Looking for gemstones in Mt Crawford Forest SA

Hi all

First post so be gentle but im planning on heading up to Mt Crawford in SA this weekend to have a look and see if i can find some nice gems. Not fussed what, just something nice. Does anybody have any tips? Good panning spots/ techniques etc? I've never tried looking for gems but have panned for gold in the past. Are the techniques the same - i.e working off the fact that these stones have a high S.G.?

Thanks

There is a lot of gems and minerals that can be found at Mt Crawford as well as panning for gold. The place to start is to visit the Forestry SA office at Mt Crawford and buy a permit and get their pamphlet on fossicking.

I have found a green beryl in pegmatite near the Sailors Gully picnic ground, and also tourmaline and rutilated quartz in the area. Some interesting quartz - smoky, amethyst & citrene can be found at the old mine diggings at The Gordon Reward Mine just outside Williamstown. The Gordon Reward is also under Forestry SA control.

Try to get the Len Dallows book Fossicker's Guide to Gold, Minerals and Gemstones of South Australia it has a lot of information and some useful mud-maps. The book has been out of print since the 80's but you often see it for sale on Ebay.

Take a geo pick, shovel, crack hammer & cold chisel to work the pegmatite but don't expect to find the retirement stone there is a lot of bush between locations take it easy and enjoy the day out.

awesome thanks for the tips dughug

Dughug said:

There is a lot of gems and minerals that can be found at Mt Crawford as well as panning for gold. The place to start is to visit the Forestry SA office at Mt Crawford and buy a permit and get their pamphlet on fossicking.

I have found a green beryl in pegmatite near the Sailors Gully picnic ground, and also tourmaline and rutilated quartz in the area. Some interesting quartz - smoky, amethyst & citrene can be found at the old mine diggings at The Gordon Reward Mine just outside Williamstown. The Gordon Reward is also under Forestry SA control.

Try to get the Len Dallows book Fossicker's Guide to Gold, Minerals and Gemstones of South Australia it has a lot of information and some useful mud-maps. The book has been out of print since the 80's but you often see it for sale on Ebay.

Take a geo pick, shovel, crack hammer & cold chisel to work the pegmatite but don't expect to find the retirement stone there is a lot of bush between locations take it easy and enjoy the day out.

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Excellent infomation and reply Dughug!

Keen to see how you get on. Mate lives in Humbug Scrub and says he always sees people panning around the place. Apparently one guy also walk around with magnets on his shoes to pickup possible meteorites, I guess those that do this know more about it.

Zorgs said:

Keen to see how you get on. Mate lives in Humbug Scrub and says he always sees people panning around the place. Apparently one guy also walk around with magnets on his shoes to pickup possible meteorites, I guess those that do this know more about it.

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May have something to do with a large meteorite impact crater existing close to the Mt Crawford Forest area, possibly looking for fragments? Other interesting things to note is that there used to be an emerald mine just north of the forestry headquarters, but unfortunately it positioned in the reservoir and hence inaccessible. There is the possibility that they were chasing gem quality green beryl in the pegmatites, though records are sketchy on whether they had any success.

Common opal also occurs on the forestry headquarters side of the road, down towards the reservoir bridge, but unfortunately this are is currently outside of the prescribed fossicking area.

As mentioned above schorl tourmaline is pretty easy to locate 3/4 the way up Sailors gully, some in the pegmatites, whilst other crystals can be found in the micaceous schist lying scattered around the place. Garnets can be found in the high grade metamorphic rocks around Watts Gully, and there are also clay pits off the Mt Pleasant road in the pines that contain large amounts of rutile crystal (also outside of the prescribed fossicking area).

Direct link to Mt Crawford fossicking leaflet:

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&...AQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNEjphIWG5NX3aTAbJTQCxm8Lfx7Eg

Mount Crawford Impact crater - please note this may be on private property:

http://www.exploroz.com/Places/78247/SA/Crawford_Meteorite_Impact_Crater.aspx

Thanks Goldpick, great info.

Well guys this is brilliant! I really appreciate this.

With all this info if i don't find something this weekend i must be on the wrong planet!

Well had a great day out yesterday, cheers for the info all!

Found the Pegmatites and got some awesome Mica specimens for the collection. Also got my eye in to the geology there so next time ill go up and have a good go at finding some Beryl.

Also got the detector out down at Watts Gully and found lots of junk...got the feeling that the area has had a good going over but then again im really still learning how to use the thing so hopefully have some luck next time.

Most importantly i got to see a (very beautiful) part of SA that i hadn't seen before and enjoy an afternoon by the campfire with the family

Retro,

Great to see that you made the most of a fantastic winters day yesterday - it was more like Spring. Mt Crawford is a good spot for a picnic and a fossick. I've never got the detector out there but have panned in the creeks around Watts Gully.

Any time spent out in the bush with the family is worth while and if you find something as well that's a bonus.

Can anyone show me on google maps where Gordon reward mine is? I have found plenty of Green Beryl, Heliodor and green Muscovite around Sailors Gully just search out the mica schist and spend a bit of time looking through the pegmatite veins which are mainly composed of feldspar, quartz and different micas

finally got my hands on lens book. its awesome!!!! thanks for the tip, hopefully get back out this weekend

Glad you found a copy of Len's book.

His mud-maps are fantastic and still relevant today although some of the locations are closed. He bequeathed all his mud maps to the Southern Rockhounds Gem & Mineral Club where we have found them an excellent reference point for our field officers.

Take it easy out in the bush this weekend with 40 degrees today and also expected to be bloody hot again this weekend I reckon I'll spend Saturday at the club workshop.

Well just to let you know, thanks to his mud maps i scored myself some awesome Red and Green Jasper specimens! They really look great when wet. Now i just need to procure myself a polisher/rock tumbler to bring out the shine. Does anyone have any recommendations on a good quiet unit that doesn't cost a gazillion dollars?

retroenduro said:

Well just to let you know, thanks to his mud maps i scored myself some awesome Red and Green Jasper specimens! They really look great when wet. Now i just need to procure myself a polisher/rock tumbler to bring out the shine. Does anyone have any recommendations on a good quiet unit that doesn't cost a gazillion dollars?

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I am trying to get hold of the book myself. Anyone care to share a bit more around Sailor's gully and the mudmap? Am I looking in the gravels for specimens, or am I smashing rocks? I take it I just explore around the gulley in general?

Also - State Library has a copy of Len's book. Although it is a reference library, you can take photos of the pages you are most interested in. I haven't managed to find one for sale :-(

G'Day GP

I notice on your profile you live in the G, how do you know so much about MC ?

Goldpick said:

large meteorite impact crater existing close to the Mt Crawford Forest area

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If you look at this area via google maps it is very interesting what has been looked up by forestry on the rim of this crater, with large areas between not being used by forestry.

I live in Bar. so go on long walks with dog around there, one of the most interesting thing to know about the closest town to the crater is there is an 'active' bank robber, when you go into the town don't ask about the posters plastered all over the place

Do you get up to this area very often ?

saau said:

I live in Bar. so go on long walks with dog around there

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If someone were interested in finding small pieces of meteorite (to look at and then discard because they'd be SA Museum property) is it worth a wander around there?

G'Day Greg

I can easy identify diamonds, ruby etc. and have experience doing that

Never found AU but I luv. the chance to Id. that in the wild.

Sorry mate, I'm an Old Guy ( OG ) so I'm not up to speed of all the latest trends and lingo !!!

I have no idea how to ID. meteorite pieces, but eager to learn, happy to meet up and get an education.

If I have misunderstood Pls. IM me and lay it out in 'simple' sentences.