The Loot

Spent a sunny day with Scott out at the lake yesterday, and walked around Chimney Rock before it's overrun by tourists. We stopped at one of those mine-your-own-gems set-ups, and I realized that I lived an entire childhood without mining gems even once. Especially surprising since a lot of that childhood was spent in North Carolina, apparently the gemstone mining capital of the world (Google it). I kept every single little rock that got caught in the wire mesh, but here are the highlights.

Comparing these to the little 'gem chart' they gave me, I think I have (starting with the purple stone, and spiraling clockwise):
a nice big amethyst
blue calcite
mixed agate
sodalite (?)
desert jasper
citrine
clear quartz
red jasper
another sodalite
and another desert jasper.

The gems/jewelry shop was *way* more interesting after this mining experience.