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G'day Emerald, I've found Lamberts to be quite honest, they always send back reject stones. They do a reasonable job on stones that are not worth cutting here. To be honest though I don't think any of the stones in your pic will cut a gemstone, do you have more stones to send as well?

http://www.lambertgems.com/
 
Hi Heatho,

Thanks for the link, I've heard from them.

Right now I am not sending anything as I wanna wait and see if I find anything bigger, wish me luck :)

They might be able to cut some of them, we will see - the stones have sentimental value to me..

Cheers mate!
 
If you keep at it you should get some cutters from there, Oberon sapphires can have outstanding colour and clarity but are generally pretty small at Sapphire Bend, though occasional bigger ones are found there too.
 
I know I wasn't that lucky, but it was my first time up there and I kind of liked it although it was hard work..

The area had been commercially mined for a short period and only one company was allowed to do that.

The lady from the tourist info place showed me a picture with a guy holding a gold pan full of blue sapphires, that was basically what they had found.

I wish I could show you that picture but I forgot to copy it :-(

Will do next time whenever it is..
 
These are some small peices of opal i collected from Andamooka noodling area.
I need to learn how to cut and polish the larger peices but for now i am happy just to keep collecting them. This may be something i try later in life, the misses says i have enough hobbies already. :p

1480837170_20161204_174337-2656x1494.jpg


Keen to noodle if anyone is from mooka but i only go to the public area currently
 
Had a win out digging today! Stumbled upon a soccer ball sized vug loaded with cassiterite, topaz and quartz tips. Some of the bigger topaz have amazing honey colour but are to included to cut 8.(

Only got 2 cutters. But considering this was the first decent vug I have ever found it was a real pleasure to sit there and empty out the clay bit by bit. Sadly, I wasted nearly 3 hours chipping a away a foot of rock all around the emptied vug in hope of find more. Looks like it was a one off.

1482912239_img_3453_640x572.jpg

1482912258_img_3465_480x640.jpg


The Cutters

1482912294_img_3467_484x640.jpg

1482912307_img_3468_620x640.jpg


Some Tin

1482912332_img_3461_640x514.jpg

1482912344_img_3464_640x474.jpg
 
Closer to Rylstone from memory. There are old stream gravels on a hillside that have been worked for pebbles of waterworn metacinnabarite (a red mercury mineral).
 
SneakyCuttlefish said:
Had a win out digging today! Stumbled upon a soccer ball sized vug loaded with cassiterite, topaz and quartz tips. Some of the bigger topaz have amazing honey colour but are to included to cut 8.(

Only got 2 cutters. But considering this was the first decent vug I have ever found it was a real pleasure to sit there and empty out the clay bit by bit. Sadly, I wasted nearly 3 hours chipping a away a foot of rock all around the emptied vug in hope of find more. Looks like it was a one off.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/3340/1482912239_img_3453_640x572.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/3340/1482912258_img_3465_480x640.jpg

The Cutters

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/3340/1482912294_img_3467_484x640.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/3340/1482912307_img_3468_620x640.jpg

Some Tin

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/3340/1482912332_img_3461_640x514.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/3340/1482912344_img_3464_640x474.jpg

Well done, nice result from that dig.
 
Just "roughing" 2016 to a smokey close

1483160091_img_0696.jpg


Edit: Looks like I am too remote for photo to load.... :(

Will need to share one when I get closer to town 8)
 
Ducked up to Glen Inness and am trying a new spot.

Mostly quartz bearing with some nice smokey and a few topaz. About a dozen small bottom decker sapphires but some green and yellow mixed in with the blues. Back out this morning to see if I can find bigger ones :D

When R U heading north?
 
Wally69 said:
Ducked up to Glen Inness and am trying a new spot.

Mostly quartz bearing with some nice smokey and a few topaz. About a dozen small bottom decker sapphires but some green and yellow mixed in with the blues. Back out this morning to see if I can find bigger ones :D

When R U heading north?

Ahh very nice mate, will be heading up hopefully next weekend for a week, Alex is heading up a couple of days beforehand I think, Barney said he might head up with me depending on work. Really looking forward to it.

How long are you staying up there?
 
Met 2017 with a few black tourmaline crystals, some topaz cutters and a few more smokey jelly beans. :D

A few storms starting to form now but hope to get the chance to try a few other spots before heading home tomorrow.

Hope you guys get some nice stones for Barney to do some more magic.
 
Onya Wally, hope you get some more nice stones tomorrow too. Be good to see a pic of the final haul when you get a chance.

Hope so too mate, he certainly does a great job on them, I love the colour on that one he cut for me the other day, you don't see many that exact colour.
 
Well spotted Heath, it is just under 8ct.

Unfortunately it has a flaw right through the middle of it, so was thinking about free-form polishing it to sit in a pendant as a freak of nature.
 

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