Updated 5th Edition with new sites & museums! SOUTHWEST Arizona • California • Colorado • Hawaii • Kansas Nevada • New Mexico • Oklahoma • Texas • Utah Whether you’re digging for the first time or are an experienced rockhound or “prospector,” with a simple rock hammer and a little luck, you too can strike it rich ... or at the very least, have fun trying. This guide offers you easy-to-use information on the ins and outs of “fee dig” mining, complete with locations, costs, tips on technique, entertaining legends and important information on everything from safety kits to the location of the nearest restrooms. Included are resources for use in identifying your finds, exploring the lapidary arts, and further pursuing an exciting—and possibly profitable—hobby. • Equipment and Clothing • Mining Techniques • Gem and Mineral Sites • Museums and Mine Tours • Special Events and Tourist Information • Other Features The Treasure Hunter’s Gem & Mineral Guides to the U.S.A. in 4 regional volumes: Northeast ISBN: 978-0-943763-76-7 Northwest ISBN: 978-0-943763-74-3 Southeast ISBN: 978-0-943763-77-4 Southwest ISBN: 978-0-943763-75-0 Kathy J. Rygle & Stephen F. Pedersen combine their scientific training with a hobbyist’s passion. Lifelong rockhounds, both authors have shared this hobby—begun with their parents—with their children, and have traveled to many “fee dig” sites, museums and mine tours across the United States.

Whether you are an experienced rockhound or "prospector", or just digging for the first time, with a simple rock hammer and a little luck, you too can strike it rich ... or at the very least, have fun trying. From rubies, opals and gold, to emeralds, aquamarine and diamonds, each guide offers state-by-state details on more than 250 gems and minerals the United States has to offer, and the very affordable "fee dig" sites where they can be found. The authors offer easy-to-use information on the ins and outs of "fee dig" mining, complete with locations, costs, tips on technique, entertaining legends and important information on everything from safety kits to where the nearest restrooms are. Included are resources for use in identifying finds, polishing stones and having them made into jewellery and further pursuing this exciting, and possibly profitable, hobby. Focusing on the four major regions of the U.S., each guide covers: Gem & Mineral Sites: Locations of sites with directions and maps, the gems and minerals to be found, hours, fees and equipment needed. Also includes info on guide services, additional attractions and features at each site, local camping information and more; Museums & Mine Tours: Where to visit commercial and historical mines, as well as museums with exhibits of gems and minerals (for help in learning what to look for); Special Events & Tourist Information: Listings of regional events involving gems and minerals, and sources of general travel and tourism information for every state.

This volume gives you the basic tools to transition from "pebble pup" to expert rockhound and explains everything from geology basics, identification tips, tools of the trade, how to record your findings, and how to set up a lab or gem shop. Before you know it, you'll be driving the open roads and traveling home with dusty pockets full of rocks, gems, minerals, fossils--and maybe even gold. Features: * geology basics * popular collectibles, including rocks, gems, fossils, meteorites, and gold * tools of the trade for every level of collector * rules and regulations * polishing, preserving, crafting, and displaying your treasures

Gold Panning Colorado is the premiere reference source for anyone who is interested in getting started or continuing their gold prospecting in Colorado. Containing accurate, up-to-date prospecting information for all known panning areas in Colorado. The write-ups for each locale include driving directions, GPS coordinates, historical information, land ownership restrictions, full-color photos, and geological background. Features include: Full-color images GPS coordinates Geology basics Tools of the trade for every level of collector Rules and regulations Polishing, preserving, crafting, and displaying your treasures

A Beginner’s Guide to Rockhounding, Gem Collecting, Gold Prospecting, and Fossil Hunting Basic Rockhounding and Prospecting is aimed at anyone who is interested in learning the basics of collecting rocks and minerals. It’s the perfect companion title to the more advanced Modern Rockhounding and Prospecting Handbook. Readers will learn how to identify common rocks and minerals, and where to look for them. Using labs, procedures, pictorials, and discussions to help readers learn, this book will cover the basics of geology, describing the three main rock groups, with extensive pictures to show what to look for and how to figure out what is out there. Look inside for: Geology basics Rules and regulations Polishing, preserving, crafting, and displaying your treasures Popular collectibles, including rocks, gems, fossils, meteorites, and gold Tools of the trade for every level of collector

Rockhounding Texas is a complete guide to finding, collecting, and preparing Texas' gems & minerals. With this book anyone can learn where to find unusual mineral displays, fossils, jasper, agate, and petrified wood—not to mention more obsidian than one rockhound could possibly collect in a lifetime. An outstanding resource for experts and novices alike, Rockhounding Texas points the way to the state's best rockhounding sites, including popular and commercial areas as well as lesser-known sites on public land. Look inside to find: • Maps and detailed site descriptions with directions and GPS coordinates • Suggested tools and techniques • Land-use regulations and legal restrictions • Contact information for land managers • Additional information on rock shops, attractions, and local history