The Dark Star Crystal Collecting Experience | Ontario Rockhounding & Mineral Prospecting

​What Is the Dark Star Crystal Collecting Experience?

The Dark Star Crystal Collecting Experience is a guided, hands-on Ontario rockhounding and mineral prospecting experience, combining real crystal extraction, geological education, and responsible collecting on an active Ontario mineral claim.

You will be visiting at the time that you schedule with us (see the end of this letter for details) and will be extracting minerals as a hobbyist Ontario rocks and minerals collector which on our claim confines you within certain rules as set out by the Provincial Government.

Under Ontario mining regulations, visitors collect as hobbyist rockhounds and may keep what they personally recover, within provincial limits.Most applicable to this situation is that you are limited in your day’s collection to as much as you can carry from our claim unassisted to your transportation. This implies a single trip. For this legal stipulation we recommend 2, 5 gallon pails that are purchased for about $3.50 apiece at your local hardware store. If you fill both of these pails with crystals you'll have had a good day and in our experience it is an easy way to carry your finds.

​

Selling minerals that you gather on the Dark star Claim, or for that matter any other claim is (by law) not allowed, but harvesting these specimens for your own use, display or trading opportunities is perfectly acceptable; this is a stipulation in the mining regulations and it applies to all non-patent sites.

You keep whatever you find, no matter how incredible it is. You find it, it’s yours! (Your success is our success).

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​Crystal Collecting in Ontario’s Unique Geological Environments

Dark Star Crystal Mines operates in geologically diverse Ontario landscapes, including pegmatites, vein dykes, skarns, and mineralized contacts known for producing collectible crystals.

As far as Ontario rocks and minerals collecting opportunities go, this is an experience that you are unlikely to forget. It is more organic than the classic “rock-farm”. At Dark Star Crystal Mines you will be harvesting minerals directly from virgin fissures.

Success is probable, but not guaranteed, and this has always been the situation for treasure collectors. To us, our crystals are treasure and for you, your finds can range from relatively ordinary to absolutely spectacular. Most people will find many crystals through the day and there will be several species amongst them. I would recommend that you brush up on the minerals that can be found on our site so as not to discard something that truly is remarkable - it happens all the time.

By the end of a day’s digging it's not usually a question of deciding what’s worth keeping, but rather trying to figure out how you carry it all back to your car. Last year during our assessment phase we found many world-class crystal specimens as well as several rare and unusual crystal species that we are yet to conclusively identify. We will help you identify most of what you find and we are open to sharing as much as you want to hear about the geology of vein dykes and also the rock underlying Monmouth Township.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Some collectors might have already heard of the recently discovered mineral, ferri-fluoro-kataphorite.  As an Ontario rockhound, some of you might even think you possess such a specimen. I can assure you that anything that has been conclusively identified has come from the immediate vicinity of the Old Bear Lake Diggings and we are literally just a stone’s throw from the original Bear Lake claim. It is a reasonable probability that this same super-rare mineral is found on our site as well. A claim boundary hardly limits the formation of minerals so species over-flow is a distinct possibility. The odds of finding ferri-fluoro-kataphorite on the Dark Star claim are well within the possibilities. Visitors are encouraged to familiarize themselves with common Ontario mineral species found on site so that exceptional specimens are not accidentally discarded.

​

Hands-On Rockhounding and Mineral Discovery

​

Participants take part in hands-on rockhounding, learning how to locate, expose, and recover crystals and mineral specimens using proven prospecting techniques.

At this time there are 72 known species of amphibole and in most cases they are difficult to distinguish apart. Ferri-fluoro-katophorite was first discovered about 20 years ago on the Old Bear Lake Claim and it is known to occur both as individual crystal specimens and as a skin over other already formed amphibole crystals. Conclusive identification of your crystal specimen is only possible in a lab with a spectra scope so what you will be extracting might be one of the more common amphiboles (fluor–richtertite), or it could be any of many rare varieties.

