It's a lot cooler when you collect them without digging into already eroded and fragile hillsides. Looks like you're at the old briar fork store. I noticed evidence of digging last time I was up there. We locals enjoy collecting them as they emerge. Keep it sustainable, please.
I live in central NC. We have a number of sources of these "limonite cubes". The most well known are those found near Porter ,Stanley Co., NC on a private farm that use to allow fee collecting but no longer doesn't. There you would find modified cubes often with slightly curved faces in singles and cluster with crystals to 5" on edge. Some had fresh pyrite interiors. The clusters often formed in interconnected groups very similar to some of the Spanish pyrite clusters in habit. There are many other occurrences that produce these typical square cubes. Most of them from what we call the Carolina Slate belt region of the state. These crystals have actually been a source of gold at one mine in Randolph County, NC as the interior pyrite that these oxidized from contained small amounts of gold. These crystals were originally pyrite (iron sulfide) crystals but through weathering and chemical breakdown the crystals lost most of their sulfur and the iron oxidized but retained the original crystal form through a process called "pseudomprphism" or a crystal consisting of one mineral but having the form of another that it has replaced. There is a spot about 20 minutes from the house that you can literally pick a 5 gallon bucket of these things up in an hour and wait till a good shower comes and there are more exposed in the road bed. These are fun to collect!
Thanks very much. I grew up in Charlottesville, in Albemarle County, Virginia, and us kids frequently encountered devil's dice as we played in the woods and in the dirt. Adults generally were not familiar with it, but we knew all the permutations of devil's dice, which we often collected if they were especially beautifully cubed or large.
Dunno if anyone gives a shit but if you are stoned like me during the covid times you can stream pretty much all the new movies on InstaFlixxer. I've been binge watching with my brother for the last few weeks :)
Any recommendations for cleaning these devils dice without the porcelain cleaner you used? Would tumbling with sand be ok? How hard are these cubes on the Mohs scale?
They weather out of the mica shirts of the Charlottesville Formation. We used to find them in historical Archeology sites not over the Charlottesville which implies colonial era folks were collecting them too.
Very nice. Never seen so many in one place. We had collected a few goethite cubes "devils dice" few years ago ours were all metallic black I almost thought limonite cubes might be different as yours looked much earthier. Made me double check chemical formulas to be sure people are just using multiple names for the same thing. Again very nice video.
I just found my first devil's dice today in Nelson county 🖤🥰 I'm super stoked I've got a nice little handful nothing bigger than an inch but I'm still super happy
Yeah the Limonite cubes are famous from this location! People over the years have called them "devils dice". Most of the cubes are fully replaced, but some different areas produce material that still has minor pyrite in the middle. It is hard to display these cubes out because many old collections have broken cubes which are still reacting with the environment! The largest here has gotten to around the size of a baseball.
I live in wytheville so not to far can you tell the location where you are finding them I would love a few for my collection? Thank you and if you dont want to tell me the location I completely understand.
@@rockhoundhunter6973 I live in saltville on 107 right around where the welcome to saltville sign and that's where I find them I have all kinds of them every time it rains I find them where I got my dogs tied up
Do ya'll sell any of the stuff that you find? Is so Please let me know,,I'm in west Virginia and I would love to have a few things..oh and love the videos!!!♡♡♡
Unfortunately not! Fairy stone park produces staurolite which is found in the mica schist with garnets. This forms similarly as far as in micaschist, BUT it is a completely different formation and mineral!! These have replaced previous pyrite cubes over geological time
This is an excerpt from a good website that actually tells you where to look. Albemarle Co. Briar Fork - (bank behind and along side of store on Rt. 6 near Rt. 800 intersection) - goethite pseudomorphs after pyrite ( I heard “devils dice” by some) after a rain you just pick them off the side of the bank. The website is: varockshop.com/rockhounding/rockhound-info/field-collecting/family-rockhounding-in-va/ I hope that helps.
It's a lot cooler when you collect them without digging into already eroded and fragile hillsides. Looks like you're at the old briar fork store. I noticed evidence of digging last time I was up there. We locals enjoy collecting them as they emerge. Keep it sustainable, please.
I'm in Southwest Virginia...got more of these things than I know what to do with, but I still can't stop pickin' em up! Lol
I live in central NC. We have a number of sources of these "limonite cubes". The most well known are those found near Porter ,Stanley Co., NC on a private farm that use to allow fee collecting but no longer doesn't. There you would find modified cubes often with slightly curved faces in singles and cluster with crystals to 5" on edge. Some had fresh pyrite interiors. The clusters often formed in interconnected groups very similar to some of the Spanish pyrite clusters in habit. There are many other occurrences that produce these typical square cubes. Most of them from what we call the Carolina Slate belt region of the state. These crystals have actually been a source of gold at one mine in Randolph County, NC as the interior pyrite that these oxidized from contained small amounts of gold. These crystals were originally pyrite (iron sulfide) crystals but through weathering and chemical breakdown the crystals lost most of their sulfur and the iron oxidized but retained the original crystal form through a process called "pseudomprphism" or a crystal consisting of one mineral but having the form of another that it has replaced. There is a spot about 20 minutes from the house that you can literally pick a 5 gallon bucket of these things up in an hour and wait till a good shower comes and there are more exposed in the road bed. These are fun to collect!
