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Author Topic: Rockhounding around Las Vegas NV  (Read 18440 times)

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Squirrel0331

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Rockhounding around Las Vegas NV
« on: February 26, 2017, 02:16:55 AM »

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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hummingbirdstones

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Re: Rockhounding around Las Vegas NV
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2017, 06:56:13 AM »

Welcome to the forum from Northern Arizona!   :hello:

Our member ToTheSummit is from Vegas.  He will probably be able to point you in the right direction.   :icon_sunny:
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Robin

ToTheSummit

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Re: Rockhounding around Las Vegas NV
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2017, 08:24:55 AM »

Yes, a Vegas rockhound here.  Are you in Vegas also squirrel?  There is tons of hounding to do around this area in pretty much any direction you drive.  And I am still learning a lot about it myself since I really didn't get into lapidary work until about 5 years ago.  The local club is a wealth of information.  There are many old timers who know more about this area then I will ever be able to learn.  I've gained a lot of local experience and knowledge from club activities and field trips.  And they have a decent shop for use by club members if you don't have any of your own equipment.  I spent a lot of time at the shop before I had equipment of my own.

An easy spot to start you local adventures is at the clubs mine claim.  The Ore Car Mine.  The area is littered with agate, you just walk around and collect what you want.  And club members tend to throw out all kinds of random stuff there also so you will often find non-native rocks lying around as well.  There are directions to it at the clubs website.
http://www.snvgms.org/

There is petrified wood up near Valley of Fire.  There is a red onyx (actually a banded calcite) about an hour north off the 95 freeway.  Theres supposed to be some good stuff down around the little town of Goodsprings, but I haven't collected there yet personally.  Just yesterday the club was on a field trip to an area just south of the Amargosa Opera House but I wasn't able to go.  Too bad because its another new (to me) area I wanted to learn about.  And the list goes on.

I'd start with the club mine and seriously think about joining the club.  And if you want detailed directions to some other sites I can get them to you.  And as I always tell folks, if you are interested you are welcome to come to my place, see my shop setup, and also see samples of much of the local material.  And I've got plenty of stuff here to share if you want some rocks to get you started.
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Squirrel0331

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Re: Rockhounding around Las Vegas NV
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2017, 10:55:20 AM »

@tothesummit I sent you a message. Thank you guys for replying back we're on our way to check out the ore car mine and I appreciate the info on the club I had no idea there was one out here. $25 a year is not bad and I think I will be joining in the next week or so. Thank you again. I'll keep the post updated on findings etc.


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Neural

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Re: Rockhounding around Las Vegas NV
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2017, 02:34:26 PM »

Hello from Henderson! :)

Have just been starting to look for information just like this. :)
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Okierocker

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Re: Rockhounding around Las Vegas NV
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2018, 08:23:26 AM »

How can I get directions to your shop and are there days? I will be in Vegas about 7 months and just got started rockhounding and have some questions. Thanks. E. D. Law
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lapidaryrough

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Re: Rockhounding around Las Vegas NV
« Reply #6 on: July 26, 2018, 01:00:01 PM »

mapmuse.com for lapidary & shop / clubs in area. An state college for Geology of area of interest.

  Jack @ lapidaryrough
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Silicate life form

VegasJames

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Re: Rockhounding around Las Vegas NV
« Reply #7 on: October 28, 2018, 12:51:41 AM »

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.
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