Gemstones in a Bucket

"See that pile of gravel and rocks over there? Yep, that's the one. Grab a shovel and fill up this bucket. No, I'm not crazy. $25 for a bucket filled with dirt, rocks, and gravel is a bargain."

Who in their right mind would pay good money for a bucket of dirt? Rock hunters, that's who. Did you know that gem-quality pink tourmaline gemstones are worth more than pure gold? Ten times more in fact. They are rarer than gem diamonds too. If you are lucky enough to live in southern California, you can find your own pink tourmaline gems at one of the world's best spots for this rare gemstone, the Stewart Mine in Pala, California.

But you don't need to travel to California to go hunting for gems. Numerous operations across the country will be happy to sell you a bucket of rocks, dirt, and gravel. North Carolina is one such place. Go to Franklin, North Carolina and enjoy mining for gems at the "Ruby Capitol of the World". Here you'll find numerous operations where you can join the fun at the flume and search for your own ruby gemstones that may be hidden within your bucket of dirt. You'll also find other beauties including aquamarine gemstones in beautiful hues such as green and blue, Crabtree emeralds, garnet, moonstones, rubies, amethyst, and sapphires.

Even the state of Maine has gem mines where you can search for your own gemstones. No matter where you live, chances are there's a gem mine nearby.

What these gem mining operations have in common is proximity to mineral-rich gemstone mines and a desire to share the fun with the amateur rock hunters. You may not get near the actual mine itself, instead, you may find yourself at a gift shop area with a pile of dirt trucked in from the mines. While this may not be as exciting as donning a hard hat and a pick axe, it's definitely fun.

When searching through the material, you want to consider the three Cs: color, clarity, and crystals. Each of these affects the overall value of the gemstone whether it's a diamond, a pink tourmaline, topaz, or emerald.

Gems come in many colors. We're all familiar with ruby red, emerald green, and sapphire blue but did you know that sapphires come in pink, orange, yellow, green, and violet? Tourmaline is another gemstone known for its rainbow of colors. Pink tourmaline is especially prized.

Clarity is important because it determines quality which in turn determines the gemstone's value. Inclusions such as blemishes and cracks can affect the way the light behaves in the gem which can drastically affect the brilliancy of the stone.

Crystal refers to another mineral crystal embedded in the gemstone. These crystals can be of the same type of gem or it could be one of many other types of minerals.

Sifting through the material for gems is often messy and wet. Plan on spending a couple hours with your bucket of dirt in search of hidden treasures.