🪨 Quartz Crystals
Clear, smoky, and rose quartz crystals are among the most common and rewarding rockhounding finds. Arkansas produces world-class quartz.
Best Places to Find Quartz Crystals
Crater of Diamonds State Park
Murfreesboro, Arkansas · State Park
The only diamond-bearing site in the world open to the public. 37-acre plowed field atop an ancient volcanic pipe. Over 33,000 diamonds found since 19...
Crystal Grove Diamond Mine
St. Johnsville, New York · Fee Dig
Hunt for the famous Herkimer diamonds — beautiful double-terminated quartz crystals first discovered in New York. Equipment rental available.
Herkimer Diamond Mines
Middleville, New York · Fee Dig
The original Herkimer diamond mining experience. Multiple sites in the area allow digging for these perfectly clear double-terminated quartz crystals.
Rockhound State Park
Deming, New Mexico · State Park
State park specifically designated for rockhounding. Visitors can collect specimens including quartz, agate, jasper, and geodes. Beautiful desert moun...
Graves Mountain
Lincolnton, Georgia · Fee Dig
Famous mineral collecting site known for world-class rutile crystals, kyanite, and quartz. A classic southeastern rockhounding destination.
Hogg Mine
LaGrange, Georgia · Fee Dig
Productive amethyst and beryl mine in western Georgia. Known for producing deep purple amethyst crystals and aquamarine specimens.
Pala Chief Mine
Pala, California · Fee Dig
Historic gem mine in the Pala district producing colorful tourmaline and garnet specimens. Part of California's rich pegmatite mining heritage.
Warsaw Area Geodes
Warsaw, Illinois · Public Land
Road cuts and creek beds in the Warsaw area produce excellent geodes (Keokuk-type) along the Mississippi River valley.
LCT Lithium Mine
Benson Mines Area, New York · Fee Dig
Pegmatite deposit producing beryl, garnet, and quartz crystals in the Adirondack region.
Cape May County (Cape May Diamonds)
Cape May, New Jersey · Public Land
Beachcombing for 'Cape May diamonds' — clear quartz pebbles worn smooth by the ocean. Found along Cape May beaches after storms.
Arkansas Quartz Crystal Mines
Mount Ida, Arkansas · Fee Dig
Multiple fee-dig quartz mines in the Mount Ida area. World-famous for clear quartz crystals. Dig your own or buy specimens. Coleman's, Wegner's, and m...
Wegner Quartz Crystal Mine
Mount Ida, Arkansas · Fee Dig
Popular fee-dig quartz mine. Known for producing large, clear crystals. Family-friendly operation with covered washing area.
Coleman Quartz Mine
Mount Ida, Arkansas · Fee Dig
Well-established fee-dig quartz mine. Known for excellent clusters and single crystals. A classic Arkansas rockhounding experience.
Twin Creek Quartz Mine
Mount Ida, Arkansas · Fee Dig
Family-operated quartz mine in the Mount Ida district. Known for producing crystal clusters and single points.
Avant Quartz Mine
Jessieville, Arkansas · Fee Dig
Historic quartz mine in the Ouachita Mountains. Known for producing fine crystal specimens.
Ouachita Mountain Quartz Mines
Hot Springs, Arkansas · Fee Dig
Numerous fee-dig quartz mines throughout the Ouachita Mountains. The region produces some of the world's finest clear quartz crystals.
Hansen Creek
Snoqualmie Pass, Washington · USFS
USFS area known for quartz crystal clusters. Popular rockhounding destination in the Cascade Mountains. Hike in with tools.
Tucson Gem and Mineral Show
Tucson, Arizona · Event
The world's largest gem and mineral show. Every February. Hundreds of dealers, exhibits, and events across the city.
Crystal Park
Dillon, Montana · USFS
USFS fee site where you can dig for quartz crystals. Beautiful location in the Beaverhead Mountains. Popular family destination.
Horseshoe Mine
Clay County, Alabama · Fee Dig
Historic pegmatite mine in the Alabama Piedmont. Known for quartz crystals, garnet, and tourmaline specimens.
Missouri Geode Beds
Macon, Missouri · Public Land
Stream beds and road cuts producing geodes in northeastern Missouri. Part of the same geologic formation as Iowa's Keokuk geodes.
Connecticut Pegmatite Mines
Portland, Connecticut · Fee Dig
Historic pegmatite mines in the Middletown district. Fee-dig operations for garnet, beryl, and quartz crystals. Classic New England rockhounding.
Buckland Pegmatite Quarry
Buckland, Massachusetts · Fee Dig
Historic pegmatite quarry in western Massachusetts. Known for beryl, garnet, and tourmaline specimens.
