Diamond Hill Mine, (c) Debra Roinestad, The Comfy Cabin, 2023
You will have a rocking-good time visiting Diamond Hill Mine in South Carolina. This mine has over six acres of soil filled with crystal quartz, amethysts, smoky quartz, epidote, and many other minerals!
The best time to go crystal hunting is early morning before the hot Carolina sun turns up the heat. Make sure to bring plenty of water and snacks with you. Digging for crystals is truly a cardio workout.
The best place to find rocks and crystals is often to the side of the pit. Many will be digging downward and ignoring the sides and corners. Also, look around for loose rocks sitting on top of the soil. After heavy rainfall, hidden specimens will often be washed clean, revealing amazing crystals!
Diamond Hill Mine, (c) Kurt Roinestad, The Comfy Cabin, 2023
Here are some other tips for crystal mining:
• Dress in layers and wear an old pair of denim jeans. Jeans prevent any scratches, cuts, and scapes on your skin. You will be in a large pit filled with sharp rocks and debris for many hours. Also, the soil will stain your clothes permanently.
• Bring suntan lotion. Make sure to apply suntan lotion on your face and arms. It’s so easy to get sunburned looking for crystals.
• Wear Hiking boots. Bring hiking boots or wear shoes with a good grip when walking around. You will be climbing steep hills and will need that extra support. Also, consider using a walking stick.
• Bring Rock Hounding Tools. Rock lovers, you will need a basic rock-hounding kit for a successful crystal hunt. You will need work gloves, a pick, a long screwdriver, a shovel, a crowbar, a spray bottle filled with water to spray down your crystals, paper towels, newspapers, boxes, empty zip-lock bags, and an empty bucket to place your rocks. I used this basic rock-hounding tool kit that was helpful for my hunt.
Some of our crystal collection from Diamond Hill Mine, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2023
Diamond Hill Mine is a great place to bring your family and friends. Also, it’s the perfect place for couples to work together as a team hunting for treasure. This place is truly a gem!
Debra Roinestad
Vintage European style diamonds illustration. Original from the British Library. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.
Rock, paper, scissors? Of course, I always choose rocks! There is a beauty within every single rock that can be found during a long walk in the woods. And for all the rock hounds in the house… here are the 8 precious rocks that can be found in the woods of SC. Plus, many other gemstones are waiting to be discovered.
Photo: LilArtsy (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Clear Crystal Quartz
Photo: Benjamin Lehman, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Clear Crystal Quartz is known for brining the body back to balance. It is a crystal that amplify energy and is very restorative. Crystal quartz is a chemical compound consisting of one part silicon and two parts oxygen. It is silicon dioxide (SiO2). It is the most abundant crystal found at Earth’s surface, and its unique properties make it one of the most useful natural substances.
Photo: Jene Yeo, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Citrine
Photo: Benjamin Lehman, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Citrine is associated with positivity and positive optimism. Citrine is a transparent variety of quartz, a member of the silicates family. Citrine comes in variety of colors from yellow, yellowish brown, and smoky gray-brown.
Photo: Debra Roinestad, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Smoky Quartz
Photo: Esther Verdu, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Smoky quartz are minerals that frequently contain inclusions of gas (carbon dioxide), liquid (often both water and carbon dioxide), or solids (rutile). In the 12th century in China, smoky quartz flat panes were used as sunglasses. Smoky quartz is used as an amplifier of positive energy, and a talisman for energy protection.
Photo: Esther Verdu, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Milky Quartz
Photo: Who-Is-Denilo, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Milky quartz is any crystal quartz or cluster that is white in color, and translucent to opaque. This crystal is commonly known as the “phantom quartz” because inside the crystal has a ghostly appearance…it is a crystal within a crystal. Milky quartz is a chemical compound consisting of one part silicon and two parts oxygen…it is silicon dioxide (SiO2). Many have considered this stone to be known as a symbol of purity, along with the age of innocence.
Photo: Debra Roinestad, Combination: Milky Quartz & Clear Crystal with Smoky Quartz, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Mica
Photo: Debra Roinestad, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Mica has industrial uses such as electrical engineering, glass working, lamp shades, and cosmetics like highlighters. Mica is an aluminum mineral called phyllosilicate. Mica has been used as an amulet for protection and bringing positive energy back into your life.
Amethyst
Photo: Jen Theodore (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Amethyst is a semiprecious quartz variant with a distinctive purple color. Both North Carolina and South Carolina are hotspots for amethyst due to the soil’s high content of crystal and iron. When amethysts is heated treated, it becomes yellow like its cousin citrine. In ancient Greece, amethysts was used as drinking vessels. Amethyst is known to be a healing crystal to help alleviate stress.
Photo: Ilze Lucero, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Aquamarine
(c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
Aquamarine aids in calming the mind and helps with self-expression. Aquamarine is the mineral Beryl, a Beryllium Aluminum Silicate with the chemical formula Be3Al2(Si16O18). In ancient times, sailors carried aquamarine with them to the sea, believing it would prevent them from drowning. Aquamarine is a popular stone for engagement rings. Overall, aquamarine is associated with tranquility and universal harmony. It’s connected to life in all its vitality and hope.
Henderson Gneiss
Photo: Debra Roinestad, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
I fondly call this rock, the ‘zebra rock’ because the striation looks like a zebra. 🦓 🙂 Genesis is a metamorphic rock that can easily be identified by its alternating layers of minerals known as gneissic banding. It is formed by high temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Some genesis contains larger crystals such as, quartz, feldspar, mica, chlorite, and other clay minerals. Genesis has been used for beautiful floor tiles, facing stone, stair treads, window sills, countertops, and cemetery monuments.
“These gems have life in them: their color speak, say what words fail of.” -George Eliot
Photo: Susan Wilkinson, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2022
What makes rocks so mystical?
Throughout history, many have used rocks and crystals for healing purposes.
It has helped restore comfort during stress and calmness during times of grief. I have found much comfort in my rock collection.
Here is an article from Healthline on Healing Crystals 101
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