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ANYWHERE
TIL the word "rockhounding".
I guess I'd go somewhere with a high likelihood of fossils. Or maybe along a rocky beach.
How about you?
Ethiopia for fire Opals, and because I've never been to Africa.
I feel like you'd probably find some good ones around Mordor.
Back in 2016 I was working on a movie that filmed for a day in a turquoise mine outside Santa Fe. Part of our contract with the owner of the mine was that we were not allowed to remove any turquoise. While filming I was hanging out and chatting with the mine owner, we ended up saving some owl chicks that fell from their nest into the native mine shaft. Anyways, after saving the owlettes together I found a small but nice piece of turquoise. I tossed it back into the rocks, he told me to grab it and I could have any turquoise I found that day.
I would like to go back there. It is really the only place I have rock hounded, and it was a nice place.
Great story, I'm invested. Do you have pics of the owl chicks or the turquoise? (But mostly the owl chicks.)
So... funny story, there was a stabbing on set the day before we shot at the mines, so we were in media lockdown the of the mines. So I never posted the pictures to social media. I will have to dig out my archives drive's and look for them.
Was this like a normal day on set or are violence, animal rescue and finding precious stones atypical of film work?
This was not a typical day on set, however it is not the only time I rescued a bird on set. Later that year we were filming at the site of the infamous New Mexico State Penitentiary riot and a raptor got into the "snitch" wing which is closed to the public. I had to get our escorts to let me in so I could catch the bird and release it.
Did you call him/her "Snitch Wing?"
Labeling the picture as that now.
Well, it's no baby owl but I appreciate it anyway. Thanks for sharing a piece of your rich, bird-charmer life.
Oh, fun fact. The set where the stabbing happened, is the same set where Halyna Hutchins a was shot and killed during the filming of Rust.
There is a garnet species only found in the Urals. So, there. Demantoid is gorgeous.
I hadn't heard of that before. It really is.
I would love to hunt flourite in Illinois!
You know we will be ROCKIN cuz it’s fuckin insane
this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2026
147 points (98.0% liked)
Cool Rocks
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