GMS July Field Trips

**FIELD TRIP(S) FOR JULY**
Official Field Trip of the GEORGIA MINERAL SOCIETY Fossil Field Trip Saturday July 10th, 2010 at 10AM Durham, GA FEE - Donation Collecting, The Lula Lake Land Trust has granted permission for us to collect fossils. The Pennsylvanian plant fossils are found in black shale which was removed from some nearby coal mines. You may find Lycopds such as Lepidodendron, Pecopteris as well as Alethopteris. There may even be some seeds but mostly twigs and bark. With persistence you will find good leaves. For those members that are only interested in obtaining something to cab – well fossils may not cab but a small piece imbedded in silver can make a terrific pendant. Children, this is a good site for them. Pets are welcome on a leash. Fee, There is no fee to visit their site but the Trust operates with donations from the public. Other clubs that have visited the site have given donations and we should do the same. Bring, the fossils are locked between layers of shale and you will need something to split the layers apart. You might need something to dig the shale out which could include a small pick and shovel. You might want a hat, sturdy shoes, a bucket to carry your specimens and something to wrap them in, a bug spray and something to drink. I don’t know how easy it would be to get something to eat so if you want to make a day out of it you should bring lunch. I don’t know if I will have the location but there is waterfall, close, that should be a great picnic or photo spot. Meeting Place, We will meet at the site to sign release waivers and make our donations. The location is on the north side of Old Durham Road/Durham Road and approximately 6/10 mile west of Highway 157. There is a locked gate to the property but I should be there to be able to drive through to a parking area. You can see the collecting area from where we park. An Official Field Trip of the LOW COUNTRY GEM & MINERAL SOCIETY (Charleston, SC)(HOST) An Official Field Trip of the GEORGIA MINERAL SOCIETY, INC. Dig: 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM EST Saturday – July 17, 2010 Diamond Hill Mine, Anderson County, SC FEE SITE WHERE: Diamond Hill Quartz Mine (near Antreville, SC) WHEN: Saturday – April 17, 2010 COLLECTING: Quartz crystals in numerous forms such as amethyst, smokey quartz, clear crystals, milky quartz, skeletal quartz, and quartz coated with hematite or manganese. Also some microminerals such as cacoxenite are found there. In recent years new veins of amethyst and smokey quartz were uncovered by machines. TIME: Dig is from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm ET. You will be required to sign a waiver of liability & you must have a ticket before you can enter the mine site. FEE: Adult fee is $15.00, $6.00 for children under 16 and for non-digging spouses and elderly. A filled out release of liability form will be necessary for each person attending. Some forms will be available, but you can avoid delays by going to www.gamineral.org/commercial-diamondhill.htm and printing off the form found under permission procedure for private individuals. Bring the completed form and fee with you. DIRECTIONS: Take I-85 to exit 21 (US 178/ Anderson, SC). Go south on 178 for one mile and bear right onto SC 28. Stay on SR 28 all the way to Antreville. It is 21 miles from Exit 21 to Antreville. Drive past Crawford's store on the left and turn right on SR 284 just before Emmanuel Baptist Church. Drive 2.3 miles and turn right on Suber road (S-01-508). Go 7/10 of a mile and turn right on Diamond Mine Road (gravel road). Go for 1/2 mile to the mine entrance on the right. The gamineral web site has a map. WHAT TO BRING: Buckets, picks, shovels, rock hammers, sledge hammers, chisels, scratching tools, sun screen, drinks, and a picnic lunch. No power equipment is allowed. GENERAL INFORMATION: Due to the heat and humidity, the dig will start at 7:00 AM for those who are heat sensitive. WHERE TO STAY:. Anyone is welcome to camp at Diamond Hill Site on Friday evening. There is no charge for that. However, if someone arrives on Friday, and spends any time walking the property and/or picking up specimens, then that person must pay the daily collecting fee of $15. It is also possible that someone will want to camp at DH on Sat evening. If someone does that, then he needs to include Sunday on his liability release form. And if such person also does any collecting on Sunday, then he must pay the daily fee . For all campers there is flat space at Diamond Hill site to park a camper or erect a tent. There is an outhouse. There is no running water or electricity. Full service camping is nearby at Lakes Hartwell and Russell. CONTACTS: