Hello everyone, I've recently become interested in prospecting and was wondering if you can find any gemstones or minerals in Mildura
Where? I would have thought that very unlikely close to Mildura, given the complete absence of volcanic or intrusive rocks in the area.Theduke said:Theres been Zircon hits south of there, best bet is try doing some local research ie library for old articles and see what you can find
Agreed - you would probably be best going north into the Broken Hill region where there is a wide range of gemstones because of all the granites and crystalline rocks (beryl, garnets, tourmaline to name but a few).Lefty said:Unfortunately, the area doesn't look very promising for gemstones from my understanding https://macrostrat.org/map-raster/#11/-34.1476/-217.8781
It appears to be all sedimentary-type stuff or at least nothing that resembles volcanics. No intrusives such as granite.
The area to the west and north-west looks more interesting but it could be quite some distance - the area around Mildura looks to be the wrong geology for gemstones for hundreds of km in all directions, unfortunately.
I believe there's been some nice quartz crystal specimens found somewhere out the back of Adelaide, though from memory when we used to visit the in-laws near Whyalla, Mildura to Adelaide is a fair hike.
goldierocks said:Lefty said:Unfortunately, the area doesn't look very promising for gemstones from my understanding https://macrostrat.org/map-raster/#11/-34.1476/-217.8781
It appears to be all sedimentary-type stuff or at least nothing that resembles volcanics. No intrusives such as granite.
The area to the west and north-west looks more interesting but it could be quite some distance - the area around Mildura looks to be the wrong geology for gemstones for hundreds of km in all directions, unfortunately.
I believe there's been some nice quartz crystal specimens found somewhere out the back of Adelaide, though from memory when we used to visit the in-laws near Whyalla, Mildura to Adelaide is a fair hike.
https://macrostrat.org/map-raster/#8/-31.938/-215.491Broken Hill Group
Age: Paleoproterozoic (2500 - 1600 Ma)
Stratigraphic name: Broken Hill Group
Description: Metasediments, garnetiferous quartzo-feldspathic gneiss, amphibolite, minor garnet and gahnite-rich rocks, banded iron formation
Comments: high grade metamorphic rock; synthesis of multiple published descriptions
Lithology: high grade metamorphic rock
There is even a beryl street (a mine there provided the beryllium for the first space race from a mine in pegmatite).Lefty said:Yes, the area up toward Broken Hill caught my attention...
https://macrostrat.org/map-raster/#8/-31.938/-215.491Broken Hill Group
Age: Paleoproterozoic (2500 - 1600 Ma)
Stratigraphic name: Broken Hill Group
Description: Metasediments, garnetiferous quartzo-feldspathic gneiss, amphibolite, minor garnet and gahnite-rich rocks, banded iron formation
Comments: high grade metamorphic rock; synthesis of multiple published descriptions
Lithology: high grade metamorphic rock
We also used to go through Broken Hill from central QLD to SA sometimes - I recall that the mining museum in Broken Hill had an awesome mineral display!
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