wash layers

How far down does one need to dig to find the sapphires over 20 crts, i have dug top wash layer to find 3 crt sapphires, the biggest sapphire i have found to date has been 2 grams, 10 crts

the bigger they are the heavyer they are so the deeper you go the bigger they will get if your diging up rocks the size of ya hand they shod be in that size gravel even better if bigger and allso try behind the big rocks that you can't move thats where a lot end up just waiting for someone to come and dig them out

The big ones can be at any layer, even sitting right there on top of the ground. A lot of it comes down to luck I think. In most Sapphire fields you can just start digging down and will hit a wash layer eventually, might be 20cm down could be 20 metres down. Next time at Inverell I'm going to have a better look around some of the open pits that are dug down to the decomposing granite, get into the crevices and see what I can find.

I will be at inverell within the next month, do you think paying money at these sites is worthwhile

How far down was the top wash?

charlie123 said:

I will be at inverell within the next month, do you think paying money at these sites is worthwhile

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Only $20 a day to dig at most of the parks. Some days are better than others as anywhere, but yes worth it 100%. Heaps of other stuff to find in the area too, Beryl at Torrington. Garnets, Sapphires and Gold at Bingara. Jelly Bean Quartz crystals and other Quartz at Tingha, Diamonds around Copeton dam area.

There are a few public fossicking areas but they have been very heavilly worked. If you go to Billabong Blue send me a PM and I will give you some good info on the property and where to have a look.

A mate and I are heading up there on 22nd next month for a few days.

Good one, i did not know there was such a variety there, I would like to organise a trip to queensland around the next tuena outing 25-27, then after tuena hit inverell and glenn innes. I have friend who has just found a nice 14 crt sapphire up at inverell. If I remember i will definetly pm you a week in advance on arrival time. Thanks

well the only top wash layer i dig is at grabben and is between 200 and 500mm down, im not sure I know what i am actualy doing at wee jasper, but finding alot of zircons and 5 crt sapphires again, 200 - 500mm down but the layers are very hard to distinguish except for clay

Nothing wrong with 5ct stones Charlie, my largest good 1 from Inverell is only 6ct, but there are lot's of stones around 2-3ct, heaps. There are big ones there but same as any day fossicking, just gotta be lucky. I spoke to a bloke there last time who got a 22ct Cornflower Blue and a few others not much smaller, he was a local though and heads there regularly.

Another bloke got a 15ct stone from the creek bank when we were there too.

I'll keep heading back there every month or 2, gotta crack a big one sooner or later there.

Can someone post some pics of what types of areas in a river you should fossick in?

Should I sift through gravel bars or what?

That is my theory, play the game long enough you will find the goods, time spent at the field is experience, learning how mother nature works. Very hard when digging, I have found gem clean 3 crt sapphires, but 3 feet away absolutly nothing, amazing. Keeps me motivated

Sapphires are a precious stone for a reason

Col

Hey Heatho, I know it was awhile ago but we're up in Inverell at the moment (from Melbourne - long trip) wondering if you could pm me some spots to dig at BB? 4 days of hard digging at a couple of different locations and nothing over a carat to show for it. Don't need anything huge just a couple so the missus is happy!

There is no rule to how far u goo down . A million yrs ago a river bed may have had huge ones in it but 500,000 yrs ago it may have changed course .it would have been covered in silt and rocks. 25,000 years later it may have gone back to near its original position but this time hit and released even bigger or smaller ) gems . Who knows ? . 25, 000 yrs later u diging it , Hoping someone hase not been thru it . Good luck

It's true that sapphires have a high specific gravity and tend to settle because of this but as already mentioned, they can be anywhere from right on the surface to half way to China, regardless of their size. I saw a beautiful yellow-green parti just under 50 carats that was found right on the surface. The Black Star of Queensland is nearly the size of a hen's egg and it was found on the surface.

Nothing wrong with 5ct stones

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Absolutely! If it's a nice, reasonably clean stone with a good shape and not dark I certainly wouldn't turn my nose up at a 5 carat one. It could easily facet a nice stone of a carat or perhaps more.

Sapphirehunter said:

Hey Heatho, I know it was awhile ago but we're up in Inverell at the moment (from Melbourne - long trip) wondering if you could pm me some spots to dig at BB? 4 days of hard digging at a couple of different locations and nothing over a carat to show for it. Don't need anything huge just a couple so the missus is happy!

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Mate anywhere along the creek there should be pretty good, luck plays a bigger part than where to dig at BB, there could be decent stones pretty much anywhere there, it can be hard going. How's the ground up there? Has it dried out yet? I was going to head up last Sunday but it was closed for a few days.

Have a crack at the pile if you're not doing too well in the creek, I've seen some decent stones come out of there and found a few myself from it. Have a look around the property and go for a walk as well, I've specced quite a few decent ones there also, after all the rain they should be sparkling nicely in the sun and be quite easy to see.

Thanks Heatho, had a good dig along the creek today and got some nice colour, small stuff mainly, but a nice 3ct dogstooth which was nice! BB was closed yesterday and the day before because of the rain but it's slowly starting to dry out. Creek is still quite high according to the local guys but next week is looking good weather wise. Got two more days up here so will head back and have a good look around the property, would be nice to spec a few. The mine still isn't up and running yet so will have to come back and see it in action once Bill gets through all the red tape. Cheers for the tips!