The International Student Blog

Though there are many international students looking for things to do in Nevada, the average student may be searching for a source of income as well as an activity to fill their spare time; gem hunting and recreational mining is an activity for many Nevadans that combines both. Imagine being able to kick your feet over the ground and discover gems and rare, valuable stones and meteorites hidden just beneath the surface. Now imagine actually doing a little digging and finding huge chunks of treasured ore.

Massive veins of silver and other precious metals run throughout the state, and the ease with which these geologic wonders could be discovered are what lead to the mass westward exodus of prospectors and treasure-hunters that resulted in the founding of Nevada. The famous foundation of “The Silver State” upon a history of mining and gem hunting has managed to carve out a contemporary niche, and international students looking for things to do in Nevada will have no shortage of opportunities to take their turns at experiencing the thrills of this frontier past-time in a patron-friendly setting.

An international student in Nevada that is seeking a different experience than that offered by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area may see gem hunting as a viable option. Offering more than the thrill of stumbling upon beautiful stones or meteorites, the activity can yield salable items with quite high values that can be traded immediately, as-is (often on-site or at a nearby jeweler) for cash. The increase in the number of regular enthusiasts as well as weekend-warrior “rockhounds” can be partially attributed to the lucrative nature of the activity and also the relative ease with which one comes by their bounty—turning the activity into a regular hobby that pays for itself for many rockhounds.

Moreover, whereas mining and gem hunting have been traditionally dangerous and arduous activities, the contemporary treasure-hunter in Nevada can take advantage of the safe and comfortable conditions and accommodations of today’s tourism-driven mining and gem hunting industry. However, for an international student turned rockhound who was hoping to prospect more traditionally there is still much open land available for casual daytime excursions into the desert in search of gold and other precious deposits.

Here is a list of helpful websites for international students in Nevada interested in trying her/his hand at modern-day treasure hunting, one of the premier things to do in Nevada:

• Nevada Gem – A list of mines and examples of pricing for finds.
• Nevada USA – A recreation website with relevant, useful links of things to do in Nevada.
• Rye Patch Place Gold District – An example prospecting trip and map of good prospecting locations.
• Treasure Hunting Wiki -Pay-to-mine establishment list.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 20th, 2011 at 12:08 pm and is filed under International Student. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Written by Jenny Frankel

Jennifer is the Director of Financial Services at Envisage International. Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Florida where she holds a Masters in International Business and a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. She has lived and worked abroad in Chile, Costa Rica and London, and traveled extensively in South America, Europe and Asia.

Other posts by Jenny Frankel