How to Hunt for Gemstones

Hunting for Gemstones

• 1

  Locate known sites where gemstones have been found in the past. Diamond State Park in Arkansas and the ruby mines of Franklin, North Carolina, are good examples.

• 2

  Research the geology and geochemistry of gemstones to better understand where and in what kind of rock conditions you might find them, if you want to make your own finds.

• 3

  Study the specific type of gem you want to find. Learn how to identify the stone in its raw, uncut state. Many uncut gemstones look very plain and dull, compared to when they are cut.

• 4

  Get and use the right tools. Shovels, buckets and screens are all useful for hunting gems.

• 5

  Use a shovel to dig gem-bearing earth or a pick to remove gem-bearing rock matrix from a known or suspected deposit and put it into a bucket. Take the bucket to a nearby water source.

• 6

  Pour a portion of the bucket into a screen and pour water over the material to clean off dirt, mud and other debris.

• 7

  Look over the large rocks and remove any that are not gems or do not contain gems. Use a rock hammer to break larger rocks apart to search for hidden treasures. Continue to work through the material, eliminating any medium-sized rocks. Comb through the smaller rocks for gem crystals.

• 8

  Stay alert for crystals that might be simply laying exposed on the surface around the deposit. Many valuable stones have been found this way.

• 9

  Try mining a deposit if you have permission to do so and can afford the equipment.