Todays Mixed Bag

[Ben78]

Spent another day up at Hanging Rock. Tried a different location and although I was plagued with EMI I was rewarded with another little nugget. This time at 0.17g. After I was finished detecting I decided to go and see if I could find some zircons. My utimate aim in this hobby is to be able to get together enough gold, a quality zircon and a couple of sapphires to have a ring made for my wife. So I drove to the zircon location and had a bit of a pan. I was only getting very small bits together with spinel and sapphire. This particular location is well known for its 'bomb' sapphires so I wasn't expecting much. So I went for a drive. I spotted some exposed bedrock and went to check it out - great plan! Almost immediately found the larger zircon - it weighs in at 1.25ct and then noticed the sapphire chips - then came the interesting part, I found basalt with what appeared to be sapphire crystals on faces and fractures. I think it is anyway! Would be happy to be told to pull my head in that I only found some olivine or something. Have included a pic of some of the rock anyway. The spinels were also in the same spot, one is a near perfect pyramid crystal structure and another is double terminated pyramid. The soil in the area around the bedrock is sparkly with all the zircon, sapphire and spinel on the ground.

 

[rc62burke]

Nice, that's enough to keep you interested for a while.
cheers
Lee

 

[jenmal]

Good one again Ben!

 

[loamer]

Ben - good on you mate - you are doing well on the gold and that ground looks spot-on. Thought of an anti-interference coil?

 

[Ben78]

If you right click the pic of the corundum crystals and pick view image it will take you to the full sized pic.

 

[Ramjet]

Nice finds Ben.
Great to see you pinging nuggets up there.

 

[richo966]

looks like olivine saw same sort of rocks in one of wal and liz videos

 

[Ben78]

looks like olivine saw same sort of rocks in one of wal and liz videos

Just watching the video

[video=480,360]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAZPQxr4ydo[/video]

Yep, would say that is what it is!

 

[richo966]

I have learnt a lot watching there videos

 

[Heatho]

Nice finds Ben, keen to get a few of those Honey Zircons myself, cool Olivine also. Great having a good Gold deposit and Gems in the same area, should rarely come home empty handed.

I'm pretty sure the Black stuff in the top pic is Black Tourmaline, though I've been know to be wrong on numerous occasions.

 

[Ben78]

I'm pretty sure the Black stuff in the top pic is Black Tourmaline, though I've been know to be wrong on numerous occasions.

The site is a known Pleonaste deposit - ie Black Spinel. The pyramid shapes back it up. These have not been in a watercourse and the spinel can be seen in the Olivine host too.

If you are able to make the Nundle trip in January I'm happy to show anyone the location.

 

[kleinman98]

Spent another day up at Hanging Rock. Tried a different location and although I was plagued with EMI I was rewarded with another little nugget. This time at 0.17g. After I was finished detecting I decided to go and see if I could find some zircons. My utimate aim in this hobby is to be able to get together enough gold, a quality zircon and a couple of sapphires to have a ring made for my wife. So I drove to the zircon location and had a bit of a pan. I was only getting very small bits together with spinel and sapphire. This particular location is well known for its 'bomb' sapphires so I wasn't expecting much. So I went for a drive. I spotted some exposed bedrock and went to check it out - great plan! Almost immediately found the larger zircon - it weighs in at 1.25ct and then noticed the sapphire chips - then came the interesting part, I found basalt with what appeared to be sapphire crystals on faces and fractures. I think it is anyway! Would be happy to be told to pull my head in that I only found some olivine or something. Have included a pic of some of the rock anyway. The spinels were also in the same spot, one is a near perfect pyramid crystal structure and another is double terminated pyramid. The soil in the area around the bedrock is sparkly with all the zircon, sapphire and spinel on the ground.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/206/1386052216_31213finds.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7375/11184982455_7587e880f1_o.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/206/1386052426_hr02.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/206/1386052443_hr04.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/206/1386052462_hr03.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/206/1386052482_hr01.jpg

Mate if youre plagued with high EMI, then I cant wait to try the ATX up there. See how it behaves.

 

[Ben78]

Mate if youre plagued with high EMI, then I cant wait to try the ATX up there. See how it behaves.

Last week I was there it was quiet as a mouse, able to run the 5000 pretty hot and still smooth. This week there was a warbling fading in and out every couple of minutes.

Will happily take you there and see how the ATX goes.

 

[Jed]

Top spot Ben - enjoyed seeing your variety of finds.
Cheers Jed

 

[Heatho]

I'm pretty sure the Black stuff in the top pic is Black Tourmaline, though I've been know to be wrong on numerous occasions.

The site is a known Pleonaste deposit - ie Black Spinel. The pyramid shapes back it up. These have not been in a watercourse and the spinel can be seen in the Olivine host too.

If you are able to make the Nundle trip in January I'm happy to show anyone the location.

I had just never seen the Pyramid structure before with Spinel, different deposits I've seen have ranged from black and shiny to browny and or metallic and shiny. Maybe a few bits I thought was Spinel was not. Too much to learn some days.

Great to find a Pyramid crystal structure. I've got a piece still it it's matrix, not a Pyramid though. Actually I have half a pound of Spinel and no pyramids, cant stop myself from keeping it though.

I'm hoping to come up for the gathering, as I'll probably be going to Inverell again around the same time. Would be great to check it out.

 

[Daniel]

I know this is an old post but came across it looking around. In there first picture there what is the yellowish looking stone on the far left bottom.. I found heaps of these the other day but just through them out thinking they were some kind of Quartz?

 

[Ben78]

I know this is an old post but came across it looking around. In there first picture there what is the yellowish looking stone on the far left bottom.. I found heaps of these the other day but just through them out thinking they were some kind of Quartz?

Zircons picked up from the ground at one of the Zircon fossicking areas.

 

[Daniel]

Ahh damn I was throwing some nice size ones out!

 

[RottenRon]

Mate if youre plagued with high EMI, then I cant wait to try the ATX up there. See how it behaves.

Last week I was there it was quiet as a mouse, able to run the 5000 pretty hot and still smooth. This week there was a warbling fading in and out every couple of minutes.

Will happily take you there and see how the ATX goes.

My ATX needs a run on some new ground too!
It would be interesting to compare John's ATX and mine with the 5000 as well. I ended up getting the Deep Seeker package, so have the big mono coil as well and I haven't tried it out yet.

Cheers, Ron.

 

[Ben78]

Ahh damn I was throwing some nice size ones out!

Lol, lots of gemstones up that way, don't throw nothing out thats clear and rounded!