Turning in off the highway, a well-maintain gravel road is followed for two miles to a parking area where another sign informs the visitor that they are at the center of the Black Hills Fire Agate deposit, and further states that while small pieces of fire agate can be found on the surface, large pieces will have to be dug for! There is a sign near milepost 141 on Highway 191 marking the graded dirt road to the site. Traveling to the mine, located at a cool 7200 feet elevation, is no simple task. For the next 5.6 miles the road winds through a Ponderosa-shaded mountain roadway within the Apache National Forest before reaching an amazing overlook and parking area at the edge of a major topographic, physiographic, geologic, biologic, and ecologic boundary that marks the abrupt transition from the southwestern extent of the High Chihuahuan Desert of the Mogollon-Datil Volcanic Field into the eastern edge of the High Sonoran Desert of the Basin and Range Province. The Ultimate Guide + (Fun Facts About Geodes), 4. Rockhounding In UTAH! To reach the Black Hills Rockhound Area, take U.S. Highway 70 In Arizona, geodes can be found in many places across the state and contain a large diversity of crystals. Other southwestern and western states can be good agate localities - visit Arizona for fire agate . Ithave beautiful iridescent rainbow colors, similar to opal, with a Mohs scale hardness measurement of between 5 and 7 which reduces scratching when polished gemstones are put in jewellery. It should be noted that this region now seems to have lately been heavily expanded; therefore, a number of these sites might no longer be suitable or available. Mark K. RATES & POLICIES known as fire agates may be collected. Mineral specimens such as bismuth, beryl, and microcline have been found in a number of pegmatite veins. The 7 year old we were with found the best piece!!! Heber Peridot Peridot spinel location - (20 collector specimens from same city, 13 collector specimens from nearby locations) Perkinsville Perkinsville Agate Quartzsite Plomosa Road - (2 collector specimens) Roosevelt from the Red Cloud (photo credit)mine (La Paz . At this BLM site, camping is allowed, though four wheel drive is recommended and no real amenities exist. We look forward to hearing your feedback as we fine-tune the website. BIRD LIST Though Arizona has produced a dazzling array including brilliant purple amethyst specimens. Look no further than the Burro Creek Rockhounding site on BLM land about 60 miles northwest of the town of Wickenburg, AZ. Arizona is one of America's leading mining States, although the primary focus in the past has been on the heavy metals rather than the other beautiful gemstones and minerals. normally suitable for passenger cars. I've found some cool pieces over there and have been several times. It is the birthstone for the month of August and is a common gemstone among other jewelry. Looking east to the Mogollon Mountains in the Gila Wilderness across the rolling grassland of Mule Creek Country just off State Road 78. Notable for having some of the finest ranch land in Southern New Mexico, the Mule Creek area is a mile-high landscape of rolling grasslands offset by a sparse scattering of Alligator Juniper trees. Mineral specimens such as Fluorite, Agate, Garnet, and Jasper can be found in excellent condition. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. From here, drive 4.3 miles past the railroad crossing. The Deer Creek Fire Agate Mine is a surface mining operation. The ancient Egyptians used agate as a gemstone more than 3,000 years ago. primitive campsites only, with no tables, water, trash removal or MORE THINGS TO DO $79.95. There's a crack right down the middle of the stone so I decided to just make it a specimen and I gave it the wet look with water based krylon clear non yellowing uv resistant. Andesite is composed of a high concentration of feldspar and other minerals which over time will break down physically and chemically decompose to form an unconsolidated mineral soil of clay minerals and fine rock particles, thereby releasing the contained fire agate and chalcedony which retains its original size and shape because SiO2 minerals are very stable and inert to weathering and chemical decomposition at the Earths surface. Elevation here ranges from 4,100 to 4,400 feet. contains a variety of colors, highlighted by the refraction of Located about 65 miles southeast of Safford, Arizona, the Round Mountain BLM Rockhound Area is the most remote of the three free Arizona collecting sites. Free shipping. graded dirt road two miles to the fire agate digs. As local Apache legend has it, there was a standoff between Apache warriors and an outfit of the U.S. Cavalry. Master Faceter, Avid Rock Hound, World Traveler, Fanny pack is the ultimate way to collect these Agates. Fire agate is a brown agate has a botryoidal (grape-like) form. BIRDING (Or a Mixture? junction 10 miles from Safford; this is the road to Morenci. Its not a good idea to hike there yourself! There is a good gift shop where you can buy high-quality specimens. Agate is a variety of chalcedony, a cryptocrystalline form of quartz. document.write(year) Terrain. Agates can show a wide variety of vivid, multiple colors. 50 Casita Flats Rd PO Box 325 Address: old Route 66 4 miles north . Fire Agate. Nevertheless, the red and brown shades of Fire help stimulate the root or brow chakra. Small fossils can be found among the crystals as well. Tugtupite: Meanings, Properties and Powers. This is also a great wide-open area for primitive camping. The fast-selling adventure tickets cost 395 dollars. Receive the digital, interactive PDF of the newspaper in your inbox. In the New Mexico-Arizona border country, chalcedony is typically found in shades of translucent white to pink and light grays and blues. Get the best deals on Fire Agate Rough when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. What is special about fire agate is that it contains platy layers of iron oxide crystals (limonite . Sources. The Bear Fire wasburning 25miles north of Clifton in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, near U.S.Highway 191. "According to