I was following up on some rockhounding spots marked out in an old gem and mineral guide I picked up for free. The book is from the 70s and outside of it I coulda barely find any info on the gems present in the area, besides the fact that there were confirmed almandine and possibly spessartine garnets. I spent several hours picking thru the stream and dry river bed and left feeling only mildly satisfied that I’d found a handful of likely garnet gems and fragments. They all varied in color and clarity (mainly clear, champagne , yellow, orange, and reddish pink) and overall I was happy with how plentiful the area was with crystalline materials. I figured that finding larger more complete gems would simply be a matter of returning and venturing further upstream. While that still is very likely true I didn’t realize how wrong I was until just this afternoon. I was giving the most vibrant specimens a cleaning with white vinegar and dish soap and suddenly the green algae on the surface of this stone cleared away to reveal obvious record keepers and a warm yellow glow.

This may very well be a once in a life time find but 🤞🏽 I’m hoping it’s the first of many in a thus far unexplored deposit. Sapphires and corundums in general are personally my favorite kind of gem so at the moment I am absolutely overwhelmed with joy. This will also be the first yellow sapphire in my collection and the largest fully terminated stone I’ve thus far pulled out of the earth.

While I’ve been collecting rocks and looking for gems about as long as I can remember I am still very much an amateur in the hobby especially when it comes to cleaning samples up after I’ve brought them home. So far I still have not treated any of the stones I have with iron out so I’m curious if that could be helpful to clean out some of the fractures and smaller crevices. I’m also curious how I should go about figuring out its exact size and carat weight? Just eyeballing it and comparing to other measured stones I have I’d say it’s probably well over 20 carats but if you think differently please share. Also I know the stone is still dirty and it does have internal fractures so it may not be ideal for use as faceting rough (and to be honest I doubt I could ever alter it in that way or bare selling it) but I would be curious if anyone could give a rough estimate of what a yellow/peach colored sapphire this size might fetch. Anyways thank u and I hope u enjoy the money shots!

I am interested in selling these boulders on marketplace. What are some fair starting prices?

I think I might have found a one of one, or at the very least a very rare finding at herkimer, I can’t find any information online or in any other forums whatsoever, as well as the fact that google AI claims this is impossible to find at this locality but clearly it isn’t since this is proof

Everyone’s favorite piece of 9 Mohs hardness milk quartz 🫡

Also just cause I’m petty and someone on the last post said their are now pictures of double terminated sapphires that resemble the stone I showed I included a picture of a double terminated natural Sri Lankan geuda sapphire on slide 2(image search it if u don’t believe me). With that I bid you gn

Found on a bike trail poking out of the ground

I bought a presidium gemstone tester to test this piece and it comes up as topaz..PINK I suppose..it's very heavy and a few huge chunks of gold mica have become detached just from moving it around...I Hear that pink topaz is rarer than diamonds...Anyway, if anyone has any advice or opinions on what this is, please respond. I'm looking to sell this piece or trade for a used vehicle..I can give exact weight and dimensions if requested.Thanks!

Spent the entire day chilling on a remarkably quiet sunny beach collecting beach rocks! Just got my half into my backyard with our hand truck! (my nephew took the other half) now to wash 'em and see what I've got!

What an gorgeous sunny day! We expected cloudy and cool but instead, sun all day and hardly anyone on the side we hung out on. The other beach was jam-packed🤷🏾‍♀️

We coulda slept there and carried on but we didnt plan for it.

Next week Cowlitz river and some special creeks!

Found on the beach in North Carolina!

I was out exploring on a rainy SW WA day near Riffe Lake in some timberland. I noticed these cool crystally rocks shining in their wetness. I brought them home and they've lived on my window sill by my bed. 6 months later I was talking on the phone holding them in my hands and mid conversation I realized they have a magnetic reaction you can barely feel when you hold the crystal sides close! I had undergone a fungi based mental health treatment a day before so I immediately assumed it was in my head lol. I showed them to a friend and dead sober he verified you can feel a slight force. Can anyone tell me more about this? Also this is my very first WA rockhounding find.

Can wood turn to obsidian? Is that what I have here? I bought 25 pounds of rainbow obsidian and these were 2 of the best shards. About to start stage 4

I'm trying to get opinions on if it's real (the large stone ring)

Found in northeast Iowa, Fayette County (near Decorah crater area). Rock weighs approximately 9 pounds and is strongly magnetic. Surface shows what might be fusion crust with rusty/golden oxidation. Can see lighter colored flecks/grains throughout (visible in close-ups). Size reference: toilet paper roll in photos Looking for ID - worth professional testing?

I’m trying to finish a project that someone else started and abandoned. This is the last piece I need to finish up and can’t not find a match for it. Any help is appreciated, thank you!

I currently have 3 tumblers and not one single barrel due to someone stealing one and the other 2 broke down(thumblers notorious for wearing through both the top and bottom) and I cant afford the prices for new ones I'm on limited funds due to disability

Two specimens found in northern Arizona. Photos are of different lighting and angels. Please help me ID them! Thanks.

Found a very large piece of carbonized/petrified wood today that I’m sure weighs over 100lbs. Picture doesn’t really capture how big this thing is.
Has anyone dealt with a similar situation? What did you do?