Some finds from Lowmead

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What an awesome weekend that was up there,... was great to meet everyone,... Rockhound your gutsy determination brought you your just rewards,and Ktmman, your generosity knows no bounds. :D :D :D all round.
 
heya guys and happy new yr to all
i see u guys r keen to get up there for a dig in the heat we been having
great to see some nice stuff coming out and great work guys
I,ll get back up there soon when my little ute decides it wants to play ball
sounds like u all had a good get together and be good to do it again
cheers len
 
I'm mostly always up for a dig,though the weather this week has been pretty ordinary.

Once it starts cooling down a bit, I'll be back to find some bigguns like Rockhound hauled out.
 
yeh i know how u r ktmman
i only been there the one time since i saw u last nad keen to get back up there to get some colour
When it cools up a bit i reckon
 
This is about the only thing that stops me from digging - for the next couple of months the ground will be too wet more often than not. Plus the humidity will be horrid. This is when I mostly stay home and facet, cab, much around with prospecting gear and make plans for when the weather starts to get cooler and drier :) .

BTW, did anyone else notice how an area has been clearfelled and dozed just beside the dig site on Clarkes road? QTOPO seems to show that it's a houseblock, with an access coming out to the road. Doesn't look like it will interfere with the digging area, just noticed it that's all.
 
Lefty said:
This is about the only thing that stops me from digging - for the next couple of months the ground will be too wet more often than not. Plus the humidity will be horrid. This is when I mostly stay home and facet, cab, much around with prospecting gear and make plans for when the weather starts to get cooler and drier :) .

BTW, did anyone else notice how an area has been clearfelled and dozed just beside the dig site on Clarkes road? QTOPO seems to show that it's a houseblock, with an access coming out to the road. Doesn't look like it will interfere with the digging area, just noticed it that's all.
Click to expand...
Yeah lefty I was up there a couple of days ago there is a freshly cleared area with a small shed just past the diggings.Definately looks like a house block.But like you said I don't think it will interfere with the digging area. :cool:
 
Hi all went to lowmead for a few hours today.Bit hot but there was a nice breeze so not to bad.Found a nice little pocket.The bigger smoky was floating in the mid layers as I was digging down to the hard floor.The other crystals were all found together in a pocket which was quite deep into the hard floor.I never usually dig to far into the hard stuff as I have never found to much,.But I wil be from now on. :D
1457060404_img_1759.jpg
Happy with this one.
1457060480_img_1753.jpg

I thought the tip was damaged but after washing u could see it formed like that.
1457060480_img_1754.jpg
1457060531_img_1758.jpg
1457060564_img_1756.jpg

1457060564_img_1757.jpg
1457060610_img_1755.jpg
 
Hey Rockhound, some nice crystals there, love the weird ways they can grow.
Did you find some of the bigger pieces in the hard floor? I have found a few pockets in the white base, but the crystals were mostly on the smaller size,though well formed.
 
ktmman said:
Hey Rockhound, some nice crystals there, love the weird ways they can grow.
Did you find some of the bigger pieces in the hard floor? I have found a few pockets in the white base, but the crystals were mostly on the smaller size,though well formed.
Click to expand...
Found all the crystals about 8 inches into the hard floor but it wasn't that fine white hard packed stuff it was that orange decomposing granite floor.There was a heap of smaller smoky crystals some well formed mostly broken with those purple pieces mixed in with them.
 
Some nice finds there Rockhound :) I was toying with heading down early this morning but woke to the sound of rain on the roof, which put paid to that idea.

Anyway, won't be much longer and the heat will start fading and the dry will creep in - fossicking season is almost upon us.

I want to try some of the very light coloured Lowmead amethyst and smokey in this design, Star cut. Here it is in a piece of labradorite I finished yesterday. It shows a very nice flash and patterning as you move it and is well suited to low RI materials like labradorite and quartz. The designer says it looks great in very pale coloured material but is at it's absolute best in completely colourless. I think it would go very nicely in some of that very pale, almost Rose de France coloured Lowmead stuff.

25213269610_e52431f20e_c.jpg


Just whatever you do, don't follow the preforming instructions given in the diagram, they do not work and cost me many hours of wasted time :mad: . Approach cutting it in whatever way makes sense to you, even if you grind a cone-shaped preform or make a CAM preform at 52 degrees and go from there.
 
Cheers everyone :)

Here is a little light lavender-coloured Lowmead crystal, looking down the c-axis. Best yield would be a hexagon obviously but I'll try it in that Star cut. I almost don't want to touch it, it looks almost complete as it is....

25556755256_79fe7ce479_c.jpg


Nice for us Gladstonites/Bundabergites and everywhere in between to have our own local gemstone - who cares if it isn't worth big $$$?. Something always has a special quality when you find it yourself. It may be only coloured quartz but it looks great and has just the right hardness and durability for general jewellery setting. And as the photos above show, the rough stone itself can be a fantastic display case specimen, with the weird formation habit it can show.
 
Ok, it looks very nice in it's own right (can't get a photo that looks even remotely like it for some reason) but you have to look hard to see the colour. Might be better in a deeper shade and the very light-coloured stuff might be better in a deeper cut, extra depth might show a bit more colour.
 
nice pocket rockhound and some nice work their lefty
yes the cooler weather is comin on and hopefully in a month or so i,ll be back for another dig kids in toe of course
cheers len
 

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