What are the easiest gemstones to find in rocks and creeks? Let’s find out here.
Gemstones form under conditions of high pressure and temperatures as minerals within the rocks, or form as independent minerals and crystals as products of hydrothermal processes at relatively low temperatures. As they form as rock derivate or accessory mineral, the occurrence of a gemstone depends on the rock structure, i.e. the chemical composition of a rock defines which gemstones can potentially be formed. Minerals and gemstones in rocks are formed in the process when magma or molten rock begins to cool, when some elements separate from the main mass and form crystals or separate entities. As for creeks, the material that forms the river bed consists of the surrounding material, and material that has been brought by water from the upstream. That means pebbles in creeks resemble the surrounding geology.
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Rocks that most commonly bear gemstones are pegmatites, in which also some of the largest gemstones are found. Apart from them, many other silica-rich igneous rocks also contain gemstones of silicate origin, and most gemstones actually are silicates. Do not forget that some organic materials such as pearls are also considered to be gemstones, but those are not found in rocks and creeks (except for petrified wood for example). So having all this in mind, one must have the insight in the basic geological setting of a certain region in order to know where gemstones can possibly occur.
Our search for gemstones that are most easily found in rocks and creeks started at Geology Cafe, Our Pastimes, Yahoo Answers and Zoara. Since there was no strict ranking for specific gemstone occurrences, we have also checked individually those that are mostly mentioned as the common ones, on places like Geology or Gem Select for example.
Since those presented here are gemstones that occur most commonly, you will certainly not find any diamonds here. Those are fancy rarities, and you can read more about those in our article on the Most Expensive Gemstones in the World. One of the features that make mineral a gem is exactly its rarity, so gemstones are usually not easy to find, but some of them are more frequent (and probably less valuable) than others. So, let’s see which of them are the easiest gemstones to find in rocks and creeks:
7. Tourmaline
Tourmalines are minerals of boron silicate group, and are used as gemstones because of their clarity and very wide range of colors. Tourmaline minerals are found as accessory minerals in some rocks (mostly granite, pegmatite and gneiss), and can be found in alluvial deposits because they are very durable and resistant, but the most beautiful are those that form as individual crystals due to the hydrothermal processes. Because of a great variety of tourmaline (since they differ chemically, but have same crystalline structure) there are many varieties: rubelite, schorl, indicolite, Paraiba and many more (those are tourmaline gemological names and not real mineralogical terms).
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6. Corundum
Wait a minute, corundum is just a mineral, right? Yes, and being relatively common mineral found in all kinds of rocks (igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary) and very hard and nicely colored, it has great properties for being a gemstone. Some of the most valuable gemstones, such as ruby and sapphire are actually varieties of corundum.
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5. Topaz
We are continuing our list of easiest gemstones to find in rocks and creeks with Topaz that is a common gemstone found in pegmatite and rhyolite rocks. They are also popular placer mining gemstone, since being very resistant, and are present in creeks as a result of rock weathering. The coloration of topaz varies, and most valuable are red, pink and orange specimens, most of which are nowadays mined in Brazil.
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4. Opal
Since we have noted that silicates are most common minerals, some of the easiest gemstones to find in rocks are exactly silicate gemstones. One of them is opal, amorphous silicate mineral. It occurs in many rocks as a product of low-temperature hydrothermal processes. There are many opal varieties, and the main opal gemstone resources are found in Australia.
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3. Onyx
Another form of cryptocrystalline siliceous minerals on our list of easiest gemstones to find in rocks and creeks, used as precious stone since the ancient times. Onyx comes in a variety of colors, being distinctive by its banded layered pattern of parallel color layers. Onyx is differentiated by color into sard or cornelian, and can often be single colored, and sometimes entirely black.
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2. Agate
Like onyx, agate is a silicate mineral, composed of silica and oxygen (SiO2), just as quartz, but it differs from it in way of occurrence – agate is of a cryptocrystalline texture (meaning crystals are only visible under a microscope), while quartz is a crystal. Because of the way it forms, agate usually has a curved layered pattern and comes in many colors.
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1. Quartz
And, finally the first among the easiest gemstones to find in rocks and creeks is one of the most commonly found minerals – quartz. Quartz is a very common mineral in many rocks – igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks since it is very durable and resistant to atmospheric conditions. That is why quartz occurs in many shapes and colors and it is used for many purposes. Quartz crystals used as gemstones are amethyst, citrine, aventurine, and other varieties of splendid color and those can be nicely polished and worked into jewelry pieces.
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