RETURN TO INDEX OF ALL ARTICLES • RETURN TO FIELD TRIP REPORTS

FIELD TRIP INFORMATION SHEET

December 2006 DMC Field Trip

DMC Program of the SFMS Field Trip Committee
An Official Field Trip of the Columbia Gem & Mineral Society (Columbia, SC) (HOST)

9:00 AM EST
Saturday, December 2, 2006
Jackson Crossroads Amethyst Mine
Wilkes County, Georgia

A lot of planning has gone into this dig. We have a discounted rate for admission and a lot of additional amenities have been added to help people out. Some of these include electricity, Port-a-John, a stove to cook on, and a wood burning stove to keep people warm (in case anyone gets cold). Big'Uns barbecue will also be on site starting on Dec 1, 2006 to start smoking a pig. Barbecue plates will be available on Saturday for a nominal charge. Also Rodney is taking a 103,000 pound trackhoe to the site. He will be moving a lot of tailings around on Friday to make sure there is a lot of fresh material exposed for the dig. Also the hole will be pumped dry and open to anyone with proper safety gear.
 
Gert out the word to your members . . .

The Columbia Gem & Mineral Society invites you to join us at the Jackson Crossroads (JXR) Amethyst mine in Wilkes County, Georgia in search of the finest amethyst in the southeast. Over the last three years, the mine owner, Mr. Rodney Moore, has opened up extensive digging areas for the collector.
 
The mine produces both specimen and cutting grade amethyst. The amethyst can be found as single crystal points, as crystal clusters, and as crystals on matrix in shades from light to very dark purple. Some of the crystals are also exquisite facet grade and may exhibit a blue flash if properly oriented. For more info about JXR (including pictures), go to www.dixieeuhedrals.com.
 
As with any other location, you can expect to work for what you find. Collectors commonly use two different approaches to collecting at JXR. If you prefer to dig through the dumps, you will need tools such as garden rakes or potato forks. If you prefer to break rock, you will need sledge and crack hammers, chisels, and safety glasses. In general, the more material you go through on the dumps and/or the more rock you break, the better your chances of finding the better material.
 
JXR T-shirts, field trip guidebooks, and specimens will also be available for sale.
 
On Saturday, December 2, 2006, Big’Uns Barbecue will smoke a pig on-site and barbecue plates will be available for a nominal charge.  Yumm!!!!!!!

Fees: $15 per day per adult; children 15 years and younger are free.  Each guest will be required to sign a waiver of liability. After you sign a waiver of liability and pay your admission, you will be provided a map to complete the trip to the mine (~8 miles). If you want to stay an additional day, the same fee schedule will apply for Sunday.

Directions: From I-20, take exit 172 (Hwy 17/78) north from Thomson, GA to Washington GA (20.3 miles). You will see a Huddle House and Jameson Inn on the left. Continue north on Hwy 17 an additional 10.5 miles to Tignall, GA. We will meet at the Dollar General on the left side of the road.
 
From I-85, take exit 173 (Hwy 17) south from Lavonia, GA through Royston and Elberton to Tignall, GA. Pass through the traffic light at Tignall and go an additional 0.1 miles. We will meet at the Dollar General on the right side of the road.
  
Lodging:   Jameson Inn, Washington, GA    706-678-7925    Mention the JXR dig when you make reservations
                        
Trip Chairman: Read S. Miner, CGMS  Rockguy63@msn.com    803-736-0366

"Field trips are open to all members of associated clubs of the DMC program of the SFMS Field Trip Committee and to all members of SFMS member clubs who have provided their membership with SFMS liability insurance.  Because of insurance requirements, members of the GENERAL PUBLIC are NOT invited on this or any DMC program field trips!"
 
DMC Program / SFMS Field Trip committee's purpose:
To collect field trip information from it's member societies; schedule and coordinate field trip dates; disseminate field trip information to all member clubs so that each member society may publish this information as one of their "official" scheduled field trips.