Gems are renowned for their stunning beauty and captivating colors, which make them an integral part of nature. These precious stones are formed naturally and can be categorized into two groups: precious and semi-precious. For centuries, humans have been examining the characteristics of stones when mining or purchasing them, including durability, rarity, beauty, carats, weight, color, and other important factors.
If you are a gem enthusiast or explorer, you have come to the right place to learn “where to find gemstones in nature?”. In this blog, we will explore some incredible natural locations where these exquisite stones can be found.
Where To Find Gemstones In Nature?
1. Mines
Mines have been the primary locations where humans started to excavate these beautiful gemstones. They are widely recognized as the go-to place for finding these precious stones in nature. Mines are constructed to extract minerals and other natural resources from the depths of the earth, and they come in two varieties: open pit mines and underground mines.
Open Pit Mines
Open pit mines are essentially large holes in the earth that are created to extract gemstones from the ground. They are commonly used to extract minerals that are found close to the surface. Some gemstones, like diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds, can even be found on the ground. Numerous well-known open pit mines are still used for gemstone mining today, such as the Argyle Diamond Mine in Western Australia, the Cullinan Diamond Mine in South Africa, the Mirny Diamond Mine in Russia, and many others.
Underground Mines
Underground mines are nothing but are tunnels that are made to dig out the minerals like gold, silver, copper, etc, into the earth. Some of the famous underground mines are Grasberg Mine in Indonesia, the Muruntau Mine in Uzbekistan, and the Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada.
2. Rivers
This is also a great place for finding gemstones in the nature. In rivers, the flowing water can push away the rocks and minerals and leave behind the gemstones in it. Common gemstones that found in the river are sapphires, rubies, and garnets.
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Panning is used to do to find the stones in the river. Panning is a process of shifting through sediment for finding the gemstones in the river. Some tools includes pan, shovel and lots of patience which are required for finding stones. The first step for finding the stone in river is to find a spot where water is flowing slowly.
You need to dig there from your riverbed and place it on your pan. After this slowly swirl the pan in the river, it will wash away the lighter weight sediments. And the heavier ones will sink to the bottom. Now you may find some quality gemstones in your pan.
Some of the popular rivers to find gemstones are Mekong River in Southeast Asia, the Fraser River in Canada, and the Ruby River in Montana.
3. Beaches
We all have seen many crystals on the beaches, it’s also a best places to find gemstones in nature. Over a period of time, the waves and currents wash away the rocks and minerals and leave behind the natural gemstones like agates, jaspers, sea glasses, etc on the edge of the beaches. .
For finding the gemstone son the beaches, you need to do some efforts. Find an area where rocks are of multiple colors or have some different patterns on the beach. For example, agates are found on the beaches with volcanic rocks, Jasper stone is mainly found with sedimentary rocks. Some of the famous beaches for finding the gemstones in the nature are Glass Beach in California, Seaham Beach in England, and Agate Beach in Oregon.
4. Mountains
Mountains is another good place to find gemstones in nature. Mountains are formed when the techtonic plates are collide with each other and this force of erosion sometimes expose some rocks and minerals which are rich in gemstones. Common stones found in the mountains are quartz, topaz, tourmaline and many more.
For finding stones in mountains, you need to have rock hunting and hiking skils. After this find a area where there is a lot of geological activity like fault lines and minerals veins. You may also find stones in streams and rivers which flows under the mountains.
One of the most popular mountains famous for finding gemstones include the Rocky Mountains in the United States, the Andes Mountains in South America, and the Himalayas in Asia.
5. Deserts
This place can be surprising for you, how can a land of sand have gemstones in it. You might have forgot that deserts were once oceans and lakes in the earliest time. The water completed evaporated or moved to other places and leaves the gemstones behind. Some of the common gems are turquoise, jasper, agate, etc.
For doing gemstones searching in the desert, you need two skills: rock hunting and hiking ability. If you want to find gemstones in the desert, look for a dry riverbeds, washes made by water and rocky land. On the dry and rocky land, you will find exposed rocks and minerals.
These are some of the famous places where gemstones may be found in the desert which includes Mojave Desert in the United States, the Sahara Desert in Africa, and the Atacama Desert in South America.
6. Caves
Yes, caves can be surprising member of this list. Many of the gems are formed after the process called speleogenesis. This process occurs when water drips from the ceiling of the cave and forms many crystallines. Cave of the Crystals in Mexico is one of the famous cave.
Geologists have found largest crystals in this cave like a selenite crystal which is over 30 feet long. There are also some other famous places the Naracoorte Caves in Australia(best for opals), which are known for producing opals, and the Gem Cave in the United States(best for Multiple gemstones), including garnets, topaz, and amethyst.
7. Volcanic Pipes
These are deep, narrow and shafts formed by volcanic activities. The volcanic pipes are created when magma and gas rise to the surface and create a funnel-shaped cavity. Minerals and gemstones are crystallize to form these piper.
These are some of the famous volcanic pipes which includes Argyle Diamond Mine in Australia. This mine produces world’s most valuable and rare pink and red diamonds. Diamonds take more than 1 billion years in the volcanic pipes. Some other notable volcanic pipe places are Udachnaya Pipe in Russia, and the Letseng Diamond Mine in Lesotho,
Conclusion
Now, you know many places to find gemstones in the nature. We have covered everything from mines to rivers, beaches, mountains, and even deserts. If you are gemstones lover or explorer, you may considered these places. Who knows may you are the next person who will find treasure of gemstones.
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You should do proper Always to respect the nature and its rules. We should not play with it for finding gemstones in the nature. Patience and luck can enhance your gemstones collection. Each place mentioned here have their own darkness and lightness, You should do proper research and consult a expert before going for your adventurous journey.
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