Gem Trails of Utah [Paperback]

James R. Mitchell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 1996

Welcome to rockhounding in Utah! From mountains that rise up over 13,000 feet in the air, to basins that sink over 2,000 feet in the earth, the rockhound is granted many unique opportunities in Utah's 84,990-mile expanse. In an expanded, fully revised edition, Gem Trails of Utah by James Mitchell leads both the enthusiast and the rock collector to over 75 sites throughout the state where specimens can be found reflecting a diversity as varied as the landscape itself. There are trunks of petrified wood, faceting-grade labradorite, topaz crystals of a color and clarity that rival any found anywhere, boulders of obsidian, delicate halite crystals and much, much more. Gather azurite, jasper, topaz, red beryl, geodes and ultraviolet minerals, while the author conducts you on a personal tour. The essential guide for the veteran and neophyte alike. Detailed text and maps lead the gem hunter to abandoned mine dumps, stunning desert terrain, deep canyons, pristine mountains and beautiful lakes in the search for specimens. Black and white photos highlight the collecting area. A color section aids in specimen identification. Additional text offers helpful hints on lapidary applications and safety tips, an overview of the geology of Utah and a list of Utah's rockhounding clubs and organizations, as well as natural history and mining museums. This latest edition of a classic, best-selling guide is invaluable for the rockhounds just starting out, filled with expert advice and years of experience. For the collector who has been discovering Utah's treasures for years, it is an outstanding source of the old and the new sites in one handy volume. James Mitchell, a contributor to the Lapidary Journal, teaches school during the year and spends summers searching the West for additional gem and mineral locations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Gem Guides Book Co; 3rd edition (June 30, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 093518287X
• ISBN-13: 978-0935182873
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,246,609 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best, June 17, 2005

By 

E. Kane (Four Corners States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gem Trails of Utah (Paperback)

This book was the best guide to out of the way Utah we could have hoped for. Some of the sites are very well known and collected, others not so. Our vacation consisted of following the locations in the book, with plenty of sidetracks of our own inbetween. The specimens from some sites are fantastic. Using this book as a guide in the way we did, we learned how to spot promising areas anywhere. We have subsequently purchased the Gemtrails of Arizona, and New Mexico and loved them the same way. A review of one of these mentions wishing for GPS coordinates. Although a moden update with those might be nice, we rarely had difficulty finding the sites. And as I mentioned, the inbetween explorations were productive and beautiful too.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great for bringing home the jewels!, June 21, 2000

By 

Paul Tucek (Now living in Kent Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gem Trails of Utah (Paperback)

This book was an extremely useful tool for my wife and me as we combed the back country of Utah, gathering rocks. From the litle-known sites like Painter's Spring in West Desert, to the world-famous Dugway geode beds, this book gave us the directions we needed. The petrified wood sites in southern Utah were especially appreciated.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars gem trails, June 6, 2009

By 

Kim Koeven - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gem Trails of Utah (Paperback)

Like "Rockhounding Utah" this book provides good tips and hints at areas but a lot of the areas are picked clean. My advice would be to find a hardcore rock hounder and tag along or join one of the different mineral societies in the state of Utah there are quite a few. i hope this helps all you future rock hounds don't give up there are others out there just like you searching!