I have known about the garnets in Ely, Nevada for many years. They are located on public land that has been set aside for rockhounds to collect since the 1970's, however it is really located in the middle of nowhere. Located along highway 50 (stated as the loneliest road in the USA) Garnet Hill, as it is called, is a treasure worth waiting for.
The garnets crystalized in open space gas cavities within the cooling rhyolite lava. Because of the open space available during crystallization the garnets have very sharp crystal faces that are quite lustrous.
Mining for the garnets required digging through blocks of fractured rhyolite in hopes of discovering garnet rich seams. Once these seems are found the individual blocks are broken open in search of the gemstones.
An image of the excavation I worked in search of gemstone garnets.
The garnet bearing blocks of rhyolite are then taken to my workspace where I use a diamond saw to remove the matrix rocks and isolate the individual crystals to incorporate into my designs.
The final gemstones, ready for setting.