CRYSTAL PARK, Mont. — Molten granite formed the Pioneer Mountain Range in southwest Montana about 72-million years ago. As the granite cooled, water carried quartz and other minerals through the rocks ...

Moonstones in Montana, amethyst and emeralds in North Carolina, garnet and quartz in upstate New York. At pay-to-dig mines around the United States, visitors can paw through piles of mine tailings to ...

As I turned yet another shovelful of dirt, I thought about a comment made long ago by the millionaire, Andrew Carnegie: “Men are developed the same way gold is mined. When gold is mined, several tons ...

Crystal Park is located in the Pioneer Mountains in southwest Montana, just outside of Dillon. The recreation area sits at an elevation of 7,800 ft. Crystal Park is open for day use only with a small ...

Susan Valencia has always been fascinated by rocks. She recalls camping with her family as a kid and almost constantly ...

So far in this series, pretty much every material we’ve covered has had to undergo a significant industrial process to transform it from its natural state to a more useful product. Whether it’s the ...