More than thirty different gems and ornamental stones are known to occur
in Colorado. Amazonstone, amethyst, garnet, tourmaline, aquamarine,
topaz, lapis lazuli, quartz crystal, smoky and rose quartz, sapphire,
several varieties of agate, zircon, and other attractive stones are
gathered within the state, mainly in the Mountain Province. Turquoise is
known at several places in the volcanic area of southern Colorado.
Alabaster is mined along the northeastern mountain front near Fort
Collins and Loveland. Localities of interest to gem hunters are
described in _Colorado Gem Trails and Mineral Guide_, by Richard M.
Pearl.
Gem Village, in southwestern Colorado on U. S. highway 160 between
Durango and Pagosa Springs, is a favorite stopping place for tourists
wishing to see or buy colorful and attractive Colorado stones such as
petrified wood, agatized dinosaur bones, chalcedony, and jasper.