⭐ Gemstone & Mineral Show n Tell

[Syndyne]

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/569/1373546522_photo1.jpg

Hi Headbut17,

Do you know where that piece originated from? We were just wondering if it was Ruby or possibly Rubelite (at first glance) but, seeing the greenish crystals in the host matrix it may well be a worn pardi-coloured Tourmaline as HeadsUp suggested.

Cheers,
Shauno.

 

[HeadsUp]

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/569/1373546522_photo1.jpg

i can still only say " might be " pink tourmaline as there are a few other stones with that appearance

tourmaline can vary in colour and density and can be found with quartz and i also have a sample surrounded by a chalky greyish pink siltstone

i will throw that open to see what other peeps think of it.

wish i had a portable spectroscope

the image below isnt mine its just from google . my stuff is all packed away in boxes

 

[HeadsUp]

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/569/1373546522_photo1.jpg

Hi Headbut17,

Do you know where that piece originated from? We were just wondering if it was Ruby or possibly Rubelite (at first glance) but, seeing the greenish crystals in the host matrix it may well be a worn pardi-coloured Tourmaline as HeadsUp suggested.

Cheers,
Shauno.

thanks Shauno

guess what mate , i have a bit of rubilite in lipidolite that i had lumped in with some samples of tourmaline , thanks to your post above and a search of rubilite photos you cleared up that one for me.

They are very very similar , but the lepidolite base was the confirmer.

well done

 

[headbut]

Hi Shauno , I got this in Oamaru NZ, from a SHOP , not found myself unfortunately.
I think I paid $10 , thanks for the info , cheers Paul

 

[Syndyne]

thanks Shauno

guess what mate , i have a bit of rubilite in lipidolite that i had lumped in with some samples of tourmaline , thanks to your post above and a search of rubilite photos you cleared up that one for me.

They are very very similar , but the lepidolite base was the confirmer.

well done

That was a lucky turn up! I have a small specie of Rubellite here, of a similar size and look to Paul's piece. Looks almost identical, though I don't have any green Lepidolite crystal structures surrounding the Ruby coloured crystals. It's in a hard whitish-sliver mica looking matrix. Probably from another part of the globe.

Hi Shauno , I got this in Oamaru NZ, from a SHOP , not found myself unfortunately.
I think I paid $10 , thanks for the info , cheers Paul

Cheers Paul. I just did a quick search of the area on Dr.Google and found a heap of Tourmaline specimens from there, so HeadsUp was spot on

Knowing where a piece roughly originated from can make a world of difference when it comes to identifying from a picture alone.
Kindest regards,
Shauno.

 

[Diggerdude]

Fluorite on Magnesite from Tassie.

Azurite from WA

Magnetite in serpentine from Tassie

Stichtite from Tassie

Pyrrhotite from Tassie

DD

 

[HeadsUp]

Hi all,
Here's another piece from our collection. Just took a couple snaps with the iPhone as I don't have anything in the macro lens range for my Canon as yet.

This is a large museum quality Stibnite specimen. These alloy crystals are the result of volcanic pressures and actions on Antimony Sulphides. While many great specimens of Stibnite are coming out of Southeastern China now, this one was from Bulgaria I believe (I will check that with my father though). Quite stunning to see crystals in a metallic form. I added the 20c piece in for scale. It weighs about 5kg. We had the custom box made just for it back in the late 80's.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...1373543661_stibnite_copyshaun_galman_2013.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...3759_stibnite_close_copyshaun_galman_2013.jpg

Kindest regards,
Shauno.

hey they mention stibnite in this article

scroll way down to number 3

http://listverse.com/2013/03/07/10-most-deadly-rocks-and-minerals/

 

[Syndyne]

Hi HeadsUp,

This really drives home the importance of knowing what you're handling. I never touch my specimens if I can help it, particularly those ones associated with more harsh chemicals like Arsenic etc. Always wash hands thoroughly after handling minerals of all types also.

Maybe a thread on more common minerals that can be hazardous should be posted up here somewhere?
Kindest regards,
Shauno.

