Dig Your Own

Last Updated 6-26-08

October 2006 - Lot's of great crystals were found by the diggers of the Mt. Ida World Championship Crystal Dig. 7 out of 10 Winners came from Arrowhead Crystal Mine and there are still lots of exposed seems for diggers to explore. 

Notice: We also Like to Trade for or buy other Minerals and other types of Quartz Crystals from other states. I really like Fluorite Specimens alot , (Cave in Rock District and Elmwood Mine) so if anyone would like to trade or sell some minerals or a collection of minerals , please call me or email me.

   

 

Above are some recent finds from diggers at Arrowhead Crystal Mine

The Past Couple of Months , we have been mining alot of Beautiful Crystals. The Diggers that have been coming out have been doing very well. We have been finding Super Clear Points up to 17 pounds and alot of Beautiful Clusters.

Down in the Main Pit , we have been finding alot of big beautiful pockets of crystals up to 3 feet wide. Most of the points out of these pockets are of the highset quality and are clear from top to bottom. We have mined so much that we are having trouble cleaning it all , it's a never ending job but we love doing it. Most of the clusters we found have some of the best clarity and shine that I've ever seen. 

We are working the far pit and the upper pit of the mine for diggers and exposed alot of new places for diggers to dig. Diggers have been finding some Beautiful Blue Phantom Crystals in one of the areas we exposed for diggers. They have also been finding Beautiful Clusters and Super Clear Points!!! We will be doing ALOT of mining over the next few months so alot of crystals will be found with no problem. Also , with all the rain we have been having , it is exposing alot of new areas with crystals.

Our mine is open for Fee Digging  year round , weather permitting. We have good access roads that are drivable by most passenger cars (ie. Honda Civic or bigger) even after big rains.

Where are we located?

The Arrowhead Quartz Crystal Mine is located in the Crystal Mountains less than 10 minutes from Mt. Ida Arkansas, the Quartz Crystal Digging Capital of the World.

Here is the Mapquest of the general area:

From Mt. Ida, just drive 3.5 miles south on Highway 27 (when you see the large mobile phone tower, you are getting really close). Take a Left onto Owley Rd and travel 3 miles (you will pass a cemetery, one-lane bridge, and the entrance to the Wegner Ranch). Look for the hand-written sign sign that says Arrowhead Crystal mine. At the base of the sign you will see a placard that says OPEN or CLOSED. If it says CLOSED, we are very sorry but you happened to catch us on one of those very rare days that we are not digging (probably at the shop cleaning crystals). As such, calling in advance is always recommended. (1-870-326-4443) or my Cell at ( 501-538-9627 ). There are no Restroom Facilities at the mine till the spring and there is plenty of parking.

If it says OPEN, you are in for a treat. Just follow the dirt/gravel road for about one mile to the designated parking area. If we do not greet you as you pull in, just honk your horn and we will be with you shortly.   

What to wear

This is an easy one. Wear long pants and shirt you plan to never wear in public again. Mining can be a very messy (especially after a rain) and the red clay that has protected the crystals for so many thousands of years will likely still be firmly embedded in your clothes for another thousand years. Also, gloves are HIGHLY recommended. Quartz crystal can be razor sharp and it will cut you if you are not careful.

What to bring

There are many different styles of finding fantastic quartz at our mine. Just by walking around and looking, most people find enough crystals to be more than satisfied that they got their money's worth. Occasionally, A lucky miner finds something truly spectacular just sitting in the dirt.

This crystal looks kind of small until you realize this guy is 6'8". This was an extremely clear, perfect crystal with no dings found in a dirt-pile where a  bulldozer had gently placed it.

For the hardcore diggers that are not content just walking around, more equipment is necessary. In general, you will want:

Long Flathead Screwdriver - for probing clay pockets and delicate extraction work

Large crowbar - For removing chunks of sandstone so that you can get to the crystals. This is your primary weapon of choice when you take on the mountain.

3 pound hand mall - To beat in your gads to create cracks in the sandstone.

Two or three gads/chisels - The ones with the inch wide tip and handgard (usually orange or yellow) that you can get at Home Depot or Lowes work well. While you are there, you should probably pick up safety goggles as well. Pieces of metal and/or rock can be ejected as your beat your way through solid layers of sandstone and head quartz to get to the good stuff.   

Garden tools and rock picks are good for removing the dirt away from the pockets of crystals and for looking in the tailings piles.

What Does it Cost

To look for crystals in the mine for the day runs $20 per person (the price is the same whether you actually dig or just look around picking up loose crystals). Kids under the age of 9 are free if accompanied by a paying adult. We offer group rates for clubs or organizations of 10 or more people. On occasion, people will be allowed to dig in a special area adjacent to the main pit for $50 per day and up (some really BIG stuff has been found in this private area). Please inquire before-hand if you want to dig in this special area to ensure that it will be open to the public on that date.

We also have 3 other options for those wanting guaranteed success.

Option 1: For $100 and up plus the $20 per person dig fee (depending on size of requested pocket and/or number), we will fully excavate one pocket and dump it into a large dirt pile for you to dig. Sometimes these pockets are great and sometimes they are absolutely fantastic. Either way, you are guaranteed to come away with some really nice crystals worth many times what you paid. One or more people can do this dig! 

