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Prospecting Australia

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G'day, I'm new to this forum and I'm looking to do a few small day trips to ballarat in search of facetable sized gemstones. I've heard some talk about amethyst, garnet, citrine, sapphire, coloured quartz, topaz, emerald and also zircons. Does anyone have any ideas of where a beginner, like myself could possibly find some decent sized stones to work with? Any specific creeks or places I should be looking at targeting? Thanks
 
Welcome Rocky38, if it was that easy We ALL would be doing it... :D
By just doing some research and leg-work, you may be lucky and find something to work with...

LW....
 
Just as an example: in the last 2 years I have fossicked in the snowy mountains near tumbarumba and found pin head size saphs and zircon, went to oberon and too wet, hit the quarry and extracted a needle thin quartz crystal. dug in Graves hill, glenalva qld and found a 3.2 ct saph. wife has been to the local shops that sell wash here in qld and has sent 20 small saphs to thailand for cutting. THATS my lot
and finally I am now using a jackhammer on a plot here in the gemfields to puncture a hole in the compacted gravel in the hope of getin a bit of colour


ray

:gemstone: :gemstone: :heart: :heart: :heart: :pickshovel: :pickshovel: :awful: :awful: :sunny: :sunny: :poop: :poop: :100:
 
Ballarat is not the best place for gems. Better by far around Daylesford-Trentham area and north from Maldon (garnet, sapphire, zircon).

amethyst, garnet, citrine, sapphire, coloured quartz, topaz, emerald and also zircons.

Garnet is fairly widespread on and near granite rocks (mainly brown to red and small). Unaware of any amethyst or citrine or other forms of coloured quartz around here (although common elsewhere in Victoria). Small blue and green sapphires (usually far too small to cut although some around Trentham have been large enough) - associated with basalts and similar lavas. Topaz rare. No emerald (or ruby) in Victoria. Zircon is the real prize in large and good quality crystals - also associated mostly with basalt lava flows.

It is horses for courses - you have to decide what stone you want and find out where it occurs. Mostly garnet, sapphire and zircon in central Victoria although topaz is known. Refer to the Gemstones in/of Victoria publications (one is Museum of Victoria by Birch and Henry, the other Derrick Stone from memory). I prefer the former, back in print from the Melbourne Museum for $29.95 + postage (on-line). An excellent place to start, with maps, numerous photos, what rock they are associated with etc. Terrific value.

https://museumsvictoria.com.au/books/science/gemstones-in-victoria/

1575328325_gemstones_of_victoria.jpg
 
Hey guys, I know Lone Wolf I've got a book of possible spots to look for gemstones and just need to make sure I know exactly where to go and what to look for or you'll be looking in the wrong area and might not find the best spots.

Yeah ray, sounds like quite a fun adventure but at least you found something to show. At the start of the year I went to tassie to see some creeks and in one of them I found so much little stuff. I found this about 10mm aqua coloured octagon prism crystal, which I think is a aquamarine also I found lots of little garnets. Unfortunately I was in a 1 hour squeeze as was a very long drive away from the hotel, wasnt expecting anything big so anything bigger than my nail I chucked away lol. I then went to the bar after and they had chunks of garnets the size of a 10 cent coin!

Thanks rockie, yeah need to grab myself a copy of that one, the only book I've got is a book by H. K. Garland called All about prospecting. Yeah, I'm wanting to do some faceting or at least have some little things to mess around with. Emerald has always been my soul favourite rock just because of its beautiful colour but if your saying its better to go for zircons so maybe I'll have a prospect around for them.
 

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