FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Maxilos]

Hello,

My holiday this year is going through Långban in Sweden. My father chose this because of the mining there (especially for me!). But Swedish law isn''t clear about searching. Nowhere is told it that is for inside walls and fences or outside. Though on Internet-sites is told that searching in Långban is allowed, on others is told that it is allowed outside the fences and walls. Some sites even say you need to ask permission to search, but only for scientific purposes.
So I didn't understand it and ask you guys: can someone tell me what the correct way is to interpret this law?

Thanks in advance,

Mark

[keldjarn]

Collecting at most of the dumps at the Langban mines is possible and allowed - BUT there is a fenced area which is reserved for scientific exploration and collection is not allowed except with special permission. Be prepared for some hard work and challenging identification work. Most rocks are blackened by weathering and the rare minerals are very difficult to find...
Good luck.

Knut

[Maxilos]

Well, I got a back-up: Buvika almandine "quarry" in Norway and the camping owner in Filipstad has his own 'searching area'! As you said the rare ones are difficult to find, the only solution then is to search for less rare ones, which are then probably easier to find.

By the way, these are the mines/quarries where we probably go to:
Mo i Rana: Altermark talc gruve;
Fauske: Buvika almandine/staurolite "quarry";
Hattfjelldal: Bleikvassli gruve;
Långban area.

I included a photo from a Buvika almandine specimen I found at Google images. If you don't know the location, I'm willing to give you the necessary information about this locality, with guarantee that you find something!

One last question: should it be wise to bring a LW-UV flashlight with me?

Thank you for the clarifying,

Mark

[GneissWare]

If you are now going to Norway, I suggest you stop and see my friend Torgeir Garmo. He is an experienced field collector, and has a mineral shop in Lom. I'm sure he can give you some info on places to collect. The info is:

Fossheim Steinsenter
N-2686 Lom
Norway

Tlf. +47 612 11460

He has a very extensive mineral collection also, housed in a complex that includes a historic hotel.

You can get more info by googling "torgeir garmo fossheim steinsenter" and looking at: http(://)www(.)norway(.)com/directories/d_company(.)asp?lang=44&id=5694&h=4&ac=p

Bob

[Maxilos]

OK, I'll write it down, because we miss Lom by about 120 km in a vast line. I'm going to introduce in in my annual holiday-contest. If I win it's pretty sure that we'll pass through or stay there. Maybe I'll give him a call.

Thanks for the info.

Mark

[GneissWare]

Even if you can't stop, a call to him might yield valuable information, since he knows all the collecting localities.

[Maxilos]

Thanks for the great advice, I'll ask him about three to five localities. I don't think he wouldn't help a fellow collector.

Mark

[Maxilos]

Well, I called and I got a Dutch person on the other side of the phone. So I decided to send a mail.

Mark