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How to Hunt for Moonstones

Moonstone is the common name for oligoclase, a variety of feldspar. Feldspar, which is composed of sodium, calcium and potassium, is the most common mineral in the Earth's crust. Variations in the amount of calcium and sodium produce different types of feldspar, some more common than others. Moonstones are one of the less common types. There are few natural moonstone reservoirs, so hunting for them is not something to approach without planning. The name "moonstone" is also used to refer to chalcedony found along the California coast. Here is how to hunt for feldspar and chalcedony moonstones.

Things You'll Need

Gloves
Digging tools
Plastic bag

Instructions

Hunting for Feldspar Moonstones
- 1
  Search the Internet to find moonstone mines. There are only a few places in the world where moonstone is found naturally. Most moonstone in the United States is found in Appalachian states such as North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia, although there are small deposits in other areas.
- 2
  Call the moonstone mine to ask about hours of operation, prices and what you'll need to bring. Some mines require you to supply your own equipment, which includes gloves and digging tools.
- 3
  Go to the mine and purchase a sample of "ore." This is usually contained in a bucket or a bag and will appear to be simply a collection of rocky dirt.
- 4
  Take your dirt to the water trough, which should be flanked by benches or other seating.
- 5
  Carefully place handfuls of your dirt into the mesh-bottomed box at the trough and place it under running water. The silt and sand will be washed away, revealing larger rocks and gemstones.
- 6
  Place the rocks and gemstones you want to keep in a plastic bag and return to the visitor center or lobby. Often, you can have your stones inspected there for free.
Hunting for California Moonstones
- 7
  Use Mapquest or Google Earth to locate Cambria, Calif. Moonstone Beach, just north of the town of Cambria, is the most popular spot in the state for hunting California moonstones (also known as chalcedony).
- 8
  Visit Moonstone Beach at low tide. Moonstones are most often found in tidal pools, which are only exposed during low tide.
- 9
  Look in tide pools between large rocks. Don't be afraid to move kelp aside to get a closer look. While most of what you see will be green-gray pieces of gravel, your hunt might reveal small whitish stones, some with brilliant gray or brown layered patterns.These are California moonstones.

Rocks & Minerals