Atlantic City, located on the southern New Jersey shore, is known primarily for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. But beyond the glitz and glamor of the casinos lies a landscape that holds a number of treasures - including an array of beautiful natural crystals. While not obvious to the average tourist, crystals can be found throughout the beaches, parks, and natural areas surrounding Atlantic City if you know where to look.
Quartz is one of the most common crystals that can be found not only in Atlantic City, but many places throughout the world. This silicon dioxide crystal comes in a variety of colors including clear, white, purple, pink, yellow, orange, red, brown, and black. Quartz can be found in massive form or as beautiful individual terminated points or clusters.
The beaches of Atlantic City are one place quartz in its massive form can often be found. Look for masses of milky white, clear, or smoky quartz naturally tumbled smooth from the constant motion of waves and sand. Pick through piles of rocks and pebbles that accumulate on the upper parts of the beach to uncover these quartz treasures. Quartz crystals with their natural terminations are less common on the beaches, but can occasionally be discovered scattered among other rocks and pebbles.
Parks and wooded areas surrounding Atlantic City are the best places to search for terminated quartz crystal points. Keep an eye out when traversing trails or exploring rock outcroppings. Clear or milky quartz points are most common, but you may come across the occasional amethyst or smoky quartz point if luck is on your side. Quartz clusters are also a possibility. Be sure to abide by any park rules and leave your surroundings as you found them.
While not as abundant as quartz, apatite is a phosphate mineral that can sometimes be found around Atlantic City. Apatite commonly occurs in greens, blues, yellows, violets, and clearing coloring ranging from transparent to translucent. It crystallizes in the hexagonal system and is prized by collectors for its range of beautiful colors.
The best places to search for apatite are in the pine barrens and wooded areas scattered outside Atlantic City. Apatite has been found in some streams and rivers that run through the pine barrens. Carefully searching through river rocks and pebbles, especially after heavy rains, can sometimes reveal small apatite crystals. Apatite has also been unearthed in the sandy soil of the pine barrens, most likely weathered out of rock formations underground.
Calcite is one of the most abundant minerals on earth and comes in over 300 crystal forms. This calcium carbonate crystal can be found in a diversity of colors such as clear, white, gray, yellow, orange, blue, pink, red, brown, and black. Calcite’s unique double refraction of light allows it to gleam brightly when illuminated.
Calcite is ubiquitous around Atlantic City owing to the limestone bedrock that underlies much of southern New Jersey. Chunks of calcite can often be found eroding from exposures of this limestone bedrock. Boulders, rock walls, road cuts, and natural rock formations are all good places to investigate. Calcite’s solubility in weak acids means that well-formed crystals are uncommon, but possible. Smaller calcite crystals can be found lining or filling cracks and crevices in the limestone rock. Rarely, caves in limestone bear calcite crystals.
Selenite is a variety of gypsum that occurs in transparent, translucent, or white blade-like crystal formations. It has a beautiful pearlescent sheen and can sometimes form interesting curved or skeletal crystals. Selenite readily breaks down when exposed to moisture, so well-formed crystals are not common in Atlantic City’s humid coastal environment. But they can occasionally be found if you know where to look.
Selenite has been found infrequently in areas underlain by shale - sedimentary rock formed from compressed clay and silt. Natural erosion of the soft shale can expose small selenite crystals along shale slopes and road cuts. Selenite has also rarely been found associated with other evaporite minerals around ancient dried up sea beds and salt deposits. Diligent searching of these specific areas after heavy rains may reveal selenite treasures.
Atlantic City has much more to offer than just casinos and beaches. A surprising diversity of beautiful natural crystals can be found by those willing to venture outside the city and explore the pine barrens, rock outcrops, streams, and beaches of the surrounding landscape. With some persistence and know-how, you just may uncover your own crystallized treasures. So next time you visit Atlantic City, take a break from the slot machines and blackjack tables to hunt for some of nature’s gems hidden not far from the city streets.
