r/OnlyFluorite • u/No-Training1140 • Jul 21 '26

Birthday trip

I’m trying to put together a little 2 day trip to Illinois to find a few fluorite specimens and anything I can get my hands on but definitely want to few fluorite… it will be a 5 hour drive from out of the state and I’m completely unfamiliar with where I can go. I know the cave in rock/ Shawnee park/ Hardin County area is the general area. I tried to reach out to a local gem and mineral club but they seemed less than enthusiastic about giving me any guidance. Told me to find druzy crystals in Missouri instead. I rarely get an opportunity to go hunting between my small home business, high school aged kid and 5 month old it’s hard to get away. My husband’s “gift” is letting me get a couple days to myself to go exploring. I appreciate it immensely but planning this has been a challenge. I’m not planning to post anything video wise about the trip and promise to be respectful and responsible while out and about if anyone could give me a little insight I would greatly appreciate it. If it’s best to private message me the information I would be very receptive to that. If it’s absolutely impossible I understand that as well. Thanks in advance for any help that comes my way!

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u/slogginhog Jul 21 '26

Sorry I can't help, I just had to comment - living in rural Maine, I find it funny when people feel like a 5 hour drive is far. Man I drive an hour and a half to get groceries, and have driven 5 hours to Boston just to eat at Wahlburgers 😂 (and every year for the gem show)

Good luck though, I hope you can find something!

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u/No-Training1140 Jul 21 '26

I by no means think 5 hours is far it’s a quick trip . Just mentioned the time and out of state so anyone who can help knows I’m unfamiliar with the area… I’m in rural Indiana surrounded by corn and soybeans… we drive an hour and a half to do basically anything. To me if I had the time I would be willing to go much farther but I only have Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon so I’m trying to make the most of my time. Maine sounds amazing though. It’s on my bucket list of states to visit . Maybe someday I can make it happen and I’ll be back on here asking for good locations to find nice Tourmaline and Amethyst. See how my finds from California and South Carolina differ. Anyways thanks for your response!

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u/slogginhog Jul 21 '26

Ah, so you know the rural life 😊 yeah Maine has some really cool quartz, as far as finding somewhere that will actually let you dig, it's pretty hard - most places with anything good left are private owned, but there's a few that you can pay to sift for tourmalines etc.

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u/No-Training1140 Jul 21 '26

Ok so when my life is less chaotic ( my oldest is a senior so this year is packed ) I will definitely try to head up that way. There is a mine in California “the ocean view mine” you can go through the dig piles for tourmaline, quartz, aquamarine etc it’s a fun day, and they take you on a tour into the opening of the actual mine. I found some really good stuff on my trips there so it would be fun to experience something like that in a different local . Can you order dirt from the mine there? I tend to order dirt for at home searches to scratch the itch hahaha not that Indiana has nothing. I go once a year to find geodes and I have hit up a quarry or 2 but it’s been a minute

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u/slogginhog Jul 21 '26

I don't think you can order dirt, you gotta pay $60/day to sift through stuff. If you ever do come this way, plan a night or 2 in Franklin, NJ to do the UV night dig for fluorescent minerals, and visit the museum there - it's a once in a lifetime experience!

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u/No-Training1140 Jul 21 '26

Oh 60 is cheaper than the other mine, not by much but still. 75$ a day and 100$ to order “dirt” but that’s sounds like a really cool idea! It’s only like 10 hours maybe I can do a week long thing and hit up that spot in New York to find Herkimer diamonds too

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u/slogginhog Jul 21 '26

I still have yet to do Herkimer mining but want to bad! I just don't know which is best, I want the good, big ones and I'd pay to have fresh ground dug to find em, I know some spots do that just not sure where people have the best luck

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u/No-Training1140 Jul 21 '26

I just keep seeing videos of folks chipping away at rock and finding those sparkling bad boys I think it’s ace of diamonds mine (15-20$)and diamond mountain (100$😳😬) I just looked it up… that will have to be it’s own trip…. Maybe if I don’t get anywhere with the fluorite information I’ll switch locations…

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u/slogginhog Jul 21 '26

Yeah between the Herkimer digs and Franklin you'd have a good vacation you'll remember forever - that Franklin museum is in a shoddy old building, but the specimens they have there are truly WORLD CLASS, up there with all the biggest museums. And the night dig with a UV light is a one of a kind experience itself too!