BrisJoe
Joe
Yesterday's haul..
Moranbah Diamonds
- Thread starter BrisJoe
- Start date
Help Support Prospecting Australia:
they sure do have a certain sparkle dont they
I leave Muranbah with a bunch of stories from the locals of amazing coloured Moranbah Diamonds out there to be found, pinks, yellows and kero blues. BrisJoe now has a lead for a secret spot, so stay tuned for some great finds as he explores this interesting part of the world. Good luck Joe.
My takeaways:
My takeaways:
Very nice mate, I hope they cut nicely, they look very clear.
BrisJoe
Joe
Results from today's hunt in the new secret virgin land.
This is from 2hrs of searching...
The 2 big ones, I would need to cut them down to see how good they are Inside..
All my yummy diamonds..
A few unique ricks that I want to get cut flat down 1 side and polished
My 2nd best grade of diamonds...
My flawless clear(ish) diamonds that I will send away to be cut for a nice ring for the missus..
And finally, my few that are red coloured diamonds..
This was just a quick hunt afterwork today in the last hours of sunlight.
I plan to go back on the weekend soon and spend a whole day and make use of the sunlight to show the diamonds. Of and pretty much all of these (bar the small ones) were sunbakers.
This is from 2hrs of searching...
The 2 big ones, I would need to cut them down to see how good they are Inside..
All my yummy diamonds..
A few unique ricks that I want to get cut flat down 1 side and polished
My 2nd best grade of diamonds...
My flawless clear(ish) diamonds that I will send away to be cut for a nice ring for the missus..
And finally, my few that are red coloured diamonds..
This was just a quick hunt afterwork today in the last hours of sunlight.
I plan to go back on the weekend soon and spend a whole day and make use of the sunlight to show the diamonds. Of and pretty much all of these (bar the small ones) were sunbakers.
Well done.
Hi all, I just joined this forum due to trying to do some research on where to find these gems. I am a lowly meter reader for Ergon that has been working around Moranbah township and railway areas of late that has a passion for looking at the ground lol, or rather the unique stones it can contain due to growing up in a full on gold and gem prospecting family.
Thus came across this link in a search for info on where to look for Moranbah Diamonds.
I got to spend a couple of hours up above the speedway, and along the rail line today. I had no luck in anything other than petrified wood, non opaque somewhat crystal like blank grey stone, and a couple of quite dark basaltic lava pieces? (It had vesicles and 1 small bit of quartz).
I was hoping that someone might be able to please please give me a leed on where to look with limited time as I am technically still on the clock, or better still,, lunch break
Thanks in advance
Lisa
Thus came across this link in a search for info on where to look for Moranbah Diamonds.
I got to spend a couple of hours up above the speedway, and along the rail line today. I had no luck in anything other than petrified wood, non opaque somewhat crystal like blank grey stone, and a couple of quite dark basaltic lava pieces? (It had vesicles and 1 small bit of quartz).
I was hoping that someone might be able to please please give me a leed on where to look with limited time as I am technically still on the clock, or better still,, lunch break
Thanks in advance
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
You'd have to be very, very lucky to spot one lying on the ground. I think the best way to look for them would be to dig in a local creek and pan or better, sieve the diggings. Diamond is heavier than quartz and you can separate it as you do the other heavy gemstones: sapphire, topaz, zircon, etc...
You'd have to be very, very lucky to spot one lying on the ground. I think the best way to look for them would be to dig in a local creek and pan or better, sieve the diggings. Diamond is heavier than quartz and you can separate it as you do the other heavy gemstones: sapphire, topaz, zircon, etc...
Hi Lisa
I was told to look at the rail embankments from a local, as the embankment weathers it exposes crystals to the eye.
I worked the sand tracks behind the pistol club adjacent to the rail line with a sieve. Pick a spot on the track where you see plenty of ironstone, the sand falls straight through a sieve so very easy work. I would love sapphire fossicking to be that easy.
I did not spend a great deal of time at the creek but i would like to explore it more as creeks are a great sorter of materials. Worked a sand bank there and pulled a few out.
Success rate was about 1 in 20 sieves for a chip, no massive crystals but they are there somewhere.
Technically speaking, Moranbah Diamonds are quartz, just spectacularly clear and extremely hard, which makes them gemstone quality.
Good luck
I was told to look at the rail embankments from a local, as the embankment weathers it exposes crystals to the eye.
