Raining gemstones

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Nice fresh gems for the taking, just got to set up a few +5ct sieves beside the sea and collect every day, I could easily become a gem farmer. :rainbow:

After visiting some of the older lava flows and finding some olivine scattered around myself, it was the first thing I though of when I heard that the eruptions had started again. :p at the time I was thinking the big ones had been picked up already and you would need to get yourself a big bag of marshmallows and wait for the flow to cool enough to get in to the action.

If anyone is planning a trip out there, could you grab me a couple of handfuls. {)
 
Extreme fossicking! :eek: :D Damn fascinating though!

Love to have been there when the volcanoes up and down eastern Australia were spitting up sapphires, run around and catch em!

While dodging magma globs, red-hot boulders, choking ash and toxic gases :cool:
 
StoneTheCrows said:
Got it.
Can you get olivine in australia?
Click to expand...

Yes, it is quite common as most basalt (lava flows), and their eroded deposits will have olivine, although finding gem quality stones of a decent size is alway a challenge.

I have picked up a few in the Oberon and Nundle districts myself by taking a close look at basalt outcrops imbedded in basalt as single enveloped crystals or in geode like clusters. The single crystals have been larger in my specimens but extracting them is an issue as I have been splitting the basalt and shattering the stones, unless they were cracked in the cooling process.

I have a few rocks put aside that I would like to run through a saw at some stage to see if I can extract some decent stones.
 
tailormarc said:
anywhere in W.A ? I know Bunbury back back has alot of basalt from lava flows . Lots of small bits of quartz in it though
Click to expand...

Haven't heard of any Marc but here is the geostat map of the Perth Area

Zoom in/out function in the top left hand corner. Click on different coloured areas of the map and it will tell you what kind of geology is represented by that particular coloured patch. Looks like big patches just behind Perth share a few similarities with the geology of the area we find the amethyst and smoky crystals here.

You can zoom out and pan around and find out more about the geology of the spot you find those nice clear quartz crystals as well.
 
tailormarc said:
anywhere in W.A ? I know Bunbury back back has alot of basalt from lava flows . Lots of small bits of quartz in it though
Click to expand...
From memory Bunbury has tholeiitic basalt - probably the wrong type. You want olivine basalt.
 
Lefty said:
tailormarc said:
anywhere in W.A ? I know Bunbury back back has alot of basalt from lava flows . Lots of small bits of quartz in it though
Click to expand...

Haven't heard of any Marc but here is the geostat map of the Perth Area

Zoom in/out function in the top left hand corner. Click on different coloured areas of the map and it will tell you what kind of geology is represented by that particular coloured patch. Looks like big patches just behind Perth share a few similarities with the geology of the area we find the amethyst and smoky crystals here.

You can zoom out and pan around and find out more about the geology of the spot you find those nice clear quartz crystals as well.
Click to expand...
The appropriate basalts are pretty much east coast Australia, caused by a hot spot causing flows between North Queensland and Western Victoria.
 
Wally69 said:
StoneTheCrows said:
Got it.
Can you get olivine in australia?
Click to expand...

Yes, it is quite common as most basalt (lava flows), and their eroded deposits will have olivine, although finding gem quality stones of a decent size is alway a challenge.

I have picked up a few in the Oberon and Nundle districts myself by taking a close look at basalt outcrops imbedded in basalt as single enveloped crystals or in geode like clusters. The single crystals have been larger in my specimens but extracting them is an issue as I have been splitting the basalt and shattering the stones, unless they were cracked in the cooling process.

I have a few rocks put aside that I would like to run through a saw at some stage to see if I can extract some decent stones.
Click to expand...

Ahh I found these amongst some basalt , thought they were broken glass till I had a closer look , but did not know what they were

1529111243_b78a9c63-7c98-4554-b945-cc03da9587d6.jpg
 
That is the right stuff - the most prized peridot (olivine) are a pure green with hardly any brownish tinge at all.
 
Nice handful Danny :cool: Looks like you have a few good cutters

What district did you pull those ones from?
 
Wally69 said:
Nice handful Danny :cool: Looks like you have a few good cutters

What district did you pull those ones from?
Click to expand...

Cains hinterland Wally ,about 2 years ago , picked a jar full and forgot about them until this post
 
Danny13 said:
Wally69 said:
Nice handful Danny :cool: Looks like you have a few good cutters

What district did you pull those ones from?
Click to expand...

Cains hinterland Wally ,about 2 years ago , picked a jar full and forgot about them until this post
Click to expand...

Darn, was hoping for NSW, sounds a heck of a lot easier than trying to cut them out of the host rock :D :lol: :D :rainbow:
 

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