Pyroxenes are also common to many of the fissures. We find that cooling temperatures seem to set the tone for what is found in each fissure – this governed by the “Bowen’s Reaction series”, so this being said, if you are finding titanite and pyroxene, its unlikely that you find amphibole, and if you are finding amphibole, the odds are that you are in a fissure in which you will not find titanites, but certainly your apatite’s will be of the larger variety.

​

​

​

​

​

​

The Dark Star Site and Its Geological Landscape

The Dark Star claim lies within eastern Ontario’s mineralized terrain near historic Bear Lake Diggings, an area known for complex amphibole-bearing vein dykes. The Dark Star collecting area features varied terrain, bedrock exposure, and glacial overburden that directly influence where crystals and mineralized zones are found in Ontario.

Another of the more interesting crystal species on the Dark Star Claim is “monazite”. Many will have heard of this ore as monazite is one of the rare earth ores, but if you are not directly involved in industrial rare-earth extraction you are unlikely to have actually seen such a specimen. Monazite is relatively common in some of our fissures and much as the Ontario Government is pushing development in what they call, ”The Ring of Fire”, it’s not necessary for you to go up there to find what we already have on our clam. Our monazite is mixed into amphibole matrix in brown thumbnail sized crystals.

Thus far we have not had our monazite analyzed, but typically the ore can contain any combination of the elements lanthanum, cerium, thorium and neodymium. If you are a collector this will be a unique species for you and if you are a metaphysical practitioner there is much to be said for the synergy of the species that you find. Everything is natural, harvested by you and so ethical as well.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Generally speaking, each of our fissures is entirely unique from the others around them. They are densely packed over most of the claim, striking on a bearing of around 292 degrees and about 10 feet apart in many places. Some fissures yield abundantly, others less-so. Our goal is to help you be successful, to keep you safe and to make sure you have a good time. How could you not have a blast? It’s a beautiful place, it’s a healthy activity and you typically come home with some mind-blowing stuff.

As our guests you will be amongst the first people to ever tap into these vein-dyke fissures and what you lift out sees the sun for the first time since the beginning of creation. Respectfully we call what we extract “earth crystals” and they differ quite drastically from pre-shaped and buffed specimens that you might find coming from China. These crystals that you will be harvesting are the “real McCoy”.

​

Rockhounding Techniques for Finding Crystals

​

This section explains practical rockhounding methods for finding crystals, including reading the landscape, recognizing host rock, and identifying promising mineralized zones.

Our Dark Star experience begins at “Muster” on the side of Madill Road at 8am on the morning that you have booked. We endeavor to take as many as 15 people on a day and when 5pm rolls around, some will still wish to keep digging, but for most, 9 hours will leave you tired, but exhilarated with what you have found.

​

If you run into any kind of extraction difficulty we will be somewhere close by and you have only to call us and we will do our best to help you. Sometimes we carry tools that you might not have access to. Most crystals lie loose in the soil of your fissure and if you have excavated walls you will be welcome to extract plates on that part of the wall if you can reasonably do it without damage to the crystals. So if it seems likely that you can carve a plate from the wall-rock without unreasonable damage, go for it, again, it needs to be crystals that you have exposed in your day’s digging. If the crystals were already exposed by rockhounds on a previous day we would prefer you to leave them, but again, ask us and we might make an exception if it is probable that with your tools and the positioning of the crystal you (or we) can get it cleanly off (We have a $20 saw fee as we wear through blades very quickly and they are expensive). If we remove the crystal for you, it is still yours to keep.

​

​​Safety while rockhounding is a top priority at Dark Star Crystal Mines

​

Safety and responsible rockhounding are core principles of the Dark Star Crystal Collecting Experience.

​

Safety is our top priority. Wear the PPE that is appropriate to the circumstance. Most importantly, never go underground. Many of the fissures break into pockets, have false floors or become tunnels just under the surface. You need clear sky above you. Some rock structures are clearly stable and we can see that so there might be exceptions to the afore-stated practice, but we would need to confirm that with you. We had a collapse last year in one of the tunnels and we almost lost Mark – it was a close call and a warning of what could happen if rockhounds are careless.

