Introduction

Prospecting Australia

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Joined
Feb 3, 2020
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Hi everyone,
Just a bit to intro myself. I got into fossicking for gemstones way back in the 80s for a bit with a mate going to Grabbing Gullan on the October long weekends for a couple of years. Done a bit of gold panning at Tuweena and Oberon with not much success I might add. Got married started the family and that was the end of that. Didnt camp or fossick for years until late 2018. Went out to longreach with a mate from Qld and stopped into Emerald on the way back and fossicked at Glenalva for a few days. Found some nice stones ( I thought!) inclusions and cracks can spoil a nice feeling I found ??.
Had at trip up to Inverell in April 2019 with 3 mates and camped at Billabongblue went through the pile on offer for 2 days found around 170ct mostly bombs and not much to cut. We also went out to Tinga and Stannifer found heaps of Quartz crystals and some small sapphires. Sapphires too small to cut but the quartz had some good sizes,terminating ends and some really nice clear small ones.
Cutting! Dindnt just want to keep and store my finds so I watched some YouTube videos on cutting and buit myself a lap and bought a cheap $100 faceter. Purchased the starter lap kit and got started. Cutting glass to start with then some CZs before grinding away my crystals and sapphires??. Ive had some success mostly with the quartz but not so much with the sapphires as I said mostly bombs. I purchased some topaz from a gem show and that cuts very nicely. I even gave one ( imperial topaz 3.75ct) to my sister to have set. Thats what cutting is about, its give you gust as much pleassure to see gems been used as it is to find them I reckon. ???
Well thats about it for now Ill try and get my 10 posts up so I can share some pics of trips and stones.

Harry.
Btw I drive a hilux :????
 
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