Warren Jones, fire agate was discovered in Arizona in 1939," say Si and Ann Frazier, Lapidary Journal Foreign Correspondents. Brand New. 2. To reach Round Mountain from Safford, drive east on U.S. Highway $31.97. The fire agate from Deer Creek Arizona ranks high on the list of desired collected gemstones, mineral specimens, and lapidary gemstone cutting material. auspices of the Bureau of Land Management. The large cactus is the Barrel Cactus, a common plant of the High Sonoran Desert. Dont worry the process is fairly simple and youre guaranteed to find some amazing nodules. Afton Canyon . Round Mountain. Collectors refer to some of the parts as Fire Agate because they have flashy gold and green flames. Earlier this year I made a post about a location I ran across. Many eastern Arizona campers are accustomed to for rockhounding and non-commercial removal of specimens, with no A great photo opportunity location is adjacent to the shop. The most desirable colors are usually blue, green, and purple, and they can usually be purchased for about $15 to $25 per carat. THE FIRE AGATE AND CHALCEDONY OF THE BLACK HILLS ROCKHOUND AREA, Every year during the Summer Monsoon Season intense thunderstorms expose, transport, and deposit new fire agate and chalcedony for collecting as heavy rain runoff rushes down from the higher regions of the Black Hills Rockhound Area to the lowlands below, Looking west from the prominent ridge on north side of fire agate deposit towards the parking area at Black Hills Rockhound area in center of photo, 2 miles in from US Highway 191. Its name 'Fire' comes from its chalcedony. Fire Agate Article. experience and understanding of the quarry counts! In this video, I'll take you to a spot slightly south of Saddle Mountain, just off of a main dirt road replete with millions of pieces of Fire Agate, and provide the location and coordinates to get you there. There is even a kiosk with a visual guide to many species of fossils that can be found at the site. Macro mineral stone fire agate on a black background. Arizona also continues to be a primary supplier of Amethyst, Peridot, and Turquoise to the world gemstone market. around the area. The beauty of these fossilized gemstones makes them a very popular choice for rock tumbling enthusiasts. Or Compound? And so, it is in that context that the following brief geologic overview is offered as an aid to knowing where to look for the Black Hills fire agate and chalcedony. This location has been written about in rock & mineral magazine and there are multiple YouTube videos showing ordinary rockhounds collecting beautiful Fire Agate nodules. You can read more about tumbling petrified wood here! BLM free Fire Agate collecting site. Fire agate has been reportedly found in 15 locations on Arizona, as well as several locations in New Mexico and two . Buy It Now. Even if youre not guaranteed a high-end gem, youll be able to gather a lot of beautiful pieces of all varieties. Camping throughout the area is allowed for up to two weeks. I think I am just going to go for it this weekend and go to Saddle Mountaincant find anything if I don't look..it was suggested to go to the south side of the mountain and look over there instead of the well picked over north side..wish me luck!!! This can happen from an air bubble in a volcanic rock, or a mineralized animal burrow or tree root. area looking for the best specimens; they cover the ground like There is a lot of material there but not as much with fire. Because of it's elusiveness, it's highly sought-after by jewelers, collectors and rockhounders. The important result of this process is, of course, that the concentration of fire agate and chalcedony which was less than 1% in the original solid host rock may now be increased many times over in the loose, unconsolidated sediments and mineral soil, which in addition to being picked up on the surface can be successfully recovered by digging with pick and shovel. Or will a further away location be better? 1. Fire agate is one of the more rare gemstones around, and its unusual patterns ensure that every piece makes a bold statement. As the legend of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine has it, somewhere deep in the rugged Superstition Mountains of the hostile Sonoran Desert lies a literal Gold Mine. Below is a map of fires that are currently burning in Arizona, as compiled by thewildfire tracking website InciWeb, operated by the U.S. Forest Service. The gemstone can be found laying on the surface, scattered amongst the array of desert rock. Wyoming and Montana (Yellowstone National Park, USA): Scenic agate, Wyoming iris agate. The Black Hills Rockhound Area is located in Arizona, 50 miles west of Casitas de Gila Guesthouses, just off US Highway 191, about 13 miles west of the crossroads community of Three Way and 19 miles east of Safford, Arizona. Facilities are the same as in Round Mountain. Notice the great views to the west of the Peloncillo Best fire agate location in CA is in Christopher's back yard!!!! There are no facilities available! In the United States, agates are mostly found in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. As weathering of the andesite bedrock continues over time, the bedrock and large blocks of andesite found higher up on the ridge are broken down into smaller and smaller pieces and loose mineral soil which are gradually transported further and further downslope by Monsoon rain runoff. Location 1 Aliquots. They just pronounce it funny in AZ. stones; the BLM simply asks that you help prevent hazardous Gila, New Mexico 88038, 2022 Casitas de Gila, Inc. Updated January 2022, MENU: We are obsessed with the outdoors, and work constantly to bring you the information you need to enjoy the rocks and minerals you've added to your collection. Contained as of July 13. Neptune Mine close to Grays Spring Fluorite, Coronado Trail ( Old Mines) Turquoise and Chrysocolla, Three-Way drive-in theater Chalcedony and Fire Agate, Mule Creek Road (everywhere) Geodes and Chalcedony, York Region Banded and Fire Agate, Jasper and Carnelian, Sunset Peak(Foot of the hills) Blue and Black Jasper and Agate, Canyon to N of road one mi.