Spiral Jetty
Utah
Find: “Utah Dirty Diamonds” (gypsum), fluorite, oil
GPS: 41.43786, -112.66741
Nearest city: Salt Lake City, UT
Recommended Vehicle: 4x4 preferable
Summary:
Believe it or not, this was the spot that influenced me to create this website.
I found a diamond-shaped crystal in the parking area and thought it was simply lucky find, relative to the small scrappy chunks I found nearby.
It wasn’t until I found a YouTube video by The Crystal Collector that I learned how this place actually worked.
The strange crystal was gypsum, and it’s referred to as a “Utah Dirty Diamond”. It turns out, if you dig in the dry lake bed, you’ll find tons of them with enough hard work. And they get WAY bigger than the small one I have.
Therefore, I created this website in hopes to help you streamline and better prepare for rockhounding trips. I really wish I had gotten a proper rundown of this place before being out there!
Note: Please backfill holes here if you plan on digging.
Video
Check out the video for a better look at what can be found when exploring this spot.
3 Helpful Tools
D-Handle Shovel
A D-Handle shovel is my preferred tool for digging quickly and comfortably. Be sure to backfill holes at this location.
Rubber Tip Gloves
I like rubber tipped gloves when I’m digging in muddy locations. It makes it easy to swipe mud off the surface of the crystal.
5 Gallon Bucket
Bring extra water out here to make life easier while digging to wash your finds on-site. The crystals are pretty slick and smooth.