If you enjoy squabbling with your friends over the stones on a beach, definitely you will enjoy gem hunting. Finding weirdly coloured stones and shiny objects while unraveling earth can enthuse the gem lover in all of us but that’s all you feel until you find your own real gem.
Gem hunting is normally a hobby taken by rock lovers or a profession taken by serious rock heads like the ones in Discovery channel’s Game of Stones.
What is gem hunting?
It’s just like any other hunting games; the only difference is you don’t kill what you’re looking for but you can still take it home as a prize. You don’t need an expensive gun or impeccable shooting skills for this hunt. Bring a chisel or a small pickaxe and you’re good to go.
Where do I start?
Gems are everywhere literally; even your backyard has gems or some precious metal underneath. But you might as well go to mining sites and ask politely if you could scour their grounds for gems.
Precious stone mines are the best places to find gems. They have great concentrations of minerals, which are why there’s a mine there in the first place. Some mines charge a small amount for entrance fee but have taxes if you find something valuable within their premises and some charge a lot but do not care if you find something or not. That’s how the hobbyists and experts get separated.
Mine tailings and rock piles in mines contain a lot of leftover precious stones. Gem hunters are like gamblers, some may stay in the casino for hours and win nothing at all and some just dropped a token and won a thousand. Most of the time its hit and miss.
But don’t get all caught up in the main tails, there are other places to start. Going outside and walking around in the wilderness, the best places to start are creek beds, eroded soil and even the beach has something to offer. Don’t forget to ask permission from the local government or the private land owner, you don’t want to get into trouble or have all your finds stripped away.
How to Differ Mineral from Regular Rock
A gem looks entirely different from the ones you see on glamorous necklaces or rings. When gems are raw and uncut, they look like any other rock sometimes just different in colour. You can confirm by giving it a little tap with your pick to see what’s under the dusty or rock covert exterior.
Minor or little knowledge from research can help a lot in these situations. The knowledge you gain from analysing minerals can also be used for pearl jewellery Perth or other places since pearls are mineral deposits too.
Gem hunting is normally a hobby taken by rock lovers or a profession taken by serious rock heads like the ones in Discovery channel’s Game of Stones.
What is gem hunting?
It’s just like any other hunting games; the only difference is you don’t kill what you’re looking for but you can still take it home as a prize. You don’t need an expensive gun or impeccable shooting skills for this hunt. Bring a chisel or a small pickaxe and you’re good to go.
Where do I start?
Gems are everywhere literally; even your backyard has gems or some precious metal underneath. But you might as well go to mining sites and ask politely if you could scour their grounds for gems.
Precious stone mines are the best places to find gems. They have great concentrations of minerals, which are why there’s a mine there in the first place. Some mines charge a small amount for entrance fee but have taxes if you find something valuable within their premises and some charge a lot but do not care if you find something or not. That’s how the hobbyists and experts get separated.
Mine tailings and rock piles in mines contain a lot of leftover precious stones. Gem hunters are like gamblers, some may stay in the casino for hours and win nothing at all and some just dropped a token and won a thousand. Most of the time its hit and miss.
But don’t get all caught up in the main tails, there are other places to start. Going outside and walking around in the wilderness, the best places to start are creek beds, eroded soil and even the beach has something to offer. Don’t forget to ask permission from the local government or the private land owner, you don’t want to get into trouble or have all your finds stripped away.
How to Differ Mineral from Regular Rock
A gem looks entirely different from the ones you see on glamorous necklaces or rings. When gems are raw and uncut, they look like any other rock sometimes just different in colour. You can confirm by giving it a little tap with your pick to see what’s under the dusty or rock covert exterior.
Minor or little knowledge from research can help a lot in these situations. The knowledge you gain from analysing minerals can also be used for pearl jewellery Perth or other places since pearls are mineral deposits too.