My Honey Calcite Crystal Mining Experience

Crystals in Florida?

Honey Calcite Mine

You know I went a long time thinking that there were no crystals to be found in my home state of Florida b/c its too geologically young & for most of its history it’s been mostly underwater as part of a shallow sea bed. It wasn’t until about 33.9 million to 23 million years ago that sea levels dropped and Florida finally emerged from the sea.

I know, I know. That sounds like a hella long time ago, but compared to most other places, that’s relatively recently.

But a few years ago I discovered that just ain’t so! There are indeed crystals to be found in Florida.

Florida has huge limestone deposits leftover from the Pliocene & Pleistocene Era of Florida’s past… back when it was still living under a large shallow ocean…& that era has left behind large 2 million year old fossilized clam shells encrusted with honey calcite in Ft. Drum, FL. 

During the early Pleistocene era, this was the location of the Atlantic shoreline.

On to Ft. Drum!

Honey Calcite

Calcite comes in many colors and a while ago … Read More

2020-10-16T02:05:35-04:009 Comments

Why Volcanic Crystals are More Tempting than a Cinnabon

So Cinnabon’s are tempting. I stay away from them like the plague, but tempt me, they do…none the less.

Curse you, Cinnabon!

pizzabon_081512_m

Volcanic crystals are also indeed very tempting…once you understand a bit more about them.

More than a cinnabon, you ask?

I think so, yes. And after you check out this week’s blog post, I think you will too. And, unlike, a cinnabon, they’re good for you!

Here’s an interesting crystal-question to ponder:

Volcanic

In this week’s video I go over why we need not be concerned with the “volcanic” origin & perhaps…it’s that very thing that makes them so tempting!

So first of all, not all crystals & stones will be categorized as “gentle & protective” when of volcanic origin.

When we think of “volcanic” we thing of “fiery”, “explosive”…so I totally get where this question is coming from, BTW.

GEO GEEK WARNING!

Most crystals have a volcanic origin, either directly or indirectly. If you take a look at the rock cycle,  you’ll see that…b/c everything on the Mama Earth’s crust (that’s not man-made) comes through the mantle, through the upheaval in a volcanic eruption or … Read More

2020-01-27T23:43:49-05:006 Comments

Omg! The Best Crystal Mining Adventure Ever!

So we’re back from crystal mining and I’m now sitting down to try to round up all the content I collected while out on our magical Crystal Dig RV Trip. It truly was a rolling sacred biz trip.

Since I already gave you all the highlights in my weekly Glitter Updates, I’ll try to stick to just the actual crystal-digging in Hot Springs, AR here in this post.

NOTE TO SELF: FOCUS! FOCUS!

So this was the adventure of a lifetime. I’m so glad Frankie (my hubby) & I did it!

pic

In this video I:

  • compare & contrast the main quartz mines we went to, how to find them
  • show some of the crystals we hand-mined
  • give you digging tips
  • talk about the supplies you’ll need
  • explain why this was such a profound experience for me

My #BucketList Crystal Mining Experience

Why Hot Springs, AR?

You always hear about Sedona, AZ, right?

Well, let me tell you what’s so special about Hot Springs, AR nestled in the Ouachita Mountains and why I was called there.

HM.7.15

Arkansas is known for having the world’s … Read More

2020-12-21T12:43:28-05:0020 Comments

WARNING: If Toxic Crystals Are So Bad, Why Do Some Recommend Them?

If Toxic Crystals Are So Bad, Why Do Some Recommend Them?

Well, I really cannot say why some recommendations don’t give at least a fair warning, but I suppose that most who are recommending the crystals assume the danger is low. Sometimes it is…and sometimes it isn’t.

Here’s a really good question I was recently asked by a student:

If Cinnabar is a toxic crystal why do crystal healing books recommend it?

For that matter, why would anyone recommend working with ANY toxic crystals at all?

In this video, I answer that question

Cinnabar are the red crystals in the photo below. The proper mineral name for Cinnabar happens to be Mercury Sulfide.

Cinnabar on dolomite & quartzCinnabar has a Mohs hardness (that’s a term we use to determine how hard it is) of 2 to 2.5. That means it’s relatively soft, meaning it can easily be scratched & can flake off. So, mercury that can easily flake off…hmmm, something to keep in mind.

Now, you may know that mercury is a toxic element…and it’s been known to make people go crazy. That’s right, NUTBALLZ.

This is where the Mad_Hatter_and_the_Rabbit… Read More

2017-12-30T09:22:39-05:0088 Comments
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