 

[HeadsUp]

Hi HeadsUp,

This really drives home the importance of knowing what you're handling. I never touch my specimens if I can help it, particularly those ones associated with more harsh chemicals like Arsenic etc. Always wash hands thoroughly after handling minerals of all types also.

Maybe a thread on more common minerals that can be hazardous should be posted up here somewhere?
Kindest regards,
Shauno.

i have handled heaps of minerals over the years that in hindsight could very well have contained arsenic and lead :|

but then again i did dumber things when i was a kid like walking around with an air rifle shooting rabbits every weekend , and the handiest place to store the lead pellets for a quick reload was in our mouth . . . . .

 

[Kingsy]

Here's a piece of Jasper/Hematite I found at Nowa Nowa, Victoria.

Not as interesting as some of the pieces on this thread, but I like it. The photo makes the faults look worse than in person.

 

[Sw1fty]

Hi HeadsUp,

This really drives home the importance of knowing what you're handling. I never touch my specimens if I can help it, particularly those ones associated with more harsh chemicals like Arsenic etc. Always wash hands thoroughly after handling minerals of all types also.

Maybe a thread on more common minerals that can be hazardous should be posted up here somewhere?
Kindest regards,
Shauno.

i have handled heaps of minerals over the years that in hindsight could very well have contained arsenic and lead :|

but then again i did dumber things when i was a kid like walking around with an air rifle shooting rabbits every weekend , and the handiest place to store the lead pellets for a quick reload was in our mouth . . . . .

Yep, childhood memories of same...

 

[Sw1fty]

Geez even now, pop in mouth, swirl around to clean 'er up...
Although not the large stuff posted above lol

 

[joe]

I managed to get out for couple of hours to GG. Just using sieves and yes water is still cold.

 

[Heatho]

Nice haul Joe, we were at the bridge last week and did'nt do anywhere near that well, just using sieves also. Is it still possible to access the other fossicking area on the private property on the other side of the road?

 

[Colin&Lee]

Nice haul Joe, we were at the bridge last week and did'nt do anywhere near that well, just using sieves also. Is it still possible to access the other fossicking area on the private property on the other side of the road?

The farmer who used to own the fossicking area passed away a few years ago. No harm in asking the new property owner better to get a polite no than a shotgun in the ear.

Great haul Joe we got a few on Saturday right at the bridge will be back out there again real soon.

Cheers

C&L

 

[Heatho]

Thanks C&L, I'd always ask if I were to ever think about venturing onto someone's property. Learnt my lesson when I was 12, got stuck in barbed wire running from the owner while he was beating me with my own fishing rod, doh. Had to go around with my Dad and make peace with him and get my rod back.

You get the occasional Bass out that way and...... this guy had a dam full of Koi, this all took place in about 30 seconds after my first cast.

Anyway..... we won't mention this again, lol.

 

[Colin&Lee]

I had a similar experience as a young fella I got pinned going under the fence .
We'll be out that way again soon more than happy to show you a few things

Cheers

C&L

 

[Heatho]

Hard lessons. That would be great, hope to see you there sometime.

 

[Matt The Magic Man]

Went down to Grabben Gullen again yesterday for Digging & Cupcakes.

Took my partner with me this time so I am happy that the weather held up & stayed sunny. We met with Colin & Lee who showed us the lay of the land and helped us get our Gem Groove on.

Here are some photos of the haul

This was from 2 hours + my WalBanker digging at the bridge

It was difficult to access the gold amongst the concentrate since it was buried under half a dish of smaller than 1/8th Spinels. The bigger piece was sitting in with my heavies when I flipped my 1/8th sieve It was my girl who spotted it though

 

[joe]

Nice haul Joe, we were at the bridge last week and did'nt do anywhere near that well, just using sieves also. Is it still possible to access the other fossicking area on the private property on the other side of the road?

Thanks Heatho, bridge is ok after a flood . You really need go upstream or downstream and yes both sides are private private property so permission is required from the owner. The ACT lapidary club offen organises a group outing and its only $5 per day.