The information provided within this Forum about localities is only given to allow reference to them. Any visit to any of the localities requires you to obtain full permission and relevant information prior to your visit. FMF is strictly against any illicit activities related to collecting minerals.
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape
Posted: Sep 02, 2016 06:41 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa
antoniopedro wrote:
Hello,
Very nice quartz's... I love them. Best regards,
Antonio Pedro
Thank you Antonio! Here are a few more specimens that we found on a very recent trip. We found these specimens very close to where we parked. We also found numerous smaller ones, but they will be cleaned, some day, some year:-)
P1180968.JPG
Mineral:
Quartz
Locality:
Ceres, Warmbokkeveld Valley, Ceres, Valle Warmbokkeveld, Witzenberg, Cape Winelands, Western Cape Province, South Africa
Dimensions:
110 x 55 x 43 mm
Description:
A bent quartz with very interesting growth form.
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P1180974.JPG
Mineral:
Quartz
Locality:
Ceres, Warmbokkeveld Valley, Ceres, Valle Warmbokkeveld, Witzenberg, Cape Winelands, Western Cape Province, South Africa
Dimensions:
110 x 55 x 43 mm
Description:
Same as above.
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P1180985.JPG
Mineral:
Quartz
Locality:
Ceres, Warmbokkeveld Valley, Ceres, Valle Warmbokkeveld, Witzenberg, Cape Winelands, Western Cape Province, South Africa
Dimensions:
110 x 55 x 43 mm
Description:
Same as above.
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P1180987.JPG
Mineral:
Quartz
Locality:
Ceres, Warmbokkeveld Valley, Ceres, Valle Warmbokkeveld, Witzenberg, Cape Winelands, Western Cape Province, South Africa
Dimensions:
110 x 55 x 43 mm
Description:
Same as above.
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P1180988.JPG
Mineral:
Quartz
Locality:
Ceres, Warmbokkeveld Valley, Ceres, Valle Warmbokkeveld, Witzenberg, Cape Winelands, Western Cape Province, South Africa
Dimensions:
70 x 17 x 16 mm
Description:
Viewed:
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P1180993.JPG
Mineral:
Quartz
Locality:
Ceres, Warmbokkeveld Valley, Ceres, Valle Warmbokkeveld, Witzenberg, Cape Winelands, Western Cape Province, South Africa
Dimensions:
44 x 40 x 23 mm
Description:
A floater.
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P1190003.JPG
Mineral:
Quartz
Locality:
Ceres, Warmbokkeveld Valley, Ceres, Valle Warmbokkeveld, Witzenberg, Cape Winelands, Western Cape Province, South Africa
Posted: Sep 02, 2016 18:42 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa
Pierre, the different habits, different locations, most local to you and the persistence you show with your quartz collecting the Western cape is without match. I think you are the only guy reporting from that burg. Nicely done. Keep up the work. Thanks
Vic
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape
Posted: Sep 03, 2016 04:11 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa
vic rzonca wrote:
Pierre, the different habits, different locations, most local to you and the persistence you show with your quartz collecting the Western cape is without match. I think you are the only guy reporting from that burg. Nicely done. Keep up the work. Thanks
Vic
Hi Vic, thank you. I am not metaphysically minded, but I will agree with them on one thing: 'quartz can seriously affect the mind'. I am a happy addict:-) In a way I am glad that I am one of the few that explores the Western Cape for quartz deposits. Most of the places where we dig, are maiden places. In just one such a remote area, I discovered quartz ridges and veins totalling more than 30 km! That will take a few lifetimes for me to explore.Best regards and please keep us up to date with your exciting digs. _________________ Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape
Posted: Sep 04, 2016 13:58 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa
Yesterday afternoon (Saturday), I had a few hours spare so guess what I did. I have a habit of visiting old places where I once had some joy with nice quartz finds. This particular place had a few rocks too big to move to futher exploit a quartz vein, so I took a large 'wrecking bar' with me. I moved some big rocks and found pockets going in deeper under a quartz reef. I removed a few small clusters and next time I will take a hammer and chisel to open the pockets and remove the contents. Here are a few photos, taken just before I left; just before dark.
Panorama September.jpg
Description:
A Panoramic view from where I was digging.
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P1190056.jpg
Description:
A picture of the hole I dug after removing a big rock.
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P1190059.jpg
Description:
A close up of the hole. Note the quartz reef to the right of the picture.
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Clipboard01.jpg
Description:
The 2 yellow arrows indicate where the 2 pockets are. The openings are not large enough to explore with your hands.
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape
Posted: Sep 05, 2016 01:46 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa
vic rzonca wrote:
Pierre, let me see if I can lift that flake off your pocket zone.
Your skills will be very welcome here:-) I just do not see how you will get that jack under the ledge. I have 2 options; either I break the ledge with a big hammer, or I slowly break it up with a 4lb hammer and chisel. As you know, the quartz is not easy to chisel. When I do visit this hole again and make progress, I will keep you up to date. Any more suggestions as how to tackle this task, will be welcomed. Best regards. _________________ Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape
Posted: Sep 05, 2016 09:44 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa
James wrote:
Pierre
How about the method used by our stone-age ancestors. Drive some dry wood into the gap them wet it? Works a treat but takes time.
James
::-) :-) :-) Hi James. I am not the most patient man in the mineral kingdom! I would rather put a stick (of dynamite) in the gap and heat it :-) _________________ Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape
Posted: Sep 12, 2016 05:11 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa
I drove out, this past Saturday, to the place that I mentioned last. It is only about 6km drive from our home and about 3km as the crow flies. Here are a few photos and a short video of this trip. Even though the pockets did not yield much, it was a very fulfilling afternoon.
Here is a lovely video of a Smith's red rock hare that I managed to video tape.
P1190372.JPG
Description:
A quick stop in the pear orchard to take a picture. The pear trees are in full bloom.
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P1190373.JPG
Description:
A close up of tomorrow's fruit.
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P1190377.JPG
Description:
One of my favourite wild flowers; a vine with beautiful flowers.
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P1190381.JPG
Description:
We call this the quartz valley as everywhere you look are white quartz. The crystals however, are not that easy to find.
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P1190382.JPG
Description:
The area has wonderful sandstone rock formations.
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P1190388.JPG
Description:
Rock formations caused by weathering.
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P1190389.JPG
Description:
Rock formations caused by weathering.
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P1190390.JPG
Description:
The vicinity just above the digging area.
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P1190392.JPG
Description:
Mostly drusy small crystals on matrix.
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P1190397.JPG
Description:
Parts of the pockets exposed; mostly just cavities lined with small crystals.
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P1190399.JPG
Description:
The pockets exposed.
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P1190402.JPG
Description:
Quartz everywhere.
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P1190403.JPG
Description:
Spot the rabbit if you can.
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P1190405.JPG
Description:
Smith's red rock hare.
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P1190415.JPG
Description:
Same as above. It is seldom that you get the opportunity to get close to these mountain creatures to photograph them. Talking to them helps:-)
Joined: 16 Dec 2010
Posts: 456
Location: Northern England
Posted: Sep 15, 2016 18:33 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa
Thanks for showing your photo's Pierre, it looks a promising area you have found.
If your long wrecking bar was bent near the tip of the chisel end, you should be able to lift that quartz ledge. Maybe give the far side of the quartz ledge a few taps with a 2kg lumphammer in a line where you want the break to occur, hopefully!
Or drive in some (wooden?) wedges and see what gives.
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