Hi everyone, I'm new to the forums but wanted to get some info or locations around Las Vegas. Recently I discovered that there's Garnet, Opal, and Turquoise within 30 miles or so of the city and was looking to see if anyone could offer some places to start looking. Any and all advice is much appreciated. Thank you again everyone.
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Garnet yes. But not gem quality unless you go a little further North. Around Las Vegas I find garnet amphibolite, garnet anorthosite, garnet schist, garnet gneiss, ecoglite and garnet in white quartz, rarely in blue quartz and very rarely in purple quartz. I have found very nice crystals up at Tempaiute.
Have not seen any opal around here, but lots of chalcedony. Chalcedony is the dehydration product of opal so there is likely opal around here deeper in the mountains. Opal is very common in Central and Northern Nevada. Also a few hours from Vegas in California.
Turquoise, yes. There are various mines around here with turquoise. Also in Southern California and down near Kingman.
Right outside of Vegas I mainly go for red selenite, a light golden selenite, actinolite for specimens, marine coprolite, fossil sponges, crinoids, there is some nice green and blue-green jasper deposits, an interesting frothy looking obsidian, low grade fire agate and if you are in to limestone tons of that. Most of the best collecting near Las Vegas is going to be about 60-100 miles from here.