I've always called them "Jack Rocks". I have a lot & starting finding them in Stumptown...this is in Schuyler. I am fortunate enough to live here ;)
I find those all over the place in Staunton, I just kinda started collecting them, but I never knew what they were called until now!
Whereabouts in Staunton? I'm in Charlottesville and always looking for more places to find cool rocks.
woah, I had no idea these existed till today. So cool
i wish i could come with! its so neat you find them :)
Thanks very much. I grew up in Charlottesville, in Albemarle County, Virginia, and us kids frequently encountered devil's dice as we played in the woods and in the dirt. Adults generally were not familiar with it, but we knew all the permutations of devil's dice, which we often collected if they were especially beautifully cubed or large.
Dunno if anyone gives a shit but if you are stoned like me during the covid times you can stream pretty much all the new movies on InstaFlixxer. I've been binge watching with my brother for the last few weeks :)
@Fabian Ryan Yup, I've been watching on InstaFlixxer for years myself =)
I don't know why, but I really want to go digging for these!
Any recommendations for cleaning these devils dice without the porcelain cleaner you used? Would tumbling with sand be ok? How hard are these cubes on the Mohs scale?
They weather out of the mica shirts of the Charlottesville Formation. We used to find them in historical Archeology sites not over the Charlottesville which implies colonial era folks were collecting them too.
Very nice. Never seen so many in one place. We had collected a few goethite cubes "devils dice" few years ago ours were all metallic black I almost thought limonite cubes might be different as yours looked much earthier. Made me double check chemical formulas to be sure people are just using multiple names for the same thing. Again very nice video.
@The Geology Man, Where is this exact location?
I just found my first devil's dice today in Nelson county 🖤🥰 I'm super stoked I've got a nice little handful nothing bigger than an inch but I'm still super happy
Heeeeey fancy meeting you here. 🤣
@@CarpeDMPhoto 🤣
Found a crystal like this and thought it was uranite - very rusty looking. Thanks for the video
Yeah the Limonite cubes are famous from this location! People over the years have called them "devils dice". Most of the cubes are fully replaced, but some different areas produce material that still has minor pyrite in the middle. It is hard to display these cubes out because many old collections have broken cubes which are still reacting with the environment! The largest here has gotten to around the size of a baseball.
The Geology Man
Totally amazing.
+Caver461 Also, I enjoy your videos!! I make sure to watch them all! I appreciate you sharing your adventures!!
The Geology Man
Thank you
If I had found those I would have thought they were man made. Very cool.
They are man made
God is a man ✌
I've been finding these in saltville virginia and now I know what they are
I live in wytheville so not to far can you tell the location where you are finding them I would love a few for my collection? Thank you and if you dont want to tell me the location I completely understand.
@@rockhoundhunter6973 I live in saltville on 107 right around where the welcome to saltville sign and that's where I find them I have all kinds of them every time it rains I find them where I got my dogs tied up
I have TONS of these! They're everywhere in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Awesome any leads?
Do ya'll sell any of the stuff that you find? Is so Please let me know,,I'm in west Virginia and I would love to have a few things..oh and love the videos!!!♡♡♡
Depending on size of the dice is also the size of gold that can be found
What is used of this stone sir
kool..thank you
I live in virginia where could i go to find these
what do you do with them after you find them? do you keep them a as a collection?
do you know if you can you find them in fairy stone state park?
Unfortunately not! Fairy stone park produces staurolite which is found in the mica schist with garnets. This forms similarly as far as in micaschist, BUT it is a completely different formation and mineral!! These have replaced previous pyrite cubes over geological time
Please let me know what they are. I do not know English, I found them, I do not know what it is
How do you clean the surface iron oxides?
How much for 3 lb
Can you find them in any part of VA what do I need to look for when I want to hunt for them?
East side of Blue ridge mountain
Genial 😃
Pretty neat spot and material, but I feel like a spoiled brat as I watch and think "It's limonite after pyrite. What else is there?"
Where are you in Virginia for this? I'm trying to find places to dabble in digging.
Also I'm from Harrisonburg but currently live closer to Winchester Va.
Have you had any success in VA fall little star? I'm looking to start out myself soon
This is an excerpt from a good website that actually tells you where to look. Albemarle Co.
Briar Fork - (bank behind and along side of store on Rt. 6 near Rt. 800 intersection) - goethite pseudomorphs after pyrite ( I heard “devils dice” by some) after a rain you just pick them off the side of the bank. The website is: varockshop.com/rockhounding/rockhound-info/field-collecting/family-rockhounding-in-va/ I hope that helps.
@@Counselor77
Hey man. Do you know who to talk to, to get permission to go check out the devil's dice?