Treasure hunting vacation (OT)

This has nothing to do with tractors. However, I do value what others have to say and what you have done on vacations of this type. A few months ago on the tv was a show about a gal going to places where you payed a fee and dug around and could find gem stones. The wife thinks this looks like a fun time, meeting people and getting rich finding large amounts of high dollar gem stones. Not knowing a thing about this kind of deal I am hoping some of you have done this or live close to where the action is. We would like to hear form folks about where you went and if you did find any thing worth while or was it a rip off. Her Idea is find a gem and have it made into jewelry. Thank you

You can come up to Yukon Canada where I am at & I will take you gold panning. This isn't some place that is advertised it is just a place that I found that has shale rocks kind of shaped in ripples & there has been flakes of gold there every time I go there. Don't get to excitied. You couldn't make a living there. It is just enough to take home & show people that you found some gold while gold panning. Gerald

Gold paning is on my bucket list. If I was to try it, I probably would be eaten by a bear. stan

Maybe I should just follow the bear around with a baggie then. lol

Here is a link to place in Arkansas to find diamonds. I have never been but have seen on the news that sometimes they find some big ones here.
http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com/

Saw this on a special tourism show...thought it would be a good place to take the Grandkids for a few days of camping, swimming and digging in the dirt.

As long as you keep your expectations reasonable, you should be able to at least have some fun...they even find a few diamonds each day on average.

Tim
Arkansas Diamond in the Rough

i did it in south carolina and georgia, it's a blast and you'll see why people get bit by the gold bug once you find some,..if you go take some five gallon buckets and keep all the pretty stones,unless you know what they are... some can be valuable

The ruby mines in Franklin NC are a real long shot but there are people who find some. None are valuable but are pretty when polished. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

I polish Lake Superior Agetes, and suscribe to
"Rock and Gem" magazine. It"s available at most
good news stands. It has lots of ideas for trips,
and maps to interesting sites.The articles tell if
they"re on public, or private land, and what you
can find. Lots of places are roadsides, and rock
"Cuts".

SuperHank is right about the gem 'mines' in the NC mountains. I haven't been to one in many years but my grandparents used to take me to those places alot when I was growing up. There are some that salt the buckets so your guaranteed to find a little something, but I always liked the unsalted buckets better as there was more of a feeling of achievement when you actually found something that they didn't plan for you to find. I never really found anything truely spectacular but I did find nearly a 2 carat ruby once. I've still got it, along with all of the smaller stuff I found, and figure one of these days I'll get it cut and polished, and set into a ring or something.

That said there are alot of places like the one I believe someone else mentioned where you can look for other gems like diamonds, and of course the nearest creek is always good to at least try panning for gold. There is also such a thing as dry panning for gold that's done in the middle of the desert, with no water.

In the end the hunt for anything is fun, but don't expect to get rich anytime soon. Granted there are those that luck out with a 'find of a lifetime' but the chances of that are slim at best. If you go into the whole thing with that in mind and simply enjoy the 'thrill of the chase' and are able to take pleasure in anything you find then it is really fun. If you can't then it's not worth it.......But that's just my opinion, for what it's worth....

song about Arkansas diamonds.Anyone out there a fan of Bill Kirchen? Bill
Arkansas Diamond Bill Kirchen