Mineral Collecting Do’s and  Don’ts

There are many areas open to the public for free for you to  enjoy a day of gem and mineral collecting here in Maine. Many of these old mines  and prospects have not been worked for many years and some for many decades. Mines are inherently dangerous and ones that are not maintained are extremely  dangerous. Caution and common sense should be used at all times. Remember, safety first!

Quarry walls can erode and large pieces can fall for no  apparent reason. This is also true with old tunnel entrances. Never enter an old  mine quarry or tunnel unless you are accompanied by an experienced miner who can read the rock.

There are many places to dig however without placing yourself  in grave danger. Dumps are the first place to begin your exploration. This will show what the miners were finding and perhaps a mineral that they overlooked and  if you are lucky maybe a crystal of pink or green tourmaline. Use common sense when digging around large rocks. Gravity works the same everywhere and if you  dig beneath a big rock you may get squashed! And of course, don’t throw rocks at  people.

Knowing the history of a particular deposit is a good idea. Was  the mine primarily a feldspar producer or a gem and mineral producer? Generally,  the gem miner will dig slower to find his or her treasures while a feldspar  miner needs tonnage and moves as much rock as possible to create his tonnage. He  would have more of a tendency to miss something.

Prospecting for new mineral deposits can be fun and rewarding  too! Instead of looking on the dumps you might want to fan out and look for off shoots of the pegmatite or even new pegmatites. If you are lucky enough to find an open pocket you will be the first person to ever see it.

It is always good to be prepared which is especially true in the woods so bring a compass and a road map. It doesn't need to be an expensive compass or topographic map. The compass needs to be able to give you a direction. The map should be good enough for you to find the mine, prospect or  area. Place yourself on the map at the roadside before you start hiking and collecting.

Here is an easy way to do this. Stand on the roadside with the map opened to where you think you are. Place the compass on the map with the  north indicator point to the top of the map. Now place the map on the ground and turn it till the needle points to the north or top of the map. Now as you stand  looking at the road, the road on the map runs along with the road in front of you. When you feel that the road on the map is the same as the road in front of you, you know exactly which way is north and which side of the road you are on.  The top of any map is north, unless otherwise noted. Make a mark on the map  where you start and then use your compass to make sure your direction is the same as what you think the map says. If you do have topo maps and a fairly good compass you can find exactly where you are on any map by using the triangulation method. Ask about courses we offer on using a compass and map reading and reading and using geologic maps.

Here’s a list of items that you should bring along with you on a mineral collecting field trip. Make sure all items can fit into a sturdy backpack.

Ware heavy pants so you won’t get your knees all scratched up, not shorts. Kneepads are a good idea if you don't want knee problems later in  life. Good footwear is a must. Steel-toed  boots that provide good ankle support are best.

Always wear a pair of goggles when you use a hammer or pick, anything that might throw a chip. You only have two eyes. It's OK to smash a  finger, you have eight of those, but a good pair of gloves is a good idea anyway to keep all the pieces in one spot.

Wear a straw hat not just to keep the sun off you face but so  you can sneak looks through the straw at what other people are finding.

A good set of screens, small enough to fit in to the backpack  and a screwdriver to dig with are the basic tools.

Of course a small shovel, every digger has a favorite.

Some newspaper is always a good idea; you never know what you  might find that you will want to wrap to keep from getting damaged. You can use  the newspaper for insulation too. Wrap either hot foods or cold drinks in many layers of newspaper and it will keep its temperature for most of the day. Some  smaller plastic freeze bags are good for gem rough. Bring gallon sizes too; no  never know how much of a cache you might find. It has happened!

Don't forget water. Bring plenty of water. Figure you will share with someone who didn't bring enough water. Or maybe you forgot your  compass and you get lost. You'll need plenty of water, can't say it  enough.

As for first aid; the easiest thing to carry to clean nasty  cuts is an old nasal spray bottle, not pump but a squeeze type, cleaned and filled with Hydrogen Peroxide. If you get scrapped or cut you can squeeze a  stream to clean out the wound or get a drop out the end if necessary. Several one-inch gauze wraps and a few 2-3 inch sterile ones too. Place these items into a one-gallon plastic freezer bag.

Don’t forget bug spray! Bring plenty of Deet in one form or  another. In some areas or for really sweet people a mosquito head net may be necessary. You might want to place rubber bands around each pant leg at the  ankle to keep ticks (a spring time problem) out too.

If you are digging in well know mine tailings (dumps), don't be  afraid to dig down into them. That top 6-12 inches of dirt has probably been turned over and over again. Many people only scratch around on the surface.

Remember, if you don't get out to look you will never find anything. Looking doesn’t guarantee you’ll find anything but staying home  guarantees you won’t!

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