Hewitt Gem Mine
- Location: Haddam, CT
Location: 32 Evans St., Franklin, NJ 07416
Join the Friends of Mineralogy – New Jersey Chapter (FM-NJ) and the North Jersey Mineralogical Society (NoJMS) for an exciting afternoon-into-night mineral collecting adventure in Franklin, New Jersey, one of the most famous mineral localities in the world.
Date: Saturday, November 15
Meet-Up Time: 4:00 PM sharp (trip departs no later than 4:15 PM)
Collecting Ends: 9:00 PM — all collectors must vacate the property by then.
Attendance: Unlimited — everyone is welcome!
Lang Shaft / Hamburg Mine / High Street (Phil Crabb property)
This private Franklin, NJ residence sits atop a unique outcropping of Franklin Marble and dolomitic rock — home to the closest-to-surface zinc orebody contact in Sussex County.
Collectors will find both daylight and fluorescent minerals in abundance, including:
Willemite
Calcite
Sphalerite
Fluorapatite
Hydrozincite
Hardystonite
…and other Franklin classics!
Franklinite
Quartz
Pyrite & Pyrrhotite
Rhodonite
Massive Fluorite
Massive Epidote
Plus, several new and exciting finds announced on the day of the trip!
This is a rare opportunity to collect under both daylight and UV conditions, so bring your lights and be ready for some spectacular nighttime fluorescence!
Franklin Mineral Museum
32 Evans Street, Franklin, NJ 07416
Please park along the grass strip to the right of the main museum parking lot.
Trip host Phil Crabb will meet participants at 4:00 PM and guide everyone to the nearby High Street collecting site.
Carpooling from the museum to High Street is encouraged when possible.
$25 per person (cash only)
Payable either at the museum before departure or directly at the site.
This fee covers access to Phil Crabb’s private property and the incredible mineral exposures available there.
Rock hammer, chisels, small sledge
Shovel or pry bar
Buckets and newspaper for specimens
UV lamps (LW / SW / MW) for night collecting
Food, water, and snacks
Bug spray and weather-appropriate clothing
Franklin, NJ is world-renowned for its fluorescent minerals, and this evening dig offers the chance to experience the glow of Willemite and Calcite under UV light firsthand. Whether you’re an experienced collector or a beginner, this is a can’t-miss event for anyone passionate about geology, mineralogy, or New Jersey’s rich mining history.
Join us for an unforgettable night of mineral collecting and camaraderie!
For more information, contact [insert club contact or email here].
Fee: $20/person
Tools: Shovel, Pick, Sledgehammer, Chisels, Bucket