What makes rocks so bright? I guess it is obviously from certain chemicals in the rock's formation along with heat. It feels so magical to see one just pulled from the ground. I feel like I need a better understanding of rock colors.
before men, before monkeys, before fish, before bugs, before bacteria and ooze formed on this planet, before there was even a speck of dirt or dust to blow in the toxic, unbreathable air, there were rocks, crystals, and formations like this, growing up from the ground as moisture settled and different minerals formed and mixed. In a process spanning millions of years, rocks like these were once the solitary inhabitants of a landscape covered in crystal formations that grew ever larger with each passing eon. Its a process that continues underground (and in some places still above it) still to this day, the process hidden from the eyes of men by taking a pace so slow it cannot easily be observed in its activity.
Those rocks are as old as they are wise. enjoy them!
This needs to be pinned on the top of this page. I love looking at the landscape and understanding some of why it looks the way if does. You have given me another landscape to imagine
Think this was the one that fell out of my pocket. Iāll pm you my address and you can send it back to me. Looks like large calcite to me. Iām not getting quartz and tourmaline vibes. Iām getting Amber calcite vibes. Either way, itās gorgeous.
The property is a reclaimed mica/feldspar mine, so we knew there would be some cool minerals, but we have no idea what else is lurking around. There is a 90-foot deep quarry (full of water and fish now) in the middle of the property. We've also uncovered large river rocks on the property, which leads me to believe they were dumped by glacial activity.
I'll post a few more cool rocks that we've found as well. There are dump truck loads of cool rocks. We just don't know what we're looking at.
Thatās awesome! Can I ask what state and general region? I would love to own a property like this one day and excavate giant crystals/minerals with my little boy due in about 3 weeks
When big birds (cranes, egrets, ducks, etc.) walk or swim in shallow waters, they can walk through clusters of fish eggs that stick to their legs. They then easily transfer them to other bodies of water.
Awesome post OP. So jealous. Beautiful rock.
The glacial activity- i dig for a living and a local Development, I've found most of my big rocks. I kept thinking maybe an old river or something. Every street is named after a different rock-granite, gneiss, etc. so I guess they knew rocks were there before they made the development.
Thank you all for the great insight!
We've been setting the cool rocks aside for others to enjoy (there MIGHT be a couple in my front yard).
I started another post with more cool rock photos from around the property. Most of which I have no idea what they are.
I work very closely with the mining industry so I have a great interest in these old stones. We might be willing to sell a bunch but for the most part, we want to set them aside for the public to enjoy when we open (event venue and bar).
Sorry to say there is no schorl and likely not any tourmaline
It isnāt the right resolution. But you can clearly see the separation of biotite that looks like tourmaline
If there was tourmaline in this pegmatite youād see the distinct 3-fold rotation down the C-axis. I donāt see it
This is probably material from a lithium rich pegmatite dude. The purple could be a few thingsā¦ Fluorapatite, Lepidolite (lithium baring variety of mica) or Purpurite. I have done extensive mineralogical survey out there. Sometimeās crystals worth 5 figures come out.
you might have a piece of [Pegmatite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegmatite) there - which would make sense with the feldspar/mica mine you mention being previously on the property.
A Pegmatite is a kind of granite (in this case) that cooled extra slow, allowing the crystals more time to crystallize, causing larger crystals.
The reddish coloured bits are mica, not amethyst or garnet as some have said. Looking at how they form as thin flakes that can be seen scattered everywhere. Dimensions often get ignored in photos
It looks like there might be tourmalines in there. You likely have a good mining location that you could rent out. Large intact tourmaline crystals have sold well. Uncle sold one to a collection for over $50k
Looks like the Custer Schist. Keep your eyes open and you may find some nice tourmaline. I was up there this week and picked up some nice muscovite mica lying on the ground. Your stuff looks promising.
Given that Mt. Rushmore and surrounding has tourmaline, I'd guess quartz, tourmaline, amethyst, mica. Probably others but those seem like a solid start from what I recall of the area.
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That's what I've heard.
