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 Post subject: gem hunting
PostPosted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 3:42 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 7:15 pm
Posts: 109
Location: Alberta
Hi guys I am new here and am not in school or anything for gemstones but I am just very interested in rocks and gems and want to learn. I have learned a ton already from everybody! Anyways I was wondering if anyone goes gem hunting themselves? And also if anyone knows what kind of gems I could find up here in northern Alberta. I'm pretty sure there are lots of garnets around but I'm not sure about anything else. Any pics of stuff you guys have found would be cool too! Thanks :)


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 Post subject: Re: gem hunting
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 12:47 am 
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Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2006 9:44 pm
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Location: Washington State
I'd get a good geology map of your local area and then go out hunting. Here's a good starting resource:

http://www.ags.gov.ab.ca/cgi-bin/mapserv.exe?zoomsize=2&img.x=339&img.y=256&qlayer=map236_byfm&layer=formations&layer=hydrography&imgext=153986.636971+5789626.948775+788986.636971+6424626.948775&mapext=&map=G%3A%2Finetpub%2FMapServer%2Fmap236%2Fglgy.map&savequery=true&map_querymap=&map_web=&mode=browse&zoomdir=-1&layer=ab_boundary&SSElem=&btnFltr=&qlayer=map236_byfm

I've never been there, but from the looks of the geology maps northern Alberta is mostly sedimentary bedrock. This limits your searches to things that have been eroded from previous high terrain and been carried to you by running water. I'd do most of my hunting in stream beds. Look for crystalline materials as well as agate and fossil material. I have also read that there is a lot of exploration going on up there for diamonds, so maybe you'll get lucky! The closer you get to the mountains, the better the chances for heavier minerals to be found.

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Michael E.


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 Post subject: Re: gem hunting
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 2:02 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 7:15 pm
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Location: Alberta
Cool!! Thanks so much! It would be really cool to find a diamond. I'll have to look up how to search for them on Google lol. Yes there are a ton of fossils up here. We have found lots of dinosaur bones, a couple teeth, footprints and lots of ammonites and other such things. also found some nice Quartz crystals on the top of a high peak! But no sapphires or rubies unfortunately. Anyways thanks again for the reply!


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