Fossicking Pegmatites and Granite Deposits

Hi
I'm fairly new to this and inexperienced in fossicking however I've been reading up on pegmatites and minerals within granite deposits. I live on a property with granite outcropping and granite boulders and I would love to look around but really have no idea what to do in terms of looking for a good dig spot, where, and how to dig/fossick. I'm in NE Victoria around the Beechworth/Mt Pilot area which I believe has had some good deposits although obviously it is dependant on lots of factors. It would be great to at least start looking, and potentially find stuff on my own property so any advice will be welcome.
In addition, if I wish to fossick on public land etc, what permitting is required?
Appreciate your advice for a newbie!

Hi Geojade. re searching techniques in granite. I have done a lot of fossicking in granite for pegmatites. Finding a small mineralised zone in granite can give you a treasure casket of crystals. I like to walk around with a pick and look for quartz coming out on a slope and following it up slope and looking for a vein. Concentrations of quartz and soil colour change can point to where the main blob of pegmatite concentration is. You will do a lot of test dig holes. I have found some great pockets of smokey and amethyst crystals in small hourglass shaped pockets. Binoculars are useful to look at slopes for signs of quartz.

Sometimes Geological maps will tell you if pegmatites occur in the description of the granite. The maps can point you to different granite batholiths so you can check out some different aged granites and increase your chances of finding one with pegmatite zones.

Big slabs of granite can sometimes have circular moss patches on crystal pockets. I tap my pick on any likely looking moss patch and have found some nice cavities up to 1/2 metre wide and 1.5 metres deep with loose crystals still sitting at the bottom of them.

In really rotted granite areas it gets harder and track cuttings and erosion gullies are the go if there is not much outcropped bedrock areas to check out.

As for beechworth Many years ago in the granite near Wooraggi creek? I found some smokeys on slopes and a few small crystals in veins in bedrock (need chisel and hammer).

Best of luck, Cheers RDD

Years ago I had the good luck to find a crystal lined vug down on Reedy Crk. I scooped out what I could using my hand but had to get a soup ladle as I was up to my shoulder in the hole. There were a lot of small sharp crystals still lining the walls and it was pretty hard on my arms etc.

Thank you so much RedDirtDigger and Jethro! :Y: :lol:

Hi geojade, I'm not an expert and have only been looking at pegmatites for the last couple of months. Mostly all I find is... pegmatite. But then yesterday I found a beryl crystal, so don't give up and just keep looking. My theory is start anywhere, and if you don't find anything there then try somewhere else until you do. Do some research on what has been found in your area in the past so you know what you're looking for. It seems a lot of pegmatite just doesn't have anything in it, but then sometimes it does. A bit like gold in quartz- a lot of quartz just doesn't have gold in it, but sometimes it does. So be prepared to look at lots of pegmatite. Pick, hammer and chisel come in handy. Hoping someone else can give some more useful information! Yesterday's find: