quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,341
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Post by quartz on Apr 2, 2015 22:38:02 GMT -5
We're back; headed out to the Spectrum sunstone mine Wed. 3-18 for a visit and getaway. The weather was good, Fri. a warm t-shirt day. Then Monday morning: Monday and Tuesday bitter-cold-windy, of course those were the two days we volunteered to help with some mining. By Thursday, the weather was great again, so we went walking. Found some early pretty desert flowers, this one maybe an inch tall with 1/8" diameter bloom. The Hart Mtn. Jasper is about 7/8 of the way up one of the two canyons, about a 1400' climb. A very rare and fortunate find, a 14.6 carat red; wife Carol found it on the surface. The entire haul, off the surface in the public collection area; 3.08kg. with the big one in the middle 78 ct., found, naturally, by my wife. We came back Monday 3-30 to no phone, internet, or T.V. Mr. fixit came Wednesday about 10 A.M., and it quit again 8hrs. later. After sitting on hold for about 1 1/2 hours on two different calls, we were scheduled for Mr. fixit again Fri. morning. When I came home this late afternoon from my civic duty [jury duty], it was working. Carol said the repairman had been given a bad address in this area, so he came here instead. Apparently the first repairman is fairly new and didn't know of a failure fairly common with older equipment. All is good now. Overall, a good trip. Got to see some of the news from the ancients, the one on the left near 3 ft. tall.
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Post by gingerkid on Apr 3, 2015 6:39:28 GMT -5
Enjoyed your photos of your trip to the Spectrum mine and 'news' from the ancients, quartz. Beautiful gemmy sunstones and the one that your wife found is killer. Do any of the champagne colored sunstones have schiller in them? Glad that y'all have electricity.
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Post by mohs on Apr 3, 2015 9:22:04 GMT -5
looks like you took your avatar signature to the bank fine collection of sun
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,685
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 3, 2015 10:19:41 GMT -5
Good luck this season!!!!
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Post by Toad on Apr 3, 2015 12:34:23 GMT -5
How much does it cost to troll the public collecting area?
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,341
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Post by quartz on Apr 3, 2015 13:58:20 GMT -5
The public collection area is 2 miles square, pretty well marked, and free to use by anyone. Other than an outhouse and some shade cabanas near the entrance, there is no infrastructure at all. Camping is O.K. anywhere in the public area. No power excavation tools can be used in the public area, any hand tool is O.K. As of this writing, both roads into the area are in good shape, Corn Lake Rd., off Hogback, is a little bumpy for the first 3 1/2 miles, then smooth's out nicely. Everything outside the public area is either claimed or private ground, best to respect that. In response to gingerkid: several pieces have schiller, and after running them for a couple days in 600 grit to clean them up, more will be found. Larry
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Post by nowyo on Apr 3, 2015 20:44:22 GMT -5
Very cool. Only got through that country once about 20 years ago and not much time to look around. Think I'm due to head that way again. Thanks for the pictures.
Russ
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,169
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Post by jamesp on Apr 4, 2015 8:13:12 GMT -5
Nice haul. Some fine scenery and weather. How much will you sell some of that blue sky for ?
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Post by Toad on Apr 4, 2015 14:33:49 GMT -5
Another to do trip - thanks.
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Post by snowmom on Apr 5, 2015 5:32:34 GMT -5
thanks for the info, photos and taking us along... that looks like a fine mess of sunstone. Can't wait to see what it looks like out of the polisher (don't forget!) beautiful country, neat trip! I love living vicariously.
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Post by snowmom on Apr 5, 2015 5:34:12 GMT -5
oh, and the pictograph is soooo cool! How they recorded the big ones before cameras. ? or maybe the one that got away.
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mrzulu
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since May 2015
Posts: 245
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Post by mrzulu on May 21, 2015 5:45:11 GMT -5
I have been going to Werner Valley since I was very young. My dad used to hunt antelope on Hart Mountain. My mother and I would hunt arrowheads and what she called rosy quartz.. what I now realize was watermelon sunstone. When I get a pic server I'll post some polished from champagne - clear golden some with visible clear dichroic with no copper shiller to teal colored watermelon sunstone with pale blues, deep reds and amazing brilliant, copper pink dichroic schiller!
Some of the schiller specimens are nearly blinding in the sunlight.
All taken from the Spectrum mine area...
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Post by orrum on May 21, 2015 9:00:49 GMT -5
I gotta go!!! Love your report thread!
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mrzulu
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since May 2015
Posts: 245
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Post by mrzulu on May 25, 2015 19:01:00 GMT -5
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