Some finds from Lowmead
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Hey Ben,get in line mate. I got first dibs on the comissions 
You are doing very well for a "Beginner" Lefty,it must be in your blood to facet.
I have a nice Smokey quartz from Proston for you,I reckon it will cut at least a 50ct stone.Will send it tomorrow with the Garnets.
Richard
You are doing very well for a "Beginner" Lefty,it must be in your blood to facet.
I have a nice Smokey quartz from Proston for you,I reckon it will cut at least a 50ct stone.Will send it tomorrow with the Garnets.
Richard
Bundy Ben
Ben
Haha, sorry KTMman, I will gladly wait my turn.
I have just got my hands on some more goodies from the back of an old shed being cleared out. Few pieces of chrysoprase amongst it too. I should really get my act together and start learning myself. I found a few (what looks like topaz) when cleaning out me dads shed when he died earlier in the year. Should get them cut.
As for lowmead, will see if I can sneak back up there this weekend. Better build up some brownie points -_-
I have just got my hands on some more goodies from the back of an old shed being cleared out. Few pieces of chrysoprase amongst it too. I should really get my act together and start learning myself. I found a few (what looks like topaz) when cleaning out me dads shed when he died earlier in the year. Should get them cut.
As for lowmead, will see if I can sneak back up there this weekend. Better build up some brownie points -_-
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Getting closer to convincing the family to come digging - young bloke is spending the weekend at a mate's place and his mate now wants to come digging, as do his mother and brothers. But my young blokes fossicking motivation is still restricted to "Minecraft online", a place where you can dig all day yet never get tired, sweaty and dirty and always come away with truckloads of gems. I told him if they were really that easy to find in huge quantities they would be uninteresting and worthless.
Dad was always into gold and gemstones, auntie has now been bitten by the bug (she always did like going out to Rubyvale anyway) and with young blokes mate and wife's friend wanting to go the chances of getting them out there are getting better
Dad was always into gold and gemstones, auntie has now been bitten by the bug (she always did like going out to Rubyvale anyway) and with young blokes mate and wife's friend wanting to go the chances of getting them out there are getting better
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There's no cure for fosssicking Ben - once you have contracted the condition it's with you for the rest of your days
When my grandfather passed away, dad and uncle cleared out his shed - there were literally drums and drums of everything slabbable, cabbable and facetable you could imagine. Too bad I wasn't that much into it at the time and much of the stuff was given away.
When my grandfather passed away, dad and uncle cleared out his shed - there were literally drums and drums of everything slabbable, cabbable and facetable you could imagine. Too bad I wasn't that much into it at the time and much of the stuff was given away.
Bundy Ben
Ben
So true Lefty...
I can still remember running a tough deal with opal buyers when I was about 8, trying to trade a $5 piece of rough for a $100 cut stone from GQ. Needless to say, I only ever won 3 of those. It did pay for my 1st 3-speed dragster pushin though & at $90 (about 1978) that was a huge deal.
Needless to say, since then I have spent fortunes that have never been returned in dollar value but certainly returned in the mate ship, memories, enjoyment of the bush & discoveries made.
I ended up with a blended family of 5 kids that certainly slowed my ways (so I took up buying gems) but now we are back to one real dependant....woohoooo. Gotta say, really enjoying firing all my gear back up and really get back into it.
After just running through 4 teen-ragers I can understand your methods of persuasion.... Haha. Good days when they come along and experience it.. Especially if they make a few finds as well. Bust of luck
I can still remember running a tough deal with opal buyers when I was about 8, trying to trade a $5 piece of rough for a $100 cut stone from GQ. Needless to say, I only ever won 3 of those. It did pay for my 1st 3-speed dragster pushin though & at $90 (about 1978) that was a huge deal.
Needless to say, since then I have spent fortunes that have never been returned in dollar value but certainly returned in the mate ship, memories, enjoyment of the bush & discoveries made.
I ended up with a blended family of 5 kids that certainly slowed my ways (so I took up buying gems) but now we are back to one real dependant....woohoooo. Gotta say, really enjoying firing all my gear back up and really get back into it.
