FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[am mizunaka]

One more quartz for California.

[Pete Modreski]

I've really been enjoying all these pictures, thanks to all who have been posting them. Love the benitoites! And sure, the tourmalines too.

[Jordi Fabre]

[Paul Bordovsky]

Here is my contribution to the California thread. Himalaya mine, 65 x 33 mm.

I originally thought this was a Afghani tourmaline. It was my second year to visit Tucson, and I was in trading mode. Needless to say, my enthusiasm for minerals was far in excess of my knowledge of minerals and localities. I negotiated with a Pakistani dealer for this specimen and a couple of small, double terminated kunzites......in exchange for a suite of small Australian cognac diamonds, a couple of fire agate cabochons, and little bit of cash.

It was only when I was walking away that I looked at the label and realized this was a California specimen. I always wondered who he had traded with....... Bill Larson, or Jesse Fisher?

[rweaver]

If your forget about the gem minerals from San Diego County, I consider this Baryte to be the best mineral from the county. This was self collected by Frank Knechtel and Leo Horensky back in the mid 60's It came from a geode located in the valley long since overgrow by houses. It came into my collection when Frank passed away many years ago.

[rweaver]

one more odd one from California. This was self collected in the late 60's from a wash bank. It was found by luck since nothing was showing where I sat down. I was just moving dirt around when I uncoverd a pile of these. This is the best one that I kept. Never did find that spot again.

[Grant Gibson]

Here is my contribution to this thread.

[Jim Prentiss]

Hello Everyone,

I am adding a few specimens today, with a little redundancy.

See ya later,

jimp

[Jordi Fabre]

An Andradite, variety Topazolite, from Yellow Cat Mine.

[Joaquin Montoro]

A recent acquisition...

[Tobi]

Rubellite from Stewart Mine:

[am mizunaka]

My benitoite tree from California.

[GneissWare]

This specimen has an interesting history...Found by Louis Spalding and traded in 1990 to Bill Larsen; Bill sold it in 1991 to Andreas Guhr (Hamburg, Germany); Andreas Guhr sold it to Cal Graeber (California) in 2004.

It consists of numerous Alpine-type, gemmy, transparent, light smoky Quartz crystals with a slightly tabular habit are resting in a bed of snowy Albite. Two black lustrous Schorl crystals, one fully terminated measuring 42 x 18 mm, and the other measuring 22 mm across are nestled in the Albite. This Schorl is not terminated -- it was broken during pocket growth. Many lustrous, gemmy, red-orange Spessartine garnets, the largest measuring 19 x 17 mm provide notable accents. Small Spessartines form inclusions within some Quartz crystals.

[am mizunaka]

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[GneissWare]

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