Option 2: For $200 and up plus the $20 per person dig fee , we will fully excavate one or more pockets and dump the contents in a large dirt pile. This is a good option for large groups that are just going to be in the area for a few hours or for older or less physically fit individuals that need a little assistance. The pieces that come from the pocket tend to be a manageable size but are often still quite spectacular and you come away with alot more than what you paid value wise.  Either way, you are guaranteed to come away with some really nice crystals worth many times what you paid.

Option 3: We do have larger options that start at $500 and up plus the $20 per person dig fee for the really serious diggers. These will be the larger size pockets that we will fully excavate and put in a larger dirt pile and will contain ALOT of crystals and we mean alot. These are great for larger groups or 1 person , but plan on spending at least a day do do these options. Please call me ( Matthew ) if interested to find out more about option 3. This one is worth every penny for sure. Either way, you are guaranteed to come away with some really nice crystals worth many times what you paid.

Option 4:  If you would like a larger option bigger than the option 3 then please contact me ahead of when you would like to dig. We have done otions larger than the option 3 and the diggers ended up finding more crystal in them than they could take back home. A truck or SUV is a good idea for this option due to the large amount of crystal found in them.
This is a great option for large groups.

Notice : Due to Strict Goverment Regulations ( MSHA & US Forest Service ) , we do not use any of the Heavy Equipment while diggers are at the mine.  We follow all the saftey regulations and only use the Heavy Equipment to do all the digging when diggers are not at the mine.

Notice to all diggers that come to the mine: We are here to help you the best that we can and we will be more than glad to answer all ?'s and help you get started and show you what to look for. We will go out of our way to make sure you have the best digging experience while you are at our mine. There will always be a professional Crystal Miner at the mine the whole day while you are there so please don't hestitate to ask us a question.

What Can I expect to Find?

You can never really tell. Whether you are a miner or a rockhound, there are three things required for success: skill, hard work, and luck. Most people with skill and hard work can create their own luck. However, sometimes luck wins out and someone just walking around finds the best piece of the day. Points and clusters with retail values of over $500 have been found by observant people that happened to be at the right place at the right time. Since we use VERY large machinery, we can often dig with the trackhoe through an entire quartz pocket and not even realize it. On many occasions people have found spectacular clear points and clusters exposed by a rainstorm in the "discard piles" from the trackhoe. We will show you what to look for and help you get started and answer any questions that you might want to ask. This is an active mine so the chances of you finding crystals are extremely good.

Now this digger had a REALLY good day.

Since the professional miners are primarily looking for the large, perfectly formed display specimens that they can sell to rock dealers, they often discard smaller pieces that most people would love to own. So if you happen to be at the mine when a large pocket is hit, their gain often becomes your gain as well.  

The mines in Arkansas are well regulated so are generally safe as long as you follow basic security precautions: stay away from high walls, never cross into marked off areas, and always obey the mine owner or dig-master. As you can see from a picture of the 2004 World Championships, there are plenty of areas that have great crystals but are accessible and are relatively safe for supervised small children. DISCLAIMER PER OUR ATTORNEY: This is a working mine. As such, accidents can and do happen. Dig at your own risk.

How do I clean the crystals?

Cleaning is an art-form in itself. The crystals from our mine are very easy to clean. You will need Oxalic Acid to get the thin coating of yellow iron off of the crystals. Some people prefer to leave the iron on the crystals because they have a beautiful rainbow effect. I myself like to leave it on some of the points and clusters that I dig and the rest of them I clean in Oxalic Acid. If you prefer to clean the crystals in Oxalic Acid , then you will need to mix one pound of Oxalic Acid to two and half gallons of Hot water. Make sure the Mixture has cooled down before you put the crystals in it. When you dig the crystals at the mine , wrap the good crystals in paper to keep them from getting dinged or broken so they will have a safe ride. 

When you get to where you are going to clean the crystals , wash the clay off the crystals with a water hose. You might not get all the clay off in the first try. Let the crystals dry in the sun for a day or two and the clay will shrink. Wash the crystals again with water till you get all the clay off of the crystals. If you have any crystal clusters with a sandstone base rock on them , then soak them in water for one day. This will keep the sandstone from turning yellow from the acid. You can use five gallon buckets or some kind of plastic tub to put the crystals and the acid in. Rinse the crystals before you put them in the acid. Wear plastic or rubber gloves when putting the crystals in the acid or when you remove them. 

The crystals from our mine clean very fast. Most of the time, they are cleaned within the first day. Sometimes they might take a few days to come clean. Just check the crystals after the first day to see if they are cleaned. If not , then leave them in the acid for another day or two. When you take the crystals out of the acid , you will need to rinse the crystals off very good to get the acid off. This takes just a few minutes to do. Now you're crystals are ready to be displayed or shown.

You can also heat the acid in a crock pot to about 140 degrees for a few hours to get them cleaned faster. Make sure the water level is always above the crystals. If you have to add more water then make sure the water is the same temperature as the water in the crock pot. Use the same cleaning process as shown above but let the acid cool down before you take the crystals out of the crock pot and rinse them. If you take the crystals out while their hot , they will crack and fracture. 

Keep the acid covered after using it. This will keep animals out of it and also will keep the sunlight from making it weak. It can be used many times over.

You can neutralize the acid with baking soda when you don't need to use it any more.

If you have any questions or problems cleaning you're crystals , then feel free to email me and I'll try to help any way I can.

P.S. This process will also work with almost any other mineral that contains iron on it that you would like to remove.

BACK TO HOME PAGE