California visitor's rare find: A star-shaped piece of benitoite

Last weekend the 21-year-old karina Ille discovered a rare star-shaped piece of benitoite in San Benito County, where this country's only mining spot for the gem is located. The mine's operators pull the rocks from their open-pit dig and charge visitors $70 each to spend the day searching for the mineral. Once suspected benitoite is discovered, visitors wash the rocks and study them under black lights in a darkened room outside of the mine. They are allowed to take home in quart zip-lock bags what they find. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-rare-gem-20130818,0,3304203.story Article courtesy of the Los Angeles Times by Bob Pool