How the Opal is formed amzn_assoc_linkid = "aac5e87b1ca95eb9841c18e11fbbd48f"; Idaho is home to approximately 72 different kinds of gems and you can get your hands on some of your own when you visit this one-of-a-kind park. The south and western parts of Idaho are generally where the best spots are located. The rivers and streams that cut through the mountainous terrain are well known for their gold placer deposits, making gold panning a very popular activity in this part of the state. If you get really lucky, you might even find a valuable stone with a lot of fire in it and end up making money on the venture. People will argue all day about which is which, so I just lump them together and leave the precise identification of various local strains of cryptocrystalline quartz to others. Its just a matter of knowing what to look for and where to look. Once the specimen is exposed to sun rays, the mixed composition displays a radiant play of color in vivid speckles of purples, blues, and greens. Another great place is Owyhee County. Another place where you can find diamonds in the County of Adams is Little Goose Creek, which is also in the New Meadows area. Rainbow Ridge produces some of the prettiest precious opals in the United States, at least as far as specimens go. Geysers would erupt throughout millions of years, surfacing silica spheres in the liquid lined with layers of precious opal. For example, white, gray, and green opals are some of the most common colors you will encounter. Mine websitehttps://spenceropalmines.comMine F. Some of the most commonly found minerals found in Idaho include garnet, feldspar, perlite, amethyst, jasper, feldspar, topaz, aquamarine, and many, many more. Idaho is a highly productive state when it comes to rocks, minerals, and other resources. Posted on Published: February 11, 2021- Last updated: April 26, 2023. TIP: Correctly cutting and polishing opals brings beauty and exceptional color flash. Warm hues of red, yellow, and green line these slabs and specimens. Find Out in this Guide! In southern Arizona are the Sky Opal mines in Santa Cruz County. Written June 27, 2017. The best places to find crystals and gemstones in Idaho: Idaho is quite possibly the best state in the U.S. for garnet hunting. Many varieties of garnet can be found in locations all over the state, but the most sought-after and desirable is the Star Garnet. I hope my articles will be useful to you. Get more stories delivered right to your email. Because opals need water to form, the presence of opals provided evidence that Mars may have had liquid surface water for billions of years. Geodes are extremely popular specimens with rockhounds wherever you are in the world, and Idaho is no exception. One of these is aquamarine, the blue form of beryl thats known as a precious gemstone. You can find his knowledge here, and his handiwork at his Etsy shop. But there is another type of Louisiana opal thats much more abundant: Louisiana Palm Wood. Owyhee County is located in the southwest corner of Idaho. The petrified wood of Idaho is mostly of interest as fossil samples, lacking the bright coloration youll find in some areas. You can find all sorts of amazing geological wonders in Idaho, and usually, those come hand-in-hand with interesting mineral finds. Here the deposits were formed in cavities of the igneous rocks obsidian and rhyolite when geyser activity (like those at Yellowstone National Park) brought the silica rich water to the surface over 4 million years ago. We found 2 pounds of rocks with opals in them. However, it does have many areas where opalized wood can be found. Currently, the latter is closed, unfortunately, making Spencer Opal Mine the only producer in the area. Idaho is well known for its gigantic geodes and agate specimens. Common and fire opal, pink and white plume agates are also famous in this area. They are usually found in vesicular basalts. Old mine tailings in areas like the Seven Devils district are great for finding gemstones, and the Spencer Opal Mine is a great option for finding raw fire opals. This websites also uses 'cookies' to give you the most relevant experience while browsing. Here are some of the best places for rockhounding in Idaho! All About Opals | Spencer Opal Mines Besides these remarkable treasures, you can also find common opal in Washington, although production levels are minimal, despite the demand and interest.