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OFFICIAL WEBSITE FOR THE
CONTRA COSTA MINERAL & GEM SOCIETY
OFFICIAL CCMGS RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Educational
Opportunities
Learning about rocks is fun for people of all ages! See our local educational programs listed here for both children and adults.
Educational Youth Programs
Great for children, teachers, and school field trips
Adult Education Programs
College degree programs for ages 18 and over
Outdoor Recreation Areas
Visit one of these regional or state parks and beyond
Local Places
Worth Visiting
Plan an afternoon, day trip, or even a weekend outing to one of these many places in our state to learn more about geology and mineralogy.
Museums & Other Places
Plan a trip to one of these rockin' places in California
Stores and
Shops to See
Looking to add new specimens to your collection? Visit any of these rockin' stores in the greater Northern California region.
Retail & Wholesale Shopping
Check out some our favorite places to shop for rocks
Spectrum Sunstone Mine
Plush, OR
Dust Devil Mining
Cottage Grove, OR
Wild Turkey Mine
Valley, WA
Stone Rose Fossils
Republic, WA
Wonderstone Mountain
Fallon, NV
Garnet Hill
Ely, NV
Otteson Bros. Turquoise Mine
Tonopah, NV
Himalaya Mine
Santa Ysabel, CA
Oceanview Mine
San Diego, CA
Benitoite Mining Company
Coalinga, CA
Pala Chief Mine
San Diego, CA
Ernst Quarries
Sharktooth, CA
Double Eagle Mine
Lakeview, OR
Lucky Strikes Mine
Prineville, OR
Regional Collection Sites
Visit one of these collection sites on the West Coast
Collection Sites We Totally Dig
Visit one of these many pay-to-play collection sites across our country to find your very own treasures! Check first for site opening/availability.
Gemfield Gems Mine Claim
Goldfield, NV
Royal Peacock Opal Mine
Denio, NV
Bonanza Opal Mine
Denio, NV
Rainbow Ridge Opal Mine
Virginia Valley, NV
Glitter Mountain Selenite Mine
Littlefield, AZ
Crater of Diamonds State Park
Murfreesboro, AZ
Emerald Hollow Mine
Hiddenite, NC
More Collection Sites
Put these "not so local" dig sites on your bucket list
Gem Mountain Mine
Spruce Pine, NC
Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine
Franklin, NC
Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine
Philipsburg, MT
El Dorado Sapphire Mine
Helena, MT
Sapphire Mine
Helena, MT
Fairy Stone State Park
Stuart, VA
Crystal Grove Diamond Mine
St. Johnsville, NY
Further Related Reading
Atlas of Rocks and Minerals
Common Minerals and Their Uses
Official List of U.S. State Fossils
The Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
Legal Aspects of Rock Collecting
Best Tools for Mineral Collecting
Rock and Mineral Collecting for Beginners
Decipher Between Fakes and Forgeries
Nature's Rainbows: Fluorescent Minerals
Ultimate Beginners Guide to Rock Tumbling
12 Tips for Displaying Your Collection
Beyond the 4 C's: 23 Gemology Resources
Friends of Minerals Forum
Free Mineralogy Book Downloads (MINDAT)
The Smithsonian Geo-Gallery
Mineral and Locality Database
Friends of Mineralogy
British and Exotic Mineralogy
Associations We Are Affiliated With
Amador County Gem & Mineral Society
Antelope Valley Gem & Mineral Club
Calaveras Gem & Mineral Society
Carmel Valley Gem & Mineral Society
Coalinga Rockhound Society
El Cajon Valley Gem and Mineral Society
El Dorado County Mineral & Gem Society
Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Society
Fresno Gem & Mineral Society, Inc.
Kern County Mineral Society
Lodi Gem & Mineral Society
Lone Pine Gem & Mineral Society
Mariposa Gem & Mineral Club
Mendocino Coast Gem & Mineral Society
Mineral & Gem Society of Castro Valley
Mineralogical Society of Southern California
Mojave Desert Gem & Mineral Society
Mother Lode Mineral Society
Nevada County Gem & Mineral Society
Northern California Mineralogical Association
Peninsula Gem & Geology Society
Sacramento Mineral Society
Salinas Valley Rock and Gem Club
San Diego Mineral & Gem Society, Inc.
San Francisco Gem & Mineral Society
Santa Clara Valley Gem and Mineral Society
Santa Cruz Mineral & Gem Society
Santa Rosa Mineral and Gem Society
Sequoia Gem & Mineral Society
Shasta Gem & Mineral Society
South Bay Lapidary & Mineral Society
Stockton Lapidary and Mineral Society
Tule Gem and Mineral Society
Vallejo Gem and Mineral Society
Have suggestions for our Resources page? Contact us here.
Other Organizations That Rock Our World
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