California Gold and Gems (Northern)

California Gold & Gems Maps: Then and Now (Northern Edition) is a package of 5 maps printed on both sides.

This package is a comprehensive collection of maps intended to assist in locating gold and gem sites in the Northern section of the state of California (divided at the city of Merced) and has been enjoyed by history buffs, amateur prospectors and rock hounds.   Besides gold and silver, locations for agates, amethyst, apache tears, chalcedony, fossils, garnets, jade, obsidian, opals, petrified wood, pyrite, quartz, topaz and turquoise can be located — just to name a few of the approximately 40 gem site locations included!  Of course, all known types of rock and gem deposits as well as all reported gold and gold districts could not be included because of the numerous types and locations which would be overwhelming.

Although gold was mined in California as early as the late 18th century, the “Rush” of gold mining activity did not begin until the discovery at Sutter’s Mill in 1848.  The most productive districts were in the northern and central portions of the Sierra Nevada.  The second most productive region was the Klamath Mountains with important yields from the Klamath-Trinity River systems.  Rock and gem collecting in California is virtually unlimited — especially in the counties of Siskiyou, Trinity, Tehama and Plumas.

The source of information for this map collection has been taken from numerous documents and publications located in various archival collections. The primary sources were the National Archives and the California State Library. The U.S. Geological Survey supplied the featured modern map. The design is planimetric for clarity.