in order to buy gravel from these places in the mail as well. These are the prices I saw last time I was at these mines, however, they can and do change, so beware. Some REALLY nice sapphires can be found at both these mines, but don't go there expecting to get rich......One of these days I'm gonna make it down to Topaz mountain in Utah, and get some of your topaz lol! OH, and here is some of the sapphires I have found here in Montana...... View attachment 1647796 Being from Utah, I suggest grabbing the "Rockhounding in Utah" book. Make sure you get an up to date one as some older sites are no longer accessible. Montana ALSO has a "Rockhounding Montana" book I suggest you grab if you come up here. Both excellent books IMHO.

Thanks for the reply! Great advice. To be honest I haven’t done very much research myself so this was very helpful. I took a trip down to Frisco, UT today for a ghost town trip(its Halloween!) with a metal detector. Didn’t have much luck, but I did find a rock with iron ore. It was a first for me so I kept that one. But I drove right by Topaz Mtn. I’ll have to take a trip down there. And I will for sure have to pick up the rockhounding guide. That would be a good start I feel like.

 

[IAMZIM]

Wow nice collection, what are the larger rocks?

The "larger" rocks are corundum, or "star" sapphires. One is 240 carats, the other "twined" crystal is 430 carats. The two domed cabochons are 86 and 100 carats, the "stars" are not very good, they show up more like blebs of light, but there is a ruby from the same place I go these that is for sale on ebay that has a really nice 6 point star in it. My goal one day is to get a cab machine and cut my own cabs out of this material so I can find one with a good star as well.... Here's some close ups of these two "large" crystals.

 

[Arich1819]

If anyone knows of any spots in Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, or Montana please continue to post ‘em here!

 

[Moesia]

Here is the map of known discoveries.
https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/map-commodity.html#home

 

[T.C.]

The wife and me went to the "Royal Peacock Mine" in Nevada. It was more than 10 years ago so the prices to dig have almost doubled. We payed $100 for one person to dig and $50 for my partner to go through tailing piles. We found a few small fire opals and saw quite a few bigger ones taken out that day. A large one was the size of a minature football was taken out the day we were there. They also have a gift shop so you can purchase fire opals instead of dig for them. Chinese folks from Seattle are always showing up there and buying all they can get. Google "Royal Peacock Mine" and they will give you all the info you need. It was a blast!

 

[Oddjob]

There are also gem stone buckets you can order online as well, like Randall Glen, Rose Creek, Lynch Mining recently started selling gold pay dirt with gemstones in it as well.

I know that is not exactly what your looking for by any means, and it sure as heck does not have the same affect, but them winter months when you can not get out this may help some.

Watched a youtube video some time ago about a diamond mine out west, can not remember what state though, but it seemed really cool.