Sapphire on matrix

I found a nice specimen , wasnt sure if it had been picked up so looked with the loupe and can see smaller blue crystal have also grown ( as well as what looks like quartz/ zircon have formed as well)so pretty sure this is what these crystal have grown on , will check with my buddy to be sure but seems like the real deal , so very happy with my find.
Has anyone else found some on matrix?
Not the best pics , will update to a better one the second photo not so good but shows the colour a little better

Excellent find mate, that top photo is great. Hopefully it is the real deal. Keen to get my hands on it for a look too.

What a fantastic specimen, a very rare find indeed.

Did you drop your smokes next to it or did it bounce around in the top sieve?

Wally ... Finding an open packet of smokes ive dropped in a puddle to be pretty much dry is probably rarer than this find! Lol
Good to meet you bud , did some test holes that look promising . Can dig there next time

Nice find.

Nice find Barney. That is the first sapphire on host rock I've ever seen found in this country. I'venever found one or know of anyone who has found one in central Queensland. Apparently, a geologist once found one up here embedded in the basalt at the summit of one of the plugs that dot our field but I don't know if this is actually confirmed.

The surface of that chunk of rock looks a bit soft and "ashy" in spots.

Was talking to Barney last night Lefty and he said it was hard and heavy like an Ironstone, could be Ilmenite maybe??? Here's a list of minerals from the area.

There are heaps of rounded Iron Spinel type pebbles there, looks like one is protruding from the bottom left of the pic maybe?? My mate found a chunk of Pegmatite (I think) with a rounded Iron pebble wrapped in Quartz crystals. Very interesting place.

Looks like a trip to the Australian Museum maybe in order.

Sapphire major ore
Diamond minor ore
Ferroan Spinel minor gangue
Ilmenite minor gangue
Chromium Spinel minor gangue
Cr/Al Spinel minor gangue
Zircon minor gangu

Lefty said:

The surface of that chunk of rock looks a bit soft and "ashy" in spots.

Click to expand...

It's not soft lefty , there is other blue crystal on it too...

If you are still coming over how about we take some microscope pictures of those other littler pieces.

rough2cut said:

If you are still coming over how about we take some microscope pictures of those other littler pieces.

Click to expand...

I want to .. Might be able too.. Just got sideswipe of the ducati .. Very sore , bike written off

Hey ,I have a very small ,slice .to me looks like iron stone surrounding a blue six sided saphire ,I will try to dig it out for a pic.that top pic looks like a big mother crystal grew below that blue stone ,or maybe I m seeing things

Here's a pic with the other tiny Sapphire R2C, just below the larger one. Yeah poor Barney is pretty hammered, though he still invited me over for a look at his aweesome rock.


Another pic also which turned out ok.

Interesting to note that if it is attached to Ilmenite (Titanium-Iron Oxide) that's probably how it gained it's colour?? Makes sense to me.....

Time to trade in the bikes for a good car or army surplus tank. He'll be sorer tomorrow than today.
Go for a bike ride.....stay at home and facet? The decisions been made. Glad your still with us, very very glad.

Some say luck runs in 3 Barney

1. Find lost smokes in a recoverable state
2. Find the specimen of the century
3. Survive a ducati disaster

Although I hope you have lots more luck to come as I enjoyed the first two events, not sure how the third one fits in but I am going to say you are lucky you didn't make it to the next intersection.

Hope you have a speedy recovery.

Wally

Sorry to hear that Barney, hope you're on the mend soon.

I hit a roo heading out to the claim the other day. Or rather, the roo hit me - they are suicidal animals that just come bounding out in front with no hope at all of beating your vehicle across the road, even when they could have just turned around and gone the other way. At the last moment he started to turn and hit the drivers side door with a loud bang. Can't have been too badly hurt, I saw him hop up, shake himself off and bound away into the scrub. Dented the door a bit though not too badly. Had I been on a bike I might not have gotten off so lightly.

No good mate ,
Get well

At hospital now .. Took a downturn

On mend now... Nice day out , bet everyone's digging ! Jealous.. Be a little while for me..