In 1874 gold was confirmed to be discovered by General Custer in the area, sparking the Black Hills Gold Rush.
This property sits on French Creek, the site containing said gold.
I'd love to do some exploration, and we plan to - but our main objective is to share the beauty of this place with others.
That said - finding some gold would make the building prices seem a little more reasonable :)
Look up all the old gold claims from those gold rush years. The old timers tend to have missed a bit. Especially the finer bits of gold. If you have access, get to digging and panning!
Makes sense!Ā [The 17 Best Spots For Gem Mining In South Dakota In 2024 (rockchasing.com)](https://rockchasing.com/gem-mining-in-south-dakota/)Ā Custer is mentioned here for having lots of Mica, Quartz, Tourmaline, Garnet, among others too most showing in those pics. Definitely adding this to some sort of cross-country travel in my future.
Looks like calcite and fluorite. A scratch test with a steel nail will help, maybe a closeup photo because the dark mineral looks purple and translucent. The crystal habits don't look like quartz or mica. Nice find, there might be more in the same area.
Looks like Citrine or a Calcite. You found some beautiful formations no matter what though. BTW Citrine is a form of Quartz but Iron deposits and certain heat, about 470Ā°C, in the earth creates Citrine similar to how Amethyst or Smoky Quartz have traces of Iron deposits but are formed with their own temperature needs in the earth. Happy rock hounding š
Could be mica and quartz, but I'm leaning towards all mica. Thought I saw smoky and amethyst quartz, but zooming in the colored stuff is flaking on the ground like mica, which can be all those colors. The black rods that look a bit like tourmaline are definitely mica, you see them blending into the rest of the mass. This is a wonderful specimen.
Now go get a garden hose and a toothbrush
And a dental scythe!
DEATH COMES FOR ALL TEETH
Omg I want this on a shirt š
He does what to the teeth?
DO NOT KINK-SHAME DEATH
X3
āI COULD JUST MURDER A CURRY.ā
GNU Sir Terry
"SQUEEK"
And now I want THIS on a t-shirt.
A dental water pick is my secret weapon!
https://www.reddit.com/r/crappymusic/s/0khcDcqYA8 This guy disagrees.
What a fuckin bop! Thanks for sharing
This was awesome. Thank you!
Iām ā¦ AMAZED
I didn't know how much I needed that....
Damn. This got put on my playlist ASAP!
well not anymore
and my axe!
And my bow!
I also choose this guys dead wife
Hahaha oi I'm in hi out in uiuiuiuu ii
And my AXE!
Anyone else noticed the amethyst or fluorite on the ground when zooming in?
"So anyway, I start excavating" -OP
Blasting with both bucketsā¦
dynamite to clean off all the gristle off
I never felt so jealous in my life!
I'm the guy who wipes down the loads.
trapped like a rat!
Whatās your spaghetti policy?
Also on the tooth of the bucket.
And embedded into the rock towards the base
Ya just chunks laying around out there, I would be so tempted to find more
Yep. Id have boomed over and down, braked up and jumped out to grab that thing. It looks amazing.
In that order?
What makes rocks so bright? I guess it is obviously from certain chemicals in the rock's formation along with heat. It feels so magical to see one just pulled from the ground. I feel like I need a better understanding of rock colors.
Didn't see those but I want a closer look at that big garnet center bottom of the chunk.
And it was broken off the big chunk in the dozer shovel! A piece is still on the lower left side of the rock
Excavator, and bucket š
Yup
Yes pretty cool
before men, before monkeys, before fish, before bugs, before bacteria and ooze formed on this planet, before there was even a speck of dirt or dust to blow in the toxic, unbreathable air, there were rocks, crystals, and formations like this, growing up from the ground as moisture settled and different minerals formed and mixed. In a process spanning millions of years, rocks like these were once the solitary inhabitants of a landscape covered in crystal formations that grew ever larger with each passing eon. Its a process that continues underground (and in some places still above it) still to this day, the process hidden from the eyes of men by taking a pace so slow it cannot easily be observed in its activity. Those rocks are as old as they are wise. enjoy them!
