A variety of tumbled gemstones Scanned by Adrian Pingstone |
Amber that has been preserved since the age of dinosaurs is
found in several places in New Jersey
where there are Cretaceous rocks one of these places in the area around Sayreville
although they can be found scattered throughout the Cretaceous rocks and
various localities throughout southern New Jersey .
Although there are several deposits of Cretaceous aged rocks in the United
States Amber is only found with appreciable quantities in New
Jersey .
Amethyst is found in the many trap ridges of New
Jersey in both the area of the Palisades
and in the Ramapo Mountains . This variety of quartz is usually found in
the cavities in the rock. Many other minerals of the zoisite family are also
associated with traprock quarries.
In the past there was extensive zinc mining activity in Franklin
and Sterling Hill in Ogdensburg that produced large quantities of zinc
minerals. The mine dumps in these areas
are one of the most noted areas in the United States that have produced
fluorescent minerals. Some of these minerals
are gemstones in their own right notably rhodonite and sphalerite. In addition Sussex
County is also known for producing
other minerals including aragonite, corundum, garnet, pyrrhotite,
rhodonite, spinel, tourmaline and williamsite.
In the far southern part of New Jersey
can be found quartz crystals that are called by many Cape May
diamonds although the source of these stones remains unknown it is thought they
are washed down from some underwater formation further upstream in the Delaware
River . They are found on
the beaches of Cape May and surrounding communities at
the mouth of the river. The same area also produces jasper.
Corundum has been found in Sussex
County associated with the Franklin
limestone as almost perfect crystals seen in cavities in the limestone. These stones are blue, grey and red that in
some places are clear enough to be cut into gems.
Other counties where gemstones can be found include:
Middlesex - marcasite, petrified wood, pyrite
Morris - carnelian, serpentine
Passaic - agate, amethyst, carnelian, chabazite, datolite, heulandite, pectolite, prehnite
Sussex - aragonite, corundum, garnet, pyrrhotite, rhodonite, spinel, tourmaline, williamsite
Union - calcite, chalcedony, prehnite, sphalerlite
Warren - calcite, chalcedony, garnet, molybdenite, prehnite, serpentine, sphalerlite
Morris - carnelian, serpentine
Passaic - agate, amethyst, carnelian, chabazite, datolite, heulandite, pectolite, prehnite
Sussex - aragonite, corundum, garnet, pyrrhotite, rhodonite, spinel, tourmaline, williamsite
Union - calcite, chalcedony, prehnite, sphalerlite
Warren - calcite, chalcedony, garnet, molybdenite, prehnite, serpentine, sphalerlite
Most of the collecting sites are located in Northern
New Jersey . Many of
these sites are found at old mines or rockcuts.