​

How to Dress and What to Bring for Ontario Rockhounding

​

Proper clothing, safety gear, and basic rockhounding tools are essential for a successful crystal collecting experience in Ontario’s outdoor and forested environments.

Dress appropriate to the conditions, this means long pants, closed toed footwear, eyeglasses if there is anyone in your trench using a hammer and chisel, or if the situation dictates that a reasonable person would wear eyewear. Gloves are essential. There are plenty of sharp crystals, tremolite can lance you like a needle and mica can cut sharp as a razor. Bring a lunch and lots to drink. Crystal harvest is hot and thirsty work. During peak bug season you will have difficulty enjoying yourself unless you bring mosquito repellant, a head net and a bug jacket. Try not to wear blue or black as the bugs are attracted to those colors. White and yellow are best.

​

For digging, a bucket and shovel are basics, but some might find value in a small hand rake, hammer and chisel, crowbars, tools for reaching crystals or anything you might dream up for the task. Guests are not allowed to use power tools on site.

​

Booking Information, Rules, and Responsible Collecting Guidelines

​

All Dark Star Crystal collecting experiences follow established booking procedures, site rules, and responsible rockhounding practices to ensure safe, ethical, and legal mineral collecting.

​

Ontario rockhounding experience (May–October)
• Maximum 15 participants per day
• Keep what you find
• Clubs welcome
• Ethical, legal collecting only

Upon your arrival and after the waiver signing and safety brief we will place you in the digging area and you are free to roam around within the taped off area and dig where you please, however, it is important to stay always within sight of the digging area as wandering off into the forest can only end in disaster. This terrain is a rugged northern one, the trees are densely spaced and there is lots of swamp and open cracks. Getting lost will have serious consequences and the bush goes on for a significant distance. We have been disorientated and knee deep in a buggy swamp and it was not an experience that I would recommend.

​

Before any digging takes place you will need to read and sign a waiver of liability. To sign the waiver you need to be unimpaired so substances are not allowed on-site and rockhounds need to be unimpaired.

Remember, to come on our claim you need to be at least 18 years of age. Payment is in cash or on square at the start of the day. Our fees are $50/person for the day and for clubs it is $40/person but for club visits there must be a minimum of at least 13 visitors (or pay $650 for the club if less than 13 persons).

​

 If a club brings over 20 persons they will need to provide a safety officer who will help us  maintain safe practices amongst club members. Clubs can send 2 members prior to the arranged  date to pre-assess the fissures and decide what they believe might be better yielding features (contact us for this arrangement).

​

We request that nobody leaves garbage and all animals and wildlife be treated with respect, same goes for your colleagues. Abusive or demeaning behavior towards a fellow rockhound will not be tolerated and you will be immediately banned from the site without refund.

​

Feel free to video and take pictures and if you intend to post publicly please be sure that your colleagues have no objection to appearing on YouTube, Instagram or Facebook.​

​

At this time we are finding our feet so we are trying to only book Fridays, Saturdays, but if you have a group of 10 or more and would like another day let us know and we will work with you, Last bookings of the season will be in mid-October (October 11th). If you book outside our 6 week window we will need a deposit.

​

So as I already noted, our season starts the Friday of the May 24 weekend. If you book please be sure to be good to your word. If you do not turn up at the stated day and time you will have cost us money. If you need to cancel we need to know at least 2 weeks in advance. Booking is on a first come first serve basis and once we reach 15 people for a day we consider our day to be full. Rain days can be re-scheduled if you make that request. Rescheduling involves everybody or nobody.

​

So I hope that I have not forgotten to mention anything and at this time you have only to let us know the dates that you want to book. You can reply to this e-mail if you wish to book. We will need to know the date that you have selected, how many are coming with your group and whether your interest is of a collecting or metaphysical nature. If you have purchased any of the Rockhound book series bring your book along and Mick would be happy to autograph (it can be purchased on Lulu).

​

Sincerely, Mick and Mark