⭐ Gemstone & Mineral Show n Tell

[Macinverts]

For the above, is the first pic an agate? David

 

[Piep]

It's sometimes hard to tell, but I think the first pic is actually quartz. The big white one in your last 2 look like quartz as well.
I'm curious about the purple stone between your sapphires, any chance we can get a pic of that one alone for my viewing pleasure? I'm loving the colour.

 

[Nordnugget]

Hi,
I love this colour too. It is maybe a Turmalina ?
Jens

 

[Heatho]

Definitely a bunch of Sapphires and Zircons, one next to the Sapphs is Quartz most likely.

Yeah close up on the Sapphs please and a separate pic of the Pinky/Purple one.

Nice stones.

 

[Macinverts]

Thank you Piep, NordNugget and Heatho. Identifying stuff out there is tricky so I appreciate your help! David

 

[snail]

Nice stones everyone! That purple one is a really unique colour.

 

[Greg&Nat]

What about the sky blue stone.......any ideas folks?

 

[Heatho]

Thank you Piep, NordNugget and Heatho. Identifying stuff out there is tricky so I appreciate your help! Davidhttps://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/3662/1409870176_colours_close_up.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/3662/1409870176_gem_colours.jpg

No worries at all David, Blues are Sapphires for sure, Pink one is a Pink Sapphire/Ruby most likely, light Pinky one at the top is probably a Zircon and the white clear one next to it I'm not sure, probably Quartz.

Green one I'm not too sure either, maybe a Sapphire also.

Colour of that Pink Sapphire is very nice.

All the best, hope to see some more pics of your adventures.

 

[Lefty]

All I can say about that purple-pink one is....if only it wasn't bigger

Some very pretty stones there.

 

[Piep]

I'm loving the purple-pink one and agree with heatho, probs a ruby, but that has to be decided by experts. The exact colour decides wether it's a pink sapphire or a ruby.
http://www.gemnation.com/base?processor=getPage&pageName=ruby_color

 

[Heatho]

All I can say about that purple-pink one is....if only it wasn't bigger

Some very pretty stones there.

Yeah, if it were a few carats it would be a very nice cutter.

 

[Macinverts]

Thanks guys! Am fairly certain, also, that the pink one is a pink sapphire. Have just got back from camping overnight and found a few more blues - and others. Will post pics soon. And yes, Heatho. A few carats would be nice for that one!

 

[Varts]

Haven't been out for ages , :|

 

[ktmman]

Cheers Richard.

With agates it's always a lucky dip - I was excited when I went into the club last night, I had a heap of that material from the Fitzroy to saw up. But I spent all night sawing rocks and found very little that was any good for cabbing. A few things that will look interesting done on the flat lap and put in a rock cabinet. A quite pretty little nodule of pink and white banded agate that would have been a nice cab - but for a crack running right up the guts.

I'm not surprised you find agate around Bundy, all that old volcanic activity that created all that nice rich farming soil. I've heard of Windera, where exactly is it?

Next weekend I'll head down to Lowmead for a dig. There's still some good amethyst there if you work for it.

Cheers.

Hey Lefty,wish i had of seen this earlier,would of come up for a dig with you at Lowmead.
I am a little unsure of the exact location of the amethyst dig. I've seen the old mudmaps but am having a hard time seeing the exact spot on Google maps.
How did you go down there the other weekend?

Windera is about an hour and a half drive south westish of Childers. Found some really nice pieces of agate and chalcedony.
Having lots of fun cutting them up at the club.

 

[Kingsolomon]

Thank you Piep, NordNugget and Heatho. Identifying stuff out there is tricky so I appreciate your help! Davidhttps://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/3662/1409870176_colours_close_up.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/3662/1409870176_gem_colours.jpg

Oooh ... Mudgee stone ! ... Pity they don't come bigger from there .. Congrats , lovely colors there ...

 

[Kingsolomon]

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/1229/1410093067_image.jpg

Haven't been out for ages , :|

It's getting warmer my friend... lets catch up soon .

 

[Lefty]

Cheers Richard.

With agates it's always a lucky dip - I was excited when I went into the club last night, I had a heap of that material from the Fitzroy to saw up. But I spent all night sawing rocks and found very little that was any good for cabbing. A few things that will look interesting done on the flat lap and put in a rock cabinet. A quite pretty little nodule of pink and white banded agate that would have been a nice cab - but for a crack running right up the guts.

I'm not surprised you find agate around Bundy, all that old volcanic activity that created all that nice rich farming soil. I've heard of Windera, where exactly is it?

Next weekend I'll head down to Lowmead for a dig. There's still some good amethyst there if you work for it.

Cheers.

Hey Lefty,wish i had of seen this earlier,would of come up for a dig with you at Lowmead.
I am a little unsure of the exact location of the amethyst dig. I've seen the old mudmaps but am having a hard time seeing the exact spot on Google maps.
How did you go down there the other weekend?

Windera is about an hour and a half drive south westish of Childers. Found some really nice pieces of agate and chalcedony.
Having lots of fun cutting them up at the club.

I didn't get a great deal Richard, though looking closely at some of the bits I got I think a skillful cutter might be able to facet a small stone from a couple of them. No good-sized complete crystals though plenty of smaller ones and literally hundreds of fully-formed baby crystals too small to do anything with. A couple of the bits have been broken out of crystals that would have been a good inch or more in diameter - the bigger and better ones are definately there and one of the members of our club who goes there regularly has a pretty good collection of them.

As usual, the camera refuses to see what the eye sees - these bits look opaque in the photo but are actually crystal clear.

There's facetable amethyst of varying shades, clear quartz, smokey quartz, dark smokey amethyst there and citrine as well though I don't know if any of the citrine is facetable.

Two ways to get there from Bundy. One way is the 1770-Agnes water road that goes past the Avondale pub - I can't give you exact distances but you drive until you are getting not too far from the Fingerboard road turnoff to Miriam Vale and turn into Gorge road. It becomes mostly dirt but isn't too bad. It comes out at the Lowmead school - Lowmead township is a few km to left, turn right to get to the diggings. Probably only about 5 or 6 kms and there is a turnoff to the left just in front of a railway bridge that crosses the road - it's called Clarke's road. Drive down it for probably less than 5 kms (you should see a sign nailed to a tree - Clarkey's petrol-head paradise ) and if you look carefully you will begin to see old diggings on either side of the road. You can pull up and dig pretty much anywhere as far as I know.

The other way would be to go out to the Bruce highway and turn in at the Granite creek rest area - I've never been that way but it takes you straight to Lowmead township as far as I know.

I'm going back down on Saturday, taking the big throw sieve this time - might catch you there

 

[richo966]

best weather is now no flies not to hot just right had a great day out today got a tan found a few sapphires my wife still found bigger and better stone than me today had a great time get out and get em people

 

[Lefty]

Bit more stuff I scratched up there.....

Smokey with purple tints...

The bright purple amethyst might look better faceted but I reckon some of the dark smokey and smokey amethyst would lend itself to being cabbed.

 

[ktmman]

They look like some nice little pieces there Lefty.
Thanks for the directions.sounds pretty simple to get to.
Don't think i will get a chance to get up that way till at least Sunday week,but seeing your finds is certainly getting me gee'd up
to get out there for sure