FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Pierre Joubert]

Hi Vic. I had a chuckle at the 'tired of quartz' bit. We just came back from a wonderful quartz collecting trip! I am sorry that your trip was a wash-out. Thanks for the fascinating photos. Are those shelves in the background your's?

[vic rzonca]

I'm a partner to it. There really is no way to stop aggressive field collectors, as you well know, being likewise afflicted. A good collecting chum makes the work go easier. Two people can do the work of three, just a field observation. So lets see your rewards from the quartz fields of South Africa. Wait, let me guess, dry and sunny. Thanks Pierre.

[Pierre Joubert]

[vic rzonca]

Quartz crystal. 14 cm.

[vic rzonca]

One of the more interesting finds this fall. Half of a compound crystal after a light cleaning.

[vic rzonca]

Rock breaking bad.
Or maybe just ok.

[Mike Wood]

Nice to see you back Vic; looks like a nice steady project to pursue, without too many hazards.. ever see any snakes around?

Regards, Mike

[vic rzonca]

Only anecdotal serpent sightings, Mike, nothing personal. I think the track-hoe scares them off. The biggest hazard is bi-pedal and sapien.

[Mike Wood]

"The biggest hazard is bi-pedal and sapien."

You're not wrong there Vic, I always keep an eyeout for bipedal animals when I'm out in the mountains.
Looking forward to seeing the cleaned harvest from your latest diggings, looks like fun to me; I like breaking rock too, though it's normally basalt rather than silicified dolomite.

Best regards,

Mike

[Pierre Joubert]

Hi Vic. Thank you for your report. Some of those crystals are huge and remind me of 'window' quartz from Brandberg. I agree, doing this for a salary would not be worth it (although, sometimes it could be very profitable). The fun though, is hugely rewarding!!!

[vic rzonca]

The frost is out, collecting is in.

[Pierre Joubert]

Hi Vic, needless to say, one of my favorite threads! I am amazed that you can still put in a day's work like that! I don't know if I would survive that:-) Congratulations on your find. Those crystals are very similar to Herkimer quartz. How far are the two places apart? Are the digging conditions similar? Regards.

[Rei]

Are the crystals in bedrock or is the rock loose? If it is solid bedrock, how are you extracting them? I have chalcedony in bedrock in a lot of places, but I have concerns that if I just started wailing at the bedrock with a pickaxe I'd just end up striking the vein and shattering chunks of it on one of the blows.

[vic rzonca]

Thanks, Pierre. These are indeed Herkimer diamonds. The formation that holds these crystals is hundreds of square miles large. Our site is tens of acres large with about 30 feet of elevation change across the plot. The bathtub is the top of our little bit of dolostone. It's probably a 100 yrds. from the rock pile to the bench where we work horizontally, as opposed to going straight down. The bathtub was one of our first exploration digs and at this level the pockets are, like everywhere at the site, in hard rock, but at this level the crystals range from microscopic to 10 cm., water clear and are loose in pockets. At the bottom benches the crystals form in druze lined cavities to 50 cm. with large, 30 cm., complex skeletal forms. To Rei's question I would say to exploit any existing weaknesses. Start your extraction well away from your target and work toward it. Years ago, while collecting with a novice friend, I watched him jam his gad bar directly into a datolite crystal pocket in basalt. AARRG!!! So work carefully toward your prize. Loosen the area around the seam and your chances are good to retrive the largest piece you can.

[Rei]

Thanks! I appreciate tips from anyone who has as much success as you clearly have had! :)