Short history on quartz and how to dig your own
An abundance of high-quality quartz crystals can be found in west-central Arkansas.
Quartz is a common mineral found all over the world. Indeed, quartz is one of the most abundant minerals in the earth’s crust and small grains of quartz are a major component of beach sand. The quartz deposits are found in the Ouachita
Mountains in a belt approximately 40 miles wide and
150 miles long that extends from western Pulaski County to the Oklahoma border.
Commercial open pit mining for quartz is primarily taking place between Jessieville and
Mount Ida.
Native Americans used quartz to make arrowheads, knives, and other tools. Commercial mining of quartz in Arkansas developed slowly in the 19th and early 20th centuries. However, during World War II the demand for Arkansas quartz significantly increased because quartz was a component in radio oscillators used by the military. However, by the 1950s the newly developed synthetic crystals began to take the place of natural quartz in radios and scientific equipment.
There are many industrial and other uses for quartz. Quartz can be used as an abrasive, and also for specialized lenses, watches, and electronics. High-quality quartz can be cut and polished and made into valuable gemstones. Also, many people believe that quartz has metaphysical properties that can promote healing.
Many natural history museums around the world include displays of large quartz crystal pieces that were mined in the Hot Springs area. Museum-quality specimens can be up to 5 feet or more in length and weigh over a thousand pounds. The most collectible quartz is known as “rock crystal” which is the transparent colorless variety.
The Crystal Bridges Museum of Art, founded by Walmart heiress Alice Walton and located at Bentonville, is currently hosting a special exhibit featuring quartz crystals. This unique exhibit includes large quartz crystal pieces found in the Jessieville area. The exhibit is sponsored by the local company, Avant Mining LLC, and will continue until Jan. 6, 2020.
Several commercial mines are open to tourists who would like to hunt for quartz. These open-pit mines can be found both in the Jessieville area and also close to Mount Ida. The quartz crystal hunter can dig through the tailings where large track hoe equipment has dug down deep into the crystal veins. These tailings contain thousands of pieces of quartz, both big and small. In just an hour or two, a visitor can find dozens of beautiful crystals to take home. Many youth groups and families have enjoyed field trips to these crystal mines and the excitement of finding their very own crystals. Admission prices are modest ranging from
$10 to $20 per person with discounts for children and seniors. Hikers in the Ouachita Mountains frequently come upon numerous pieces of cloudy white crystal along the many miles of local hiking trails. Also, on several islands in Lake Ouachita, boaters can find beaches where rain frequently washes quartz crystals from the soil onto the beach. However, finding the larger collector-quality clear rock crystals usually requires digging in areas of surface mines or picking through the tailings of open-pit mining operations. These larger collector-quality quartz pieces sell for hundreds and even thousands of dollars. Smaller pieces that fit in your hand can be purchased for under $10.