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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape



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Posted: Sep 17, 2012 02:55 Post subject: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa |
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We live in (arguably) the most beautiful place in the world:-) and as my wife and I spend so much time in the mountains and valleys, I hope it is OK with Jordi that we share some of our quartz collecting trips with you. The Western Cape does not nearly have the variety of quartz that the Northern Cape has, but it is on our doorstep and we find many specimens of interest and beauty. Most places that we visit are on private properties, where we go with kind permission of farmers.
I will start this topic with a very recent outing (last Friday to a farm outside Ceres) and use this as a platform for future posts on this topic. I hope all you quartz lovers out there will enjoy:-)
As soon as I clean some of these specimens, I will photograph and share them here.
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Quartz Western Cape, Ceres n/a Riana found her own pocket of Quartz crystals and spent hours, carefully cleaning it out. |
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Quartz Western Cape, Ceres n/a Close up of Riana in action |
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Quartz Western Cape, Ceres n/a A close up of Riana's pocket with a few crystals from it. |
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Quartz Western Cape, Ceres n/a Not far from Riana's find (about 30 metres away), I also found a promising pocket in this rock wall. |
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Quartz Western Cape, Ceres n/a The pocket kept going in deeper with small to medium sized clusters and single crystals coming out regularly. |
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Quartz Western Cape, Ceres n/a A medium sized cluster from the above pocket. |
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While banging on a rock to remove it, this small snake, an egg eater came out and I managed to get a nice photo of it. |
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Catching snakes was a hobby of mine for years, and I caught the small snake to just make sure it is an egg eater and not a night adder. The first is harmless, but the second poisonous. |
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This area has many smaller pockets that looks promising but does not necessary deliver much. |
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_________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum

Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 4957
Location: Barcelona



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Posted: Sep 17, 2012 03:28 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa |
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Pierre Joubert wrote: | ....I hope it is OK with Jordi that we share some of our quartz collecting trips with you... |
That's great. Please keep posting...
Jordi
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape



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Posted: Sep 17, 2012 04:08 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa |
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Jordi Fabre wrote: | Pierre Joubert wrote: | ....I hope it is OK with Jordi that we share some of our quartz collecting trips with you... |
That's great. Please keep posting...
Jordi |
Thank you Jordi. Pardon my poor English as I am Afrikaans speaking :-)
_________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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Debbie Woolf
Joined: 09 Feb 2009
Posts: 168
Location: Kent



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Posted: Sep 17, 2012 04:32 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa |
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This is a great thread Pierre, I look forward to more postings. Can't wait to see that cluster cleaned.
It is important to document the exact locality please.
Lekker !
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape



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Posted: Sep 18, 2012 06:03 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa |
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Debbie Woolf wrote: | This is a great thread Pierre, I look forward to more postings. Can't wait to see that cluster cleaned.
It is important to document the exact locality please.
Lekker ! |
Hi Debbie, I see you still know the odd Afr. word :-) (lekker means nice)That cluster was a disappointment; lost a number of crystals when cleaned. Often a specimen looks like a million Dollars when full of dirt, but once cleaned, it looks very plain. Riana has not cleaned her crystals yet; I have started and here are some from my pocket. Later on I will attempt to show some of the best from this area, collected over the last few weeks. I cannot give the exact locality as it is private property, but I can tell you that it is in the Ceres area, some 30 km from our home. It is a massive quartz outcrop, stretching for a number of km, over at least 7 farms. If you ever visit SA again, we can take you there.
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Quartz Western Cape, Ceres 114 x 76mm The cluster partially cleaned |
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Quartz Western Cape, Ceres 49 x 25 x 10 mm A beautiful, flat floater with a crystal inclusion |
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Quartz Western Cape, Ceres 49 x 25 x 10 mm |
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Quartz Western Cape, Ceres 28 x 18 x 08 mm Oh! A little floater like this makes a trip worth the while. Too beautiful! |
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Quartz Western Cape, Ceres 28 x 18 x 08 mm The same little floater from a slightly different angle |
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Quartz Western Cape, Ceres 28 x 18 x 08 mm The same little floater from a slightly different angle |
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Quartz Western Cape, Ceres 43 x34 x 26 mm |
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Quartz Western Cape, Ceres 43 x34 x 26 mm The above specimen at another angle |
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Quartz Western Cape, Ceres 33 x 27 x 12 mm Quite an amazing little floater; no damage, not even to the 'stem' |
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Quartz Western Cape, Ceres 33 x 27 x 12 mm |
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Quartz Western Cape, Ceres 36 x 13 x 12 mm This lovely single crystal is typical of this area; 'self healed' at the bottom |
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Quartz Western Cape, Ceres 50 x 12 x 12 mm Another typical specimen from this area, also 'self healed' at the bottom |
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Quartz, clay and manganese Western Cape, Ceres 65 x 58 x 39 mm A number of quartz crystals captured in a mixture of clay and manganese |
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Quartz Western Cape, Ceres 14 x 08 x 07 mm 'herkimer' type quartz crystal; relatively common in the Western Cape. |
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_________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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GneissWare

Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1287
Location: California



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Posted: Sep 18, 2012 09:18 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa |
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Pierre,
Very nice specimens. Thanks for sharing, and I look forward to your future reports!
Bob
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape



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Posted: Sep 18, 2012 09:36 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa |
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GneissWare wrote: | Pierre,
Very nice specimens. Thanks for sharing, and I look forward to your future reports!
Bob |
Thanks Bob! If time and sunshine allow, I have so much to share; got to pace myself:-)
_________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape



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Posted: Oct 10, 2012 08:39 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa |
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I wish to show a few more specimens from our new quartz find close to home and then show some photos of collecting areas and specimens from the larger Western Cape. Hopefully I can post some from the Northern Cape in the not too distant future. The specimens are not necessary the best from these areas but give a general indication of what we find. Some of the quartz crystals found from this area, are clearer than most we have ever seen. Hope you enjoy the photos.
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Riana busy removing a pocket of quartz crystals. The white is not snow but quartz. |
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Quartz crystal Ceres, Western Cape, SA 45 x 13 x 12 mm |
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Quartz crystals Ceres, Western Cape, SA 48 x 15 x 12 mm |
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Manganese ore?and quartz Ceres, Western Cape, SA 140 x 110 mm I have sent a sample of this ore to the University to analyse. For the time being, I suspect it to be rich in manganese. |
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Manganese ore?and quartz Ceres, Western Cape, SA The same specimen as above |
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Manganese ore?and quartz Ceres, Western Cape, SA The same specimen as above. |
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Manganese ore?and quartz Ceres, Western Cape, SA The same specimen as above |
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Quartz Ceres, Western Cape, SA 52 x 35 x 20 mm |
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Quartz Ceres, Western Cape, SA 46 x 16 x 13 mm One of the faces of the crystal is pitted with minute holes, left by where small metallic crystals once sat. |
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Quartz Ceres, Western Cape, SA 43 x 37 x 29 mm A fairly average quartz cluster from this area. |
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Quartz Ceres, Western Cape, SA 50 x 11 x 09 mm |
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Quartz Ceres, Western Cape, SA 44 x 18 x 15 mm |
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Riana at another quartz outcrop. |
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On our way to dig for crystals, we encounter scenery like this. |
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_________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape



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Posted: Oct 10, 2012 13:56 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa |
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The next few photos I wish to show, is a bit of a 'potpourri' as they are from around the Western Cape; some areas just a few kilometers away, while others much futher.
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Somewhere in the Ceres Karoo, one of our favorite places, taking a break. |
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Flowers hanging straight down from a rock face in the Ceres Karoo. |
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Which way should we go today? |
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Another one of our favorite places, an apple farm near Villiersdorp, Western Cape. |
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The farmer has cleared a good section of the small hill to use the soil for farm roads. Guess what, he has uncovered crystal seams! |
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A typical pocket of crystals in clay from Villiersdorp. |
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Quartz Villiersdorp, Western Cape, SA 41 x 23 x 11 mm A peculiar 'floater' |
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Smoky/citrine quartz Villiersdorp 43 x 13 x 13 mm Faceting quality quartz |
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Quartz Villiersdorp, Western Cape, SA 50 x 18 x 09 mm |
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Quartz with chlorite inclusions Villiersdorp, Western Cape, SA 29 x 11 x 10 mm |
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quartz with chlorite inclusions Villiersdorp, Western Cape, SA 29 x 11 x 10 mm I am always fascinated by chlorite inclusions, especcialy unusual colours. |
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You want quartz, you have to dig. Villiersdorp. |
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Quartz environment, Villiersdorp |
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Some of our helpers are fooling around. Villiersdorp |
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_________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape



