[Rockhounds] Looking for rock/gem hunting info for northern California

[John Dach]

On Apr 29, 2008, at 11:11 AM, Tim Fisher wrote:

> The Clear Lake "diamonds" quartz crystals (which have no relation  
> to nor do they look anything like the Herkimer quartz) are on  
> private property, in an almond orchard.
Actually the Quartz crystals are found in many places in Clearlake  
area, but yes most all areas are now on private property.
> The obsidian "quarry" is on the county road and is easily accessible.
One can find Obsidian in many places along the roads.  Often one  
doesn't even realize that what they are looking at is obsidian.  On  
the way to Calstioga from Clearlake we have found entire road cut  
banks of obsidian.  Not of great quality but plentiful.  The Indians  
of times past made lots of use from it,  I collected 100's of lbs of  
chips and pieces when I was farming in Anderson Valley, many miles  
from the Konocti area (cone on the edge of Clearlake - lake).  Often  
I would find hundreds of chips of the same color in a 2-3 foot area,  
where a point of some sort was made so many years before.  Nearly all  
points I found over 25 years were "amateur" points, looking like a  
child's writing when they are learning to write, the points were  
child's points.  I did find a number of great points, one VERY NICE  
hide scraper.  All of the obsidian that these were made from had to  
be brought into Anderson Valley and there is no such material in the  
valley.
> The obsidian is of generally poor quality.

Hope you have fun doing what ever you decide to do.

John Dach
>
>> --- John Dach <john at mlce.net> wrote:
>>
>> >
>> > There is a lot of Obsidian in the Napa/Clearlake
>> > area.  There is a
>> > small Geyser/petrified forest fee park in Napa, Lake
>> > county is known
>> > for herkamer "diamonds", Mendocino and Lake county
>> > have a good deal
>> > of jade to be found if you know what it looks like
>> > and where to go to
>> > look for it.  The book suggested is a good start.
>> > We lived in
>> > Mendocino for 30+ years and did a bit of hounding.
>> > Most places are
>> > way off the road, on private land or miles of hiking
>> > (up) dirt
>> > "roads" (at least if we got stuff "up there" we
>> > carried it out
>> > downhill.  Leech Lake Mountain in Lake county had an
>> > active jade mine
>> > for a number of years.  One cannot go up to them
>> > mine but there was a
>> > lot of nice pieces of jade and "near" jade in the
>> > washes.  This is
>> > the place requiring a long up hill walk.  There is a
>> > rock shop
>> > between Cloverdale and Hopland on Hwy 101, might be
>> > good to stop and
>> > ask them if they have any ideas.  There is a fellow
>> > in Anderson
>> > Valley (turn left to go to the mendocino Coast at
>> > the North end of
>> > Cloverdale and take hwy 128 to Philo (about 36
>> > miles) and keep going
>> > to a wide spot in the road called Floodgate (cafe,
>> > realtor office,
>> > and the Rock Shop)) who has a claim in Trinity
>> > county for a Jade area
>> > and he has it on display, for sell in the shop.
>> > LOTS of other great
>> > specimens.  He might be able to give you an idea of
>> > where to go.
>> > Sorry I don't have the fellows number of the actual
>> > name of the
>> > shop.  If I can get the name/number of think of
>> > anything else, I will
>> > let you know.
>> >
>> > John Dach
>> >
>> > PS  Being from the Dakotas and around a good deal of
>> > Indian History,
>> > the Pomo's were in the coastal areas and many of the
>> > towns and cities
>> > have information and displays about their living
>> > methods/actions and
>> > the like.  Much different than the plains Indians.
>> > Check with the
>> > Chambers of Commerce in Boonville, Cloverdale, Santa
>> > Rosa and Ukiah
>> > and see what they have available.  Napa, Sonoma,
>> > Clearlake and the
>> > like too.
>
> Tim Fisher
> Ore-ROCK-On!
> Email address at http://OreRockOn.com
> -- 
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