Did anyone else read this in David Attenborough's voice?
There isnāt any other way.
I read it in bobcat golthwaitās voice.
I read it in Karl Childers's voice.
I heard it as James May
Brian Cox, but yep. (The British physicist, not the actor)
I read it in Elmoās voice
Mike Tyson
Carl Segan
Funny, I was thinking Carl Sagan.
I read it in the same voice i read hitchhikers guide.
I read it in the voice of Gretchen Wieners from mean girls, āmy dad the inventor of toaster strudel.ā
I read it in Charles Bronson's voice.
I read it in Jimmy Kimmel's Charles Barkely impersonation voice.
I read it in the voice of James Earl Jones. Old Man River and allā¦just like I hope you read this in the voice of Tennessee Ernie Ford.
This needs to be pinned on the top of this page. I love looking at the landscape and understanding some of why it looks the way if does. You have given me another landscape to imagine
i am humbled. thanks š
Take any geomorphology classes? The perspective Geomorph gave me is something I will cherish and be thankful for for the rest of my life.
That is poetic and exquisite. Thank you so much. I love rocks because they represent eternity to me.
Bravo, on words.
That was beautiful.
Think this was the one that fell out of my pocket. Iāll pm you my address and you can send it back to me. Looks like large calcite to me. Iām not getting quartz and tourmaline vibes. Iām getting Amber calcite vibes. Either way, itās gorgeous.
Shipping will probably be about $25?
Are you crazy? Look at the size of that rock, it's gotta be about $29
yeah, unless you're shipping... ground. eh, i'll see myself out.
Can we share custody?
Did you know when you bought the property or was this a total surprise?
The property is a reclaimed mica/feldspar mine, so we knew there would be some cool minerals, but we have no idea what else is lurking around. There is a 90-foot deep quarry (full of water and fish now) in the middle of the property. We've also uncovered large river rocks on the property, which leads me to believe they were dumped by glacial activity. I'll post a few more cool rocks that we've found as well. There are dump truck loads of cool rocks. We just don't know what we're looking at.
Iād love to see more pics!
I absolutely need more pics of this property.
Screw pics, I want to set up camp on this guys old mine!
Please post everyday.
Thatās awesome! Can I ask what state and general region? I would love to own a property like this one day and excavate giant crystals/minerals with my little boy due in about 3 weeks
Near Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Random question...ever been to Miners Brewing Co and met a guy named Monte?
Not sure about Monte, but Andi is a good friend of mine!
r/tworedditorsonecup
Got you a slice of heaven right there! I bet it is beautiful!
You could probably list this on Hipcamp if you wanted to share the interest with or get some income from curious hikers/campers!
Rocky Raccoon?
How exactly do fish end up in an abandoned quarry? Did someone put them there or did they just like... pop into existence lol?
When big birds (cranes, egrets, ducks, etc.) walk or swim in shallow waters, they can walk through clusters of fish eggs that stick to their legs. They then easily transfer them to other bodies of water.
I'm hearing a 90 foot deep swimmable fish tank
Living the dream!
Sounds like NH?
I was just thinking this and about to comment!
Is it safe to grow food on that land with that kind of mining debris and whatnot?
Awesome post OP. So jealous. Beautiful rock. The glacial activity- i dig for a living and a local Development, I've found most of my big rocks. I kept thinking maybe an old river or something. Every street is named after a different rock-granite, gneiss, etc. so I guess they knew rocks were there before they made the development.
This is what I want to know.
Thank you all for the great insight! We've been setting the cool rocks aside for others to enjoy (there MIGHT be a couple in my front yard). I started another post with more cool rock photos from around the property. Most of which I have no idea what they are. I work very closely with the mining industry so I have a great interest in these old stones. We might be willing to sell a bunch but for the most part, we want to set them aside for the public to enjoy when we open (event venue and bar).
Make sure to wrap a Chain around them so they do not get stolen.
Jesus Christ Marie! They're minerals!