I worked the sand tracks behind the pistol club adjacent to the rail line with a sieve. Pick a spot on the track where you see plenty of ironstone, the sand falls straight through a sieve so very easy work. I would love sapphire fossicking to be that easy.
I did not spend a great deal of time at the creek but i would like to explore it more as creeks are a great sorter of materials. Worked a sand bank there and pulled a few out.
Success rate was about 1 in 20 sieves for a chip, no massive crystals but they are there somewhere.
Technically speaking, Moranbah Diamonds are quartz, just spectacularly clear and extremely hard, which makes them gemstone quality.
Good luck
Hi Wally,
Yep your right, the rail embankments is where my nose led me to today. Bit of slipping and sliding whilst traversing the lower bank, but to good end's. I found a few nice little stones by eye alongside. Also on the rocky sections of track on the way in.
I was thinking next time I may take a garden water spray bottle with me to see how that helps with specking in an area, although the ones I found were simply sitting on top. A dry sieve may see it's way into the ute also.
Finding out which direction (besides down) they originated from may lead to larger specimens? My work was based over the other side of town today (Utah dve area), so got the chance to drive along behind the last row of houses. There seems to be signs of the same, but no luck in the quick look I had. I would like to have a look over at the isac river, somewhere north of Moranbah to see what it has carried downstream in the past.
I will be out n about tomorrow, so will see which direction feels right as soon as I get the chance. Yes, I know their quartz, but the clarity/potential for cutting makes them pretty special. Even without faceting, two of the finds from today have that natural crystal shape to some of their sides and could be worth just leaving as is and setting for that natural look.
Anyone can go buy jewellery, but to have a place and story behind the acquisition of a piece is priceless.
I will try to post a pic of my finds tomorrow.
Thanks for the advice
Yep your right, the rail embankments is where my nose led me to today. Bit of slipping and sliding whilst traversing the lower bank, but to good end's. I found a few nice little stones by eye alongside. Also on the rocky sections of track on the way in.
I was thinking next time I may take a garden water spray bottle with me to see how that helps with specking in an area, although the ones I found were simply sitting on top. A dry sieve may see it's way into the ute also.
Finding out which direction (besides down) they originated from may lead to larger specimens? My work was based over the other side of town today (Utah dve area), so got the chance to drive along behind the last row of houses. There seems to be signs of the same, but no luck in the quick look I had. I would like to have a look over at the isac river, somewhere north of Moranbah to see what it has carried downstream in the past.
I will be out n about tomorrow, so will see which direction feels right as soon as I get the chance. Yes, I know their quartz, but the clarity/potential for cutting makes them pretty special. Even without faceting, two of the finds from today have that natural crystal shape to some of their sides and could be worth just leaving as is and setting for that natural look.
Anyone can go buy jewellery, but to have a place and story behind the acquisition of a piece is priceless.
I will try to post a pic of my finds tomorrow.
Thanks for the advice
Hi mfdes,
Thanks for the tips, I'm not sure of the specific gravity of these stones. As Wally mentioned, they are a Quartz and not true diamond. So I'm not sure if the panning method would work for these, but I do think a sieve would be worth taking with me next time.
In terms of erosion, or in the case of a rail cutting, destruction. I have found that both creeks and cuttings can often give the best rapid insight into the cross section of the land. High concentration rock bands can be mtrs below the overlying "topsoil". It sure beats digging ya way down.
thanks again..
Thanks for the tips, I'm not sure of the specific gravity of these stones. As Wally mentioned, they are a Quartz and not true diamond. So I'm not sure if the panning method would work for these, but I do think a sieve would be worth taking with me next time.
In terms of erosion, or in the case of a rail cutting, destruction. I have found that both creeks and cuttings can often give the best rapid insight into the cross section of the land. High concentration rock bands can be mtrs below the overlying "topsoil". It sure beats digging ya way down.
thanks again..
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2015
- Messages
- 2
- Reaction score
- 0
Hi
Ive just moved to moranbah from out west and love prospecting, being doing it for a while now. Just wondering where do you get these moranbah diamonds from. Would be keen to tag along. Any help apreciated.
Cheers
Steve
Ive just moved to moranbah from out west and love prospecting, being doing it for a while now. Just wondering where do you get these moranbah diamonds from. Would be keen to tag along. Any help apreciated.
Cheers
Steve
Stevehalls84 said:
If you read the previous posts in this thread, it couldn't be much clearer where to start looking.
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2015
- Messages
- 2
- Reaction score
- 0
Ive checked some railway cuttings to no avail. Im retarded with directions lol :lol:
