Minerama 2017

Yeah mate I'll be there with the rents. I'll be the one wearing the big straw Bunnings hat

How'd everyone go on their first day? I got about 20 or so emeralds with some really nice specimens too. Another bloke got a perfectly terminated topaz crystal and it kinda broke my heart when he said he's making it into jewellery lol

rileymcsmiley said:

How'd everyone go on their first day? I got about 20 or so emeralds with some really nice specimens too. Another bloke got a perfectly terminated topaz crystal and it kinda broke my heart when he said he's making it into jewellery lol

Click to expand...

Pics mate we need pics.

These were just a few quick pics with the iPhone, doesn't do them justice at all. They're small but it's not everyday you get to find emeralds in Australia. Big crystal behind the emeralds is a beryl crystal with tin in it which is pretty cool... rocks to the right are emerald specimens (top right one has about 7 small emeralds and purple flourite). Second pic is green and purple flourite (have bigger pieces but they're in the car) and third is the quartz crystals. Have a few potential pieces of topaz but they're not photogenic in this light so I might post a picture of them later. All in all a very good day was had

Nice mate, I've never found Emeralds, I'd be stoked with finding those for sure. :Y:

Had a good look around today, seemed to be many more stalls than last year and a whole heap of enthusiastic traders.

From a local point of view, the opportunity for visitors to get into fossicking locations has to be a winner. Make yourselves known to property owners, shout them a beer and an invite back could well be on the cards. :Y:
There is always the chance of a beautiful 10ct. light (Reddestone/Cameron Crk.) blue.

There was a thought did cross my mind, I mentioned to a couple of traders that the W. Qld. old opal miners mullock heaps must be getting pretty small by now.
So many stalls offering "boulder opal".... polished ironstone a more apt description. Gone are the days when a bloke could noodle up a decent parcel of stone.

We were open cut mining and know we left $1000's worth behind in the dumps..... but well scavenged by now. 8.(

I wonder how many remember "half price Jim" from Duck Creek?
Offer you a $100 parcel of really good cut stones, first hesitation and it was down to 50bucks! He would shudder at the asking prices for common potch I saw today. 8)

Just one of the many opal fields characters from yester year. Sadly, most of those old blokes gone, just like the easy pickens.

Enjoy Minerama, please stay for a day or two in Glen next time through.

Mike

I'm in glen until Sunday, love this country town minerama trip unfortunately was pretty rubbish at wellingrove station today. Seemed like everyone else but a select few had the same opinion. Thought I'd make up for it by going to billabong blue but that was rubbish as well lmao... literally found more sapphires specking the car park than sieving in the pile. Hoping crossmaglen tomorrow produces the goods, heard a few good things about it.

Anyone else go to crossmaglen today? I had a reasonable amount of success... doesn't compare to the guy with a sapphire the size of a 50c coin though :lol: couple of decent sized blues came out too

Pretty much as Smiley has stated for me as well, went on a speckie trip today and came home with some quartz possibilities, will be sorting through the stuff tomorrow. Also acquired a cupla bags of wash from the caravan park we are at, to sort out when we get home.

Tomorrow, monday will be a rest day and arrange to visit the old tin mine at Emmaville

Let me know how you go with the wash, think I might've gotten the same $20 bags.

hey smiley, got our wash from the Fossickers caravan park

Yeah same. Information centre ran out so went there and grabbed 2 bags of seven oaks wash and 2 of their own which are more expensive. Interested to see the difference once this rain dies down.

Hanging around for another week sight seeing and a bit of family history.

I had a great time at Glen Innes.. The field trip to the Emerald Mine was good. Rose Meadow was a beautiful spot. I cleaned a large crack out in the bed rock for 1 tiny sapphire. Ran my little sluice, brought all the cons home. Last field trip was to Sheep Station Creek, no luck with the sapphires. Went to Billabong Blue and filled a pill bottle full. Even got a wagon wheel star sapphire. Fantastic place, well worth the money.
Minerama was awesome. So much to see.
Glen Innes is situated amongst such beautiful country.. There is plenty of grass in the surrounding paddocks.
Caught the tail end of the storm on the way home.
Overall it was a fantastic trip, even though the field trips werent too successful, and had a sleepless night in the Fossickers Caravan Park.
Cherokee.