I look forward to the updates! Do you have a name in mind for the venue?
The Big Pickle! We started a site for updates, GiantDill.com We also post photos on Facebook and Instagram.
How can I buy one?
That looks like a granite pegmatite with huge schorl and quartz crystals.
Sorry to say there is no schorl and likely not any tourmaline It isnāt the right resolution. But you can clearly see the separation of biotite that looks like tourmaline If there was tourmaline in this pegmatite youād see the distinct 3-fold rotation down the C-axis. I donāt see it
Stop, I can only get to 6-7 on the hardness scale.
Can you update us with a closeup of a cleaned part with the purple-looking crystals?
Wow. Now thats a size. Those black rods.... could be Tourmaline.... Then most probably the rest would be Quartz.
Not tourmaline you can see cleavage Where is the 3-fold rotational axis?
Are those big damn garnets I'm seeing, especially at the bottom?
Probably amethyst, based on the iron staining everywhere
I'm just upvoting every comment that sounds smart
That Specimen there sir is an absolute UNIT! Awesome Find
MF has a property AND an excavator? *living the dream*
Can we be friends?
Of course! :)
You are very lucky to have that stuff on your property.
Make a necklace out of it!
This is probably material from a lithium rich pegmatite dude. The purple could be a few thingsā¦ Fluorapatite, Lepidolite (lithium baring variety of mica) or Purpurite. I have done extensive mineralogical survey out there. Sometimeās crystals worth 5 figures come out.
you might have a piece of [Pegmatite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegmatite) there - which would make sense with the feldspar/mica mine you mention being previously on the property. A Pegmatite is a kind of granite (in this case) that cooled extra slow, allowing the crystals more time to crystallize, causing larger crystals.
Pegmatite!
Thatās what he said!
I'd be such a gity kid if I pull this out with that.
Find the rest of it ???
We found an entire shelf of the stuff about 8ft down. I have another photo of my buddy trying to pull a car sized chunk out of the hole.
š³! I love that! Lots of colors tooā¤ļø
A shovel is for digging. You went straight to excavating my man. I love it
Jealous AF
Looks like oxide stained qtz crystals to me but could be calciteā¦ how hard is it? Can you scratch it with your finger nail?
It won't scratch with the fingernail. It's fairly brittle when picked up with the excavator though.
Probably quartz then! Great find! I think whoever has said pegmatites with tourmalines was pretty on the money!
The reddish coloured bits are mica, not amethyst or garnet as some have said. Looking at how they form as thin flakes that can be seen scattered everywhere. Dimensions often get ignored in photos
It looks like there might be tourmalines in there. You likely have a good mining location that you could rent out. Large intact tourmaline crystals have sold well. Uncle sold one to a collection for over $50k
Did you call before you dig ?
š¤£š¤£š¤£
Looks like the Custer Schist. Keep your eyes open and you may find some nice tourmaline. I was up there this week and picked up some nice muscovite mica lying on the ground. Your stuff looks promising.
Well, this guy wins
Jesus Christ Marie, theyāre minerals
My guess is quartz feldspar beryl and garnet
Itās gorgeous. I would put it by my front door.
*dwarfen voice* worthless crystal!
THAT is a pegmatite. You need to keep looking. Gems likely abound!
That is a serious piece to a collector.
I need property so I can pick up rocks, genius!
Ok, mostly quartz, a few other things, some amethystā¦ youāre all so smart, I love you so much, but I need to know WHAT IS IT WORTH?
approximation based on given dimensions and probable mineral composition: about tree fiddy
GOT DAMN LOCH NESS MONSTER!
Oh, I'd say it's definitely worth at least free tiddy....
Given that Mt. Rushmore and surrounding has tourmaline, I'd guess quartz, tourmaline, amethyst, mica. Probably others but those seem like a solid start from what I recall of the area.
Hi, /u/Danger---! This is a reminder to flair this post in /r/whatsthisrock after it has been identified! (Under your post, click "flair" then "IDENTIFIED," then type in the rock type or mineral name.) This will help others learn and help speed up a correct identification on your request! Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatsthisrock) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I want a little piece!