South Carolina Amethyst Beds
Due West, South Carolina · Fee Dig
Fee-dig amethyst mines in Abbeville County. Known for producing deep purple amethyst crystals.
Pennsylvania Quartz & Amethyst
Delta, Pennsylvania · Fee Dig
Fee-dig operations in York County for quartz crystals and amethyst. The Peach Bottom area produces fine crystal specimens.
Pennsylvania Pyrite Beds
Lancaster, Pennsylvania · Public Land
Lancaster County exposures for pyrite (fool's gold) cubes and quartz crystals. Classic Pennsylvania mineral collecting.
Pennsylvania Anthracite Mine Dumps
Pottsville, Pennsylvania · Public Land
Coal mine dumps in the anthracite region for Carboniferous plant fossils (lepidodendron, sigillaria, ferns).
C&D Canal Sillimanite Exposures
Chesapeake City, Delaware · Public Land
Chesapeake & Delaware Canal exposures for sillimanite (state mineral) and quartz crystals. Road cuts along the canal.
Beavertail State Park Minerals
Jamestown, Rhode Island · State Park
Rocky shoreline for quartz veins and unusual metamorphic rock formations. Beavertail's geology is some of the oldest in the region.
Diamond Hill Quartz
Cumberland, Rhode Island · Public Land
Hunt for quartz crystals and cumberlandite specimens near Diamond Hill. The area has historic mineral collecting sites.
Chesterfield Beryl Mine
Chesterfield, Massachusetts · Fee Dig
Historic pegmatite mine in western Massachusetts. Known for beryl crystals, garnets, and smoky quartz. Classic New England mineral locality.
Russel Mines
Alstead, New Hampshire · Fee Dig
Historic pegmatite mines in the Alstead area. Known for beryl and quartz crystal specimens.
New Jersey Zeolite Beds (Watchung)
Watchung, New Jersey · Public Land
Watchung basalt flows for zeolite minerals, prehnite, and quartz. Road cuts and exposures in the First Watchung Mountain area.
Paterson Quarry / Lambert Castle
Paterson, New Jersey · Public Land
Historic quarry in Paterson for prehnite, zeolites, and quartz crystals. A classic New Jersey mineral collecting locality.
Black Hills Rose Quartz
Custer, South Dakota · Fee Dig
Fee-dig operations in the Black Hills for rose quartz, the state rock. Also smoky quartz and other pegmatite minerals.
Harpers Ferry Area Quartz
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia · Public Land
Potomac River and Shenandoah River gravels for quartz pebbles and other rocks. The area's metamorphic geology produces interesting specimens.
Joshua Tree National Park Geology (VIEWING)
Twentynine Palms, California · National Park
Spectacular geological formations in Joshua Tree National Park. Collecting prohibited but the unique monzogranite formations and mining history are wo...
Llano Uplift Granite & Minerals
Llano, Texas · Public Land
The Llano Uplift exposes some of the oldest rocks in Texas. Collect garnets, quartz crystals, and unusual minerals along the Llano River.
Pennsylvania Crystal Mine (Blue Ball)
Blue Ball, Pennsylvania · Fee Dig
Fee-dig operation in Lancaster County for quartz crystals and amethyst. Good family-friendly rockhounding.
M & G Mine
Ashland, Alabama · Fee Dig
Old mine in Clay County producing apatite, garnet, and smoky quartz crystals. Located in the pegmatite-rich area near Ashland. Permission required.
Lake Martin Rockhounding Area
Alexander City, Alabama · Public Land
Outcrops along the shores of Lake Martin in Tallapoosa County. Known for epidote, actinolite, bronzite, feldspar, hematite, quartz crystals, unakite, ...
Gillette Quarry
Haddam, Connecticut · Fee Dig
Famous fee-to-dig quarry in Haddam, Middlesex County. Known for amazonite, aquamarine, beryl, chrysoberyl, garnet, quartz crystals, and tourmaline. On...
Jay Cooke State Park
Carlton, Minnesota · State Park
Located along the St. Louis River near Lake Superior. Known for agates, thomsonite, and other Lake Superior gemstones in river gravels and outcrops.
Point Beach State Forest
Two Rivers, Wisconsin · State Park
Lake Michigan shoreline with excellent beachcombing for agates, Yooperlites (fluorescent sodalite), and quartz. 6 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline to ...
Vanport Flint Quarries
Zaleski, Ohio · Public Land
Ancient quarry sites in Vinton County used by Native Americans for high-quality Vanport flint. Part of the Ohio Flint Ridge region. Excellent for knap...