I have to agree with you Cherokee, I also had a great time at Glen Innes. I found it to be a great little country town. I did hear that it can get a tad bit cold in winter though.... The Emerald mine was great, I was more than happy with my finds especially the 26ct Topaz. Spoke with Steve (mine owner) who was very passionate about his mine and the area. He was more than happy for us to return anytime to camp and speck on the mine. Rose Meadow was a disappointment to say the least. I understand that Minerama had some new areas this year with Rose Meadow being one of them, but I very doubt that the area had not been worked in the recent past, well the area that had been designated anyway. Also went to Billabong Blue on the Saturday. Found some Sapphires but none that were worth cutting. Stopped off at Seven Oaks on the way back to Glen Innes and grabbed a few bags of wash to take home. All in all, I would say that at this stage I am planning another trip next year, even if it is just to get some more boulder opal.....lol.

Hello Gents

Still in GI and did my second run to the mullock heaps at Stannifer, finding a few quartz jelly beans, washing them back at the Fossickers caravan Park, Will post pics when cleaned. Local guy suggested boiling the quartz in an aluminium pan/saucepan for a cupla hours to remove the red clay, also add some detergent, found some small smokey quartz. Heading to Deepwater tomorrow for lunch and hope to visit the emerald mine on Saturday for a scratch around, Sadly no sign of Sapphires as yet. Taking 3 bags of wash from the Caravan park home to share sieving with family.

I am always hopeful of a good find on every outing.

ray

Well, Back home now from a great 10 days of Fun... It was great to catch-up with a few PA members... Even though I missed a few too Riley, Beeza, Willo1 and Gilly47, hope you had a great time at your first Minerama.. and that you found some nice goodies.....Riley, Beeza and Willo1 sorry we missed each other, I get stuck looking after other peoples stalls sometimes(Toilet break they say ) but I heard you guys had a good time... Hope the maps helped Beeza and Willo1 and I heard about your Stone... Lucky you :Y: ... and let me know when you plan to return and We will get together then....
Gilly47 (Ray) I think you had an Expensive Minnerama... :lol:
You now have a good starting point in the World of Lapidary.... and a lighter wallet as well... :lol:

Overall the Event was a bit quieter than previous years... and they really need to come up with some Better Locations for Field Trips... I heard that a few were not too good this year...

LoneWolf....

Well gents, Its raining.

Went to Deepwater for a burger yesterday, was warned they were a substantial size, Just had a plain burger and it took both hands to hold it, sat under a tree on a bench and the weather was excellent, watched a few truckies and tradies stop at the Bakery for lunch as well,

After lunch we decided to drive to the border and have a cuppa, met with a lot of rain just before Tenterfield so we kept on to Stanthorpe for a little shopping spree, Me and the dog stayed in the car. After about 1/2 an hour it started to pour with rain.

Gunna head up to the Emmaville Mine Museum shortly, don't think there will be any fossicking today, although there will be plenty of ground washed clean.

ray

Hey Lonewolf,
Was a good trip for me and Willo1, found a few stones but nothing to get to excited about. Tried catching up with you a few times with no luck but we understand. Next time. Ran out of time to put those maps to good use but another trip is definitely on the cards. Thanks again. Now back to work and reality, lol.
Cheers
Matt

It was an interesting experience being recognised by a few people that's for sure I assume you'll have a good chance of being there again next year Lonewolf so maybe then our paths will connect. I think it's pretty funny though that my best stones came out of the four wash bags I brought home. The caravan park wash is strange because they just chuck a bunch of random stuff into the wash so as well as getting sapphires/zircons I got few bits of opal, waterworn quartz, tumbled garnet and even a bit of peridot on matrix..? :lol: A 12ct very dark but unfractured sapphire from 7oaks and a fairly clean striped 6ct or so yellowy-green sapphire from the caravan park wash. Expect the unexpected 8)