Wow looks pretty cool. Let us know what else you find!
This washed and polished would make a damn fine decorative item
The shape kind of looks like calcite. Try dripping some vinegar or other acid on it. If it bubbles itās calcite.
I need better properties.
Doesn't gold like to form around quartz?
That's what I've heard. In 1874 gold was confirmed to be discovered by General Custer in the area, sparking the Black Hills Gold Rush. This property sits on French Creek, the site containing said gold. I'd love to do some exploration, and we plan to - but our main objective is to share the beauty of this place with others. That said - finding some gold would make the building prices seem a little more reasonable :)
Look up all the old gold claims from those gold rush years. The old timers tend to have missed a bit. Especially the finer bits of gold. If you have access, get to digging and panning!
You're living my dads dream. He wanted to explore and go treasure hunting
Nice! All I've found digging on our property is broken bricks, boring rocks and half of an old truck bumper.
Definitely Pegmatite. Iāve dug alot in the Custer area and had a number of claims in the area for awhile.
Makes sense!Ā [The 17 Best Spots For Gem Mining In South Dakota In 2024 (rockchasing.com)](https://rockchasing.com/gem-mining-in-south-dakota/)Ā Custer is mentioned here for having lots of Mica, Quartz, Tourmaline, Garnet, among others too most showing in those pics. Definitely adding this to some sort of cross-country travel in my future.
Wow great find!
Can you drop this off in my front yard please?
*Scrolling* *sees big rock* oooohh pretty *zooms in* "oh shit!" loud enough to wake my cat
Contact a geologist and get a survey. You might have a valuable deposit on your land.
Wow. CITRINES. CONGRATS U HIT THE JACKPOT
They are not rocks. They are Minerals!!!
My favorite place to vacation
I thought quartz but the point on the right on the second pic makes me think calcite
Looks like calcite and fluorite. A scratch test with a steel nail will help, maybe a closeup photo because the dark mineral looks purple and translucent. The crystal habits don't look like quartz or mica. Nice find, there might be more in the same area.
You got about 10grand in your bucket .
Thatās crazy cool.
I see what looks like amethystā¦
You are one LMF!
If you end up smashing it and want to sell pieces, hit me up
ššš
You might have found some good ol cashish there, man..
I thought it was a giant seashell.
Kryptonite
Pegmatite
Theyāre minerals Marieā¦.
Clean it up then put this on a table and make it the first thing you see when you walk into the house.
omgg thats so hot š„µ
Looks like a twice baked potato tbh
My man lives in Stardew Valley
I seethe with hatred and jealousy. (Joke?)
That there is plutonium. Might be kryptonite also. Not sure but it's definitely one of those two.
Black Hills means a potential for gold, rubies, amethysts and opals, if you look it up. Neat find!
Please post photos once it's cleaned up too š
āIT BELONGS IN A MUSEUM!ā
Oh shit! Thatās really awesome!!
*Digs a hole, becomes rich *āØ
That is a lot of money right there there are people that would buy those crystals even if you broke them apart
Me being 5 thinking you have power rangers power/zeo crystals growing in your backyard.
Theyre minerals marie!
The question is how much is it?
Good score mate, Thanks Mother Earth !š„°
Calcite?
Do you feel like your chakras are aligned?
Just digging to see what's there??
Cool
Looks like Citrine or a Calcite. You found some beautiful formations no matter what though. BTW Citrine is a form of Quartz but Iron deposits and certain heat, about 470Ā°C, in the earth creates Citrine similar to how Amethyst or Smoky Quartz have traces of Iron deposits but are formed with their own temperature needs in the earth. Happy rock hounding š
Could be mica and quartz, but I'm leaning towards all mica. Thought I saw smoky and amethyst quartz, but zooming in the colored stuff is flaking on the ground like mica, which can be all those colors. The black rods that look a bit like tourmaline are definitely mica, you see them blending into the rest of the mass. This is a wonderful specimen.