Minerals in Maine

By SUSAN VARNEY, Staff Writer 
Copyright © 2000 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.



	Roy Faulkner, of Winthrop, field trip leader for the Kennebec Rock and Mineral Club, chips at black tourmaline found in the Berry Mine in Minot. Part of Maine's pegmatite belt, the mine has feldspar, lepidolite, beryl, apatite, quartz, mica, tourmaline, and more.

 Rocks accumulate around me, in my pockets, on the porch, on the bookshelves, on my computer. So, it was a delight to be invited on a field trip with the Kennebec Rocks & Minerals Club.

  In May the club took its first trip of the season. Club president Ken Garant, of Augusta, told me to wear sturdy boots, gloves, and bring tools. I brought my camera, notebook, and day pack, since I didn't have a pick/hammer. There were plenty of loose rocks to examine and choose from and my pack was heavy with treasure for the trip home.

  Mining for minerals in Maine is quite a process. There are many old mines, left over from an era when feldspar was mined for the ceramic trade. In the '20s and '30s there might be a dozen men working a mine with hand tools. Now, a lot of miners use heavy equipment instead of manpower.

  The club had permission from miner Steve Walsh to come to the Berry Mine, in Minot. The mine is closed except by permission. Walsh was on site and told us he mines for tourmaline, which he sells to many Maine jewelers. His competition is from Namibia and Afganistan which, he says, sells gems for as little as a quarter of the price he needs to get.



	Quartz, tourmaline, graphic granite, mica, feldspar, lepidolite are just some of the minerals found at the Berry Mine in Minot.

 Minerals are everywhere; look around, on roadsides, in the woods, ledge outcrops, streamside, trailside, mountain tops and ravines. Keep your eyes open. Get a guide book and find out what's available in your neighborhood.



	APATITE

 There are books available to help you find places to find minerals: "Western Maine Mines and Minerals" by Phillip Morrill, $5, is a good resource even though it was written in 1959. "A Collectors Guide to Maine Mineral Localities," $10, put out by the state of Maine is another good book. Both books available at the Winthrop Mineral Shop on Case Rd., E. Winthrop, 395-4488. "Maine Mining Adventures," C. J. Stevens, paperback, $10.

 Always ask for permission to enter a site. Ask at the closest house. Ask at the local rock and mineral shop. Join a club because they know where the best places are, and they can often get permission when an individual can't. Some mines have guards and will arrest people for trespassing.

  If you are a serious rock hound and want a place to stay that caters to rock and mineral collectors check out the Poland Mining Camps. Everything is included for one price (lodging, meals, mine fees, guide). Cost is based upon choice of lodging, group size, and length of stay, but usually runs about $80 per day per person.



	Multicolored gem tourmaline from the Dionne prospect of Mount Apatite, in Auburn, Maine.

  Reservations are required. The season is from Memorial Day weekend to Sept. 30. Located on Route 26 in Poland, Maine, just before the junction of Route 11. Dudy and Mary Groves have exclusive collecting access to several mines including Mt. Apatite and Mt. Mica.For more info: Call 207 998-2350, or write: P.O. Box 26, Poland, ME 04274.
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