After just running through 4 teen-ragers I can understand your methods of persuasion.... Haha. Good days when they come along and experience it.. Especially if they make a few finds as well. Bust of luck
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Shades of Lowmead....
From the left, light pinkish-purple (there is actually facetable material in this very cracked looking piece), light to mid purple and a much deeper purple.
Other shades I have seen there include varying degrees of smokey purple, grey smokey, tan smokey, colourless and a brilliant orange citrine which I am always trying to find a facetable bit of - no luck so far on that one.
From the left, light pinkish-purple (there is actually facetable material in this very cracked looking piece), light to mid purple and a much deeper purple.
Other shades I have seen there include varying degrees of smokey purple, grey smokey, tan smokey, colourless and a brilliant orange citrine which I am always trying to find a facetable bit of - no luck so far on that one.
That is a good picture to gee you up for a dig Sunday.
Hope that elusive orange cutter turns up.
Hope that elusive orange cutter turns up.
Bundy Ben
Ben
Wow, looks great Lefty, nice work.
Hello everyone, I've just joined the forum and this is my first post. I've lived in Gladstone for the last five years but before that Cooktown for 15 years where I was quite an enthusiastic rock hound. Gladstone area is quite bleak in the way of good gem bearing locations from what I have found. I havnt been to Lowmead yet but wondering wether it's worth it as from what I've read about the place it's been hammered. Also, and I know this is "off topic" as per the thread topic but I was wondering wether anyone had any info on the garnets to be found in Diglum Ck, just SW of Calliope?
Bundy Ben
Ben
Wrasse42 said:
G'day Wrasse,
Welcome aboard. Firstly, Lowmead has been worked over but still small patches to be found. The general area appears to have a Quartz crystals spreading over a bigger area but most is on private property... So if you kniw anyone down that way, hit them up for a look. The local emporium here in Bundy has just stocked up with about 5kg of assorted clear, opaque, smokey and a few amethyst crystals & were being sold as "locally found" when I asked him if they were from Lowmead way he said that they were & that they had come off a private property. Biggest were about 13 x 4 x 4cm, average quality but I know I would be bloody happy to find them.
As for Dilgum creek... Unknown to me, but over the years of poking around (looking mostly for gold), I have heard rumours of garnets, the rare sapphire & zircons from Calliope to Mundubberra. I have only recently started looking for gems as well & will gladly pass on info if I find anything..
Thanks Silver and thanks Bundy Bear! The survey report I found on Diglum Ck had a detailed map to go with it but I had to search the Qld Dept of Mines site to find it. Took me over an hour after going through all the surveys but finally found it. I can't post photos yet as I need to post 10 times but it shoes the exact locations of where the garnet bearing rock is. I'm heading out there on Saturday so I'll let you know how I go. Apparently the granite is very decomposed and the garnets found were in abundant pockets so sounds like easy digging. They are androsite garnets but as to what colour I have no idea. As to Lowmead will definitely have to go for a poke around there soon as well.
Bundy Ben
Ben
Sounds like your well & truly onto it... Best of luck for the weekend.
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G'day Wrasse.
Yes, our area is pretty bleak for fossicking opportunities. The geology is pretty ideal and my belief is that there is plenty of Gemmy stuff in the region, it's simply that there is no access to any of it.
There are old records of sapphires, zircons, garnets, topaz and other things but the exact localities are lost in history. I hadn't heard of garnets in Diglum creek but It wouldn't surprise me if they do exist. Not sure where Diglum creek is but the name rings a bell.
Lowmead is the sole location where you can fossick, it is heavily dug over but not dug out and worth a look. I usually take something home from there at least.
Cheers
Yes, our area is pretty bleak for fossicking opportunities. The geology is pretty ideal and my belief is that there is plenty of Gemmy stuff in the region, it's simply that there is no access to any of it.
There are old records of sapphires, zircons, garnets, topaz and other things but the exact localities are lost in history. I hadn't heard of garnets in Diglum creek but It wouldn't surprise me if they do exist. Not sure where Diglum creek is but the name rings a bell.
Lowmead is the sole location where you can fossick, it is heavily dug over but not dug out and worth a look. I usually take something home from there at least.
Cheers
