| World Championship Quartz Crystal Digging Contest. October 2004 |
My husband and I wanted to share the highlights of our very first crystal
dig in Mt. Ida, AR.
This is an annual event in Mt. Ida Arkansas. I have to say it's in the
middle of no where. In this crystal dig you turn in the best point and the
best cluster at the end of each day. It is then graded and given a score.
All the results are posted daily so you know what your standing are over
the 3 day dig. Both times that we have participated in the dig, there has
been anywhere from 175-210 diggers.
Each morning everyone meets at the fair grounds for coffee, donuts and
the instructions for the day. We had 4 different mines to chose from and
everyone heads out to the mines at the same time. There are some folks
that have been digging at the crystal dig for 15 or more years.
It was our 3rd year as rock hounds and we had never dug crystals
before. We soon found out it was completely different from diggin'
rocks. We found only one little point, and no clusters the first 2 days.
We only had one day left and it wasn't looking to promising.
The evening of the second day, we stumbled literally into an old crystal
miner. We told him we were there for the crystal dig. Of course the first
words out of his mouth was, "did ya find any crystal?" We had to tell him
we suck at crystal diggin'. Well, he invited us to sit and chat awhile. The
wonderful stories he told! He had been digging crystals for 45 years. We
listen and just like a sponge we absorbed. He told us how to find the
crystals and how to diggem' .
The last day we did just what the miner told us to do, and Yahoo!!!!! we
found the vug. We got into a 4 inch vug, and spent 6 hours clearing the
rock away. So exciting!!!!! Its hard work digging those crystals.
Bucket after bucket, I kept stopping to admire them. After all it was the
first time they had seen day light in 260 million years, or even a human
for that matter. Ok, off the subject I know. Ted (my husband) kept
telling me," just put them in the bucket". I was so amazed. It is incredible
that they just knew to grow that way.
How many crystals in that vug you ask, 11- 3 gal buckets of crystals
from tennie wennie to 3 inch water clear quartz crystals. Lots of real nice
double terminated water clear quartz. I also found a super 1.5 x 2.5inch
double terminated quartz with rutile. It is the coolest!!!! I love rutilated
quartz! All the quartz from this vug was water clear and beautiful. We
had the best time
dig in Mt. Ida, AR.
This is an annual event in Mt. Ida Arkansas. I have to say it's in the
middle of no where. In this crystal dig you turn in the best point and the
best cluster at the end of each day. It is then graded and given a score.
All the results are posted daily so you know what your standing are over
the 3 day dig. Both times that we have participated in the dig, there has
been anywhere from 175-210 diggers.
Each morning everyone meets at the fair grounds for coffee, donuts and
the instructions for the day. We had 4 different mines to chose from and
everyone heads out to the mines at the same time. There are some folks
that have been digging at the crystal dig for 15 or more years.
It was our 3rd year as rock hounds and we had never dug crystals
before. We soon found out it was completely different from diggin'
rocks. We found only one little point, and no clusters the first 2 days.
We only had one day left and it wasn't looking to promising.
The evening of the second day, we stumbled literally into an old crystal
miner. We told him we were there for the crystal dig. Of course the first
words out of his mouth was, "did ya find any crystal?" We had to tell him
we suck at crystal diggin'. Well, he invited us to sit and chat awhile. The
wonderful stories he told! He had been digging crystals for 45 years. We
listen and just like a sponge we absorbed. He told us how to find the
crystals and how to diggem' .
The last day we did just what the miner told us to do, and Yahoo!!!!! we
found the vug. We got into a 4 inch vug, and spent 6 hours clearing the
rock away. So exciting!!!!! Its hard work digging those crystals.
Bucket after bucket, I kept stopping to admire them. After all it was the
first time they had seen day light in 260 million years, or even a human
for that matter. Ok, off the subject I know. Ted (my husband) kept
telling me," just put them in the bucket". I was so amazed. It is incredible
that they just knew to grow that way.
How many crystals in that vug you ask, 11- 3 gal buckets of crystals
from tennie wennie to 3 inch water clear quartz crystals. Lots of real nice
double terminated water clear quartz. I also found a super 1.5 x 2.5inch
double terminated quartz with rutile. It is the coolest!!!! I love rutilated
quartz! All the quartz from this vug was water clear and beautiful. We
had the best time
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |