I’ve added another site today; The Emerald Creek Garnet Area in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. The Forest Service has developed the Garnet Area as a place where the public may collect these unique gems in a safe and environmentally friendly way.
The garnets found here are called “star garnets” because of a unique property that causes some of them to display a reflection like a four or six pointed star. India is the only other place in the world where star garnets like these are found in any quantity. The 12-sided (dodecahedron) crystals found here range in size from sand particles to golf-ball or larger size. Gem quality faceting material is also found at the Garnet Area