Dig Your Own Nevada Garnets For Free

The Garnet Hill rock hound recreation area in White Pine County is located about 4 miles Northwest of Central Ely in the Eagan mountain range of Estern Nevada. The major access road to this area joins US Highway 50 about 6.4 miles West of the traffic signal at US 395 and US 50 junction in Ely. The area is locally referred to as Garnet Hill and this nationally known rock hounding area is famous for its very dark colored garnets found in a flow banded rhyolitic volcanic rock. Access is free and two square miles of public land were designated as a public recreation area in 1970 to ensure continued public access to the site because of its recreational and scientific study values. There is some limited camping space for tents and small RVs at the site - three tables are located around the road loop near the top of Garnet Hill. Other camping opportunities are located in and around Ely. The Garnet Hill road loop is about 3.1 miles East of US 50 and access is provided on a winding and somewhat steep but graded road. The Garnet Hill road is a maintained dirt road, and is suitable for use by sedans and other standard passenger vehicles. From Garnet Hill one also has a fine view of the open pit copper mine in the multicolored waste rock dumps at the nearby Robinson copper mining district.

Most rock hounds search for garnets at this location in one of two different ways. The first method involves visually searching the surface and nearby drainages for the dark colored stones that have weathered from the pink to gray colored rhyolitic rock. Small garnets which have come loose from the host rock are spread here and there around the area and their very dark color contrasts strongly with the local rock and soil. Using this visual hunting method usually does find some stones, and the finds come with the least amount of work involved. The garnets collect in small gullies and drainage areas because they are heavier than the surrounding rock in a manner much like a placer gold deposit.

The second method is used by other, more energetic rock hounds, who will work to break open the Garnet bearing rock with hammers and chisels. These tough workers seek to break open the hard rock and reveal any gems hidden within. This is a popular method and the best one for locating the finest specimens of Garnet, where the stones are still attached to the mother rock. If one seeks to use this method, it is necessary to bring sharp chisels and heavy crack hammers to break open the hard unweathered rhyolite stone.

The Garnet usually occurs as single crystals attached within small cavities known as vugs. The Garnet bearing vugs seem to occur in specific mineralized zones and areas, and these are confined to certain areas and not randomly dispersed and even manner through the rhyolitic rock. When searching for a zones which will contain the Garnet, perhaps the best clue is the presence of veins are cavities which are lined with sugary, sparkling light gray tridymite, a high temperature version of Quartz. Collectors have worked this spot for many decades, and broken waste material and rubble completely covers the ground in some areas, burying any potential Garnet bearing host rocks. Often, unless one works within the established pits, a considerable amount of work to move this rubble will be required.

The garnets are deposited in open cavities from the vapor phase, and are mixture of spessartine and almandine Garnet. The crystals exhibit sharp terminations and a sparkling luster. They are dark maroon red to black an average between one quarter to one half inch in size. On rare occasions they do occur in sizes up to nearly 1 inch these are extremely attractive, and make find specimens. Normally only one Garnet Crystal occurs in each cavity, but there are exceptions when two or more garnets are present. The geology of this deposit is similar to the famous Topaz deposit at Topaz mountain in Utah. The difference being, that at Garnet Hill the chemistry of the deposit lead to the formation of Garnet crystals, whereas at Topaz mountain Topaz crystals are the most common occurrence.

While this material makes beautiful mineral specimens, the Garnet from this locality is not well-suited for more general gem stone uses. Most specimens are opaque, and even the ones which are transparent are so dark that even the tiniest faceted gemstones would appear black. The dark color of these garnets is due to their high iron content. It is possible that small glassy black cabochons could be cut from these garnets.

Ely, Nevada in the eastern part of the state is a beautiful area. Leman Caves and the Great Basin National Park are nearby.

Beautiful garnets come in nearly all the colors of the rainbow. Garnet is a tough and durable gemstone valued by many cultures around the world. For more info on garnet as a gemstone:
About Garnet as a gemstone

Nevada is also famous for its turquoise deposits. For more info on Nevada Turquoise as a gemstone:
About Nevada Turquoise

For more info on turquoise as a gemstone:
About Turquoise as a gemstone

For more info about gemstones in general:
Gemstone Information Encyclopedia

Sunstones:
Many rockhounds interested in Nevada Garnets would also be interested in the famous Oregon sunstones. Both are located in the northwest and could both could potentially be visited on the same trip. In the South East part of Oregon is the little farming community of Plush, in Lake County. Just north of the town is the famous Sunstone area, where rockhounds can dig beautiful gemstones for free. The Gems come in firey red as well as greens and yellows. For more information on the Oregon Sunstone area check out this webpage:
Digging Oregon Sunstone Gems

Austin, Nevada:
Austin, in the venter of the state, is of great interest to many rockhounds. For More Information check out my Austin, Nevada information webpage:
Austin, Nevada Rock Hound Information Page

My Rock Hound Adventures:
My website features articles and information on rock hounding across the west. I have been searching the hills of Oregon, California and Nevada for many years. I write a monthly series of articles for the ICMJ Mining Journal covering various aspects of prospecting for gold, collecting gems and minerals and similar activities. I enjoy getting out into the hills and experiencing the beauty of the great outdoors. You may enjoy reading of my adventures:
My Rock Hound Adventures Page