Post by mrhomescientist on Feb 24, 2020 15:40:55 GMT -5
I got a request to post a trip report, so here it is! Let me know if there's a specific format I should follow for the future.
This is Hogg Mine in LaGrange, GA. It costs $35 for the day. The website says you're supposed to only take a 5 gallon bucket and 1 yard rock, but they've never cared about limits every time I've gone. I've been 3 times now. They have primarily rose quartz and clear quartz, but you can also find aquamarine (beryl), mica, and black tourmaline (schorl).
This is the main pit area:
There's tons of quartz available for surface collecting - so much on the ground that it looks like snow!
This last trip I focused on quality over quantity (but still got quantity!), and focused on chiseling nice pieces off some of the boulders.
The tourmaline is concentrated in a separate area, not too far away. The ground here is the opposite of the quartz area - it looks like charcoal everywhere!
They also have a nice little rock shop on-site, which they've improved since my last trip and is now in a little metal building. They have some really cool stuff there. Both of these giants were found at the mine.
Here's everything I got, all washed off. I also have some large mica books that I haven't cleaned yet.
These are the best, clearest pieces:
And here's an awesome tourmaline specimen, terminated on one end!
I think these are "smoky rose," something the guide told me about this trip and I had no idea existed! Rose on one end, smoky on the other. Sort of like ametrine, but the color change is more gradual.
Finally, something I just remembered when I sliced my finger posing these rocks: the quartz here is SHARP! The first time I went, the guide told us "If you don't have gloves, we have Band Aids."
I'm currently tumbling some of the quartz in my other thread, First Tumble. I'm waiting on putting in the good ones until I make sure I have the process down. I definitely recommend this place. Very easy collecting, and good variety. Staff is great too! This last trip I found out that the owner offers lapidary classes, which I will probably take advantage of the next time I'm out there.
This is Hogg Mine in LaGrange, GA. It costs $35 for the day. The website says you're supposed to only take a 5 gallon bucket and 1 yard rock, but they've never cared about limits every time I've gone. I've been 3 times now. They have primarily rose quartz and clear quartz, but you can also find aquamarine (beryl), mica, and black tourmaline (schorl).
This is the main pit area:
There's tons of quartz available for surface collecting - so much on the ground that it looks like snow!
This last trip I focused on quality over quantity (but still got quantity!), and focused on chiseling nice pieces off some of the boulders.
The tourmaline is concentrated in a separate area, not too far away. The ground here is the opposite of the quartz area - it looks like charcoal everywhere!
They also have a nice little rock shop on-site, which they've improved since my last trip and is now in a little metal building. They have some really cool stuff there. Both of these giants were found at the mine.
Here's everything I got, all washed off. I also have some large mica books that I haven't cleaned yet.
These are the best, clearest pieces:
And here's an awesome tourmaline specimen, terminated on one end!
I think these are "smoky rose," something the guide told me about this trip and I had no idea existed! Rose on one end, smoky on the other. Sort of like ametrine, but the color change is more gradual.
Finally, something I just remembered when I sliced my finger posing these rocks: the quartz here is SHARP! The first time I went, the guide told us "If you don't have gloves, we have Band Aids."
I'm currently tumbling some of the quartz in my other thread, First Tumble. I'm waiting on putting in the good ones until I make sure I have the process down. I definitely recommend this place. Very easy collecting, and good variety. Staff is great too! This last trip I found out that the owner offers lapidary classes, which I will probably take advantage of the next time I'm out there.