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Posted: Oct 10, 2012 14:46 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa |
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The Western Cape is a vast area, stretching across hundreds of kilometers. Here are a few more photos of places and specimens found there.
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Exploring a manganese rich area near Gordons Bay, Western Cape, I was met by this scene high up in the mountains. |
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A real rock monster, consisting of manganese rich rock and sandstone. |
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Rock, rich in manganese. The photo was taken near Gordons Bay, Western Cape |
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Father and son; two good friends that joined us high up in the mountains on a private property near Robertson, Western Cape. |
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A beautiful little quartz cluster with the small pocket it came from. Near Robertson, WC. |
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A lovely quartz specimen. It still has to be cleaned. Robertson, WC. |
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A stunning, large cluster of quartz crystals, waiting to be removed. Robertson, WC. |
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An interesting specimen of quartz, coated with hematite? manganese? Robertson, WC. |
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Spiders and scorpions are often encountered. Here is a Baboon spider, or Tarantula. Robertson, WC. |
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While looking for mineral specimens, flowers are always appreciated. Robertson, WC. |
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Small caves full of quartz crystals, but out of reach. Robertson, WC. |
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Beautiful mountain scenery, Robertson, WC. |
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It gets really hot up in these mountains and here we are taking a break from digging for crystals. Robertson, WC. |
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Way up in the mountains looking for quartz crystals. Robertson, WC. |
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A pocket of quartz crystals is found high up in the mountains. Robertson, WC. |
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_________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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supertxango

Joined: 15 Jul 2012
Posts: 135
Location: Madrid



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Posted: Oct 10, 2012 15:07 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa |
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Hi Pierre,
Amazing report ! I would like to be with you there and dig those beautiful specimens.
Thank you very much for sharing with us.
Juan H
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape



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Posted: Oct 11, 2012 00:12 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa |
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supertxango wrote: | Hi Pierre,
Amazing report ! I would like to be with you there and dig those beautiful specimens.
Thank you very much for sharing with us.
Juan H |
Hey Juan, you are welcome. Climb in your jet and fly over:-)
_________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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vic rzonca

Joined: 18 Nov 2008
Posts: 820
Location: MA



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Posted: Oct 11, 2012 06:24 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa |
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Great report, Pierre. Two of my favorite things, beautiful mountain vistas and digging out quartz pockets. Looks like paradise.
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape



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Posted: Oct 11, 2012 13:09 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa |
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vic rzonca wrote: | Great report, Pierre. Two of my favorite things, beautiful mountain vistas and digging out quartz pockets. Looks like paradise. |
Thank you Vic . I must say, I quite enjoy your photos also. When are we going to see some more?
_________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape



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Posted: Oct 18, 2012 11:36 Post subject: Re: Quartz collecting outings in South Africa |
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Here is a bit more from our vicinity, Western Cape, South Africa. Some of these photos where taken on very recent outings. Hope you can enjoy:-)
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quartz with chlorite inclusions Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa 24 x 23 x 18 mm From a very recent find. I am always very excited to find these, hard to find type of quartz. |
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quartz with chlorite inclusions Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa 24 x 23 x 18 mm The same specimen as above. |
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Quartz with phantom Ceres, Western Cape, SA 16 x 16 x 02 mm |
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A view from one of the many properties where we collect. Notice the quartz outcrop. |
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A horned adder; found while looking for crystals; caught, photographed and released. |
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The same snake, close up. |
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Amazing plant, reminds me of rhodochrosite |
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The same amazing plant. I have only seen this plant (flower) in this area (Ceres) |
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A small pocket of quartz crystals. Not worth opening up, but beautiful enough to photograph. |
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_________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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