Mineral Minute Episode 1 - Amethyst

Mineral Minute Episode One - Amethyst.
In this new series, we spend 60 seconds learning about the world of minerals, just one mineral at a time.
Today’s Mineral: Amethyst
Amethyst is a colorful variety of the quartz family, often noted for its pale to deep shades of purple. Amethyst has a hardness of 7, no cleavage, a white streak, and a glassy luster.
The famous hue of this mineral is caused by trace amounts of iron that are trapped inside the quartz lattice. This iron is then further modified through different levels of radiation deep within the earth, producing a wide range of colors from reds to deep purple.
Amethyst is often found as large crystals, or in clusters, or within geodes at many famous deposits in Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, Russia, Canada, and South Africa.
Here in the United States, Amethyst can be collected at the:
Emerald Hollow Mine in Hiddenite, North Carolina
Diamond Hill Mine near Abbeville, South Carolina
Amethyst Queen Mine near Nancy Hanks Gulch, Colorado
Amos Cunningham Farm near Due West, South Carolina.
and Jackson’s Crossroads Amethyst Mine near Jackson Crossroads, Georgia.
Note: All of these locations require permission and most require a fee for collecting.
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A short blog entry about this incredible collecting site:
rockhounding-trips.blogspot.co...
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Keywords: fossils, fossil shark's teeth, cretaceous, teeth, aquatic fossils, rockhounding, rock collecting, fossil collecting

[@Zaph501]

One of my favorite minerals!

[@paigelee6321]

Thank you 😊

[@GeologyofGemsMinerals]

You left out the West Coast amethyst localities! There are amazing ones in AZ and WA.

[@rockhoundingusa8207]

We didn't mention 4 Peaks in Arizona since it is not open to collecting, though it is an amazing Amethyst locale. Were you referring to Snohomish County in Washington? To my knowledge they are there, but rare.

[@GeologyofGemsMinerals]

Denny Mountain in King County. You're right though, it's not open to collecting as far as I know. Well at least not the amethyst producing area.

[@GeologyofGemsMinerals]

An article in Rocks & Minerals covers the Purple Hope Claims at Green Ridge WA. Exceptional stuff.