Howdy folks, new to the forums, studying to be a geo and my first fossicking trip was to Mount Hope chasing quartz. Trying to venture out more locally and I went out to Sapphire Bend for the first time last week, here is how I did out of my first roughly 4-5kg of gravel. Nothing particularly large, but one sapphire which I believe is of a very high grade, however it is too small so remains as a specimen. But its an easy 1hr drive for me so worth the trips out there. I'd love to get a cutter as I'm part of the Bathurst Lapidary club.
This is my total takings from around 8-10 pans. 2 greens, 2 zircons probably and the rest blues. One of the large flat ones looks like it has phantom growths (ill get a better quality photo later, bad focus)
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Does anyone know currently of access to the Blue Hills quarry? Most of the information on forums is a few years old and want to chase some smokey quartz.
Or otherwise, are there better locations around the Sapphire Bend area for cutters, as this is where I'll likely be.
I'll also be keeping my eye out for the mystical man known as Tex.
This is my total takings from around 8-10 pans. 2 greens, 2 zircons probably and the rest blues. One of the large flat ones looks like it has phantom growths (ill get a better quality photo later, bad focus)
Does anyone know currently of access to the Blue Hills quarry? Most of the information on forums is a few years old and want to chase some smokey quartz.
Or otherwise, are there better locations around the Sapphire Bend area for cutters, as this is where I'll likely be.
I'll also be keeping my eye out for the mystical man known as Tex.