chromenut
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2009
Posts: 1,971
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Post by chromenut on Mar 6, 2010 1:06:41 GMT -5
Yippee! Gave my wife the big cow eyes and she took me off grounding (grounded for buying so much rough) so I can go to the dig with Magma tomorrow. The Martin-Marietta mine there is only 1 hour from my house so should be fun!!
I'll take pictures and hopefully bring back more than just stories!!! Wish me luck, my very first dig!
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Post by Donnie's Rocky Treasures on Mar 6, 2010 15:07:15 GMT -5
Good luck & have a great time! Be eyes & ears & hands for me too & bring back pics! We have a second home in NC up in the hills in Wilkes County. I hear there is a little cave or maybe just a hole in the ground on one of our properties so I am wanting to go see it and do a little digging to see if there is anything to be found.
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Post by rockrookie on Mar 6, 2010 19:01:38 GMT -5
have a great trip !!
good luck!!
--paul
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chromenut
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2009
Posts: 1,971
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Post by chromenut on Mar 6, 2010 20:45:41 GMT -5
Ugh! It was an open pit quarry and not very fruitful. I canvassed just about everyone there and the results were not very interesting. I'm beat. Haven't swung a hammer like that in years....still, brought home about 70 pounds of stone, going to clean it up and see what I have, a few tiny specimens, this is what you mostly find there, micros, and you have to search long and hard.
Anyway, any suggestions on what I should use to clean up my stash??
I wish I had taken pictures while there, but by the time I thought of it I could barely steer the car so picking up a camera was out. Was pretty funny, a low rider PT Cruiser out in that quarry....lol...
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chromenut
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2009
Posts: 1,971
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Post by chromenut on Mar 7, 2010 19:21:41 GMT -5
OUT OF RESPECT FOR RICK AND MAGMA, I AM VOLUNTARILY EDITING MY COMMENTS. I don't want to start a riot
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Post by rockmanken on Mar 7, 2010 19:42:46 GMT -5
Robin, I think you need to post this on Dirtyrockhounds as a lot of us here go to a lot of MAGMA digs. Everyone I have ever met has been friendly. Keith(kap) goes to a lot of the digs, especially Diamond Hill. this was a Gastonia Club dig with the help of MAGMA to get the insurance togo, sounds like to me. It wasn't posted, to my knowledge. I will check.
Let them know on the other board that they were not friendly.
Ken
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Post by rockmanken on Mar 7, 2010 19:52:55 GMT -5
I see you did post on the other board AND it was a Gaston club dig. Not MAGMA. They were just invited as most of the memebers are also MAGMA members.
Since my move to Missouri I don't get to go on many digs with them anymore.
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Post by kap on Mar 7, 2010 21:36:56 GMT -5
Robin, Ken and I are both members of MAGMA and I am here to tell you that there is not better group of people to dig with than them. I dont know about the Gastonia club but as a rule the MAGMA group is top notch and will help newbies. With any large group you will find some that are not willing to share but they are VERY few in MAGMA!
Keith
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chromenut
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2009
Posts: 1,971
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Post by chromenut on Mar 8, 2010 0:48:28 GMT -5
EDITED ALSO...
blah blah blah
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chromenut
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2009
Posts: 1,971
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Post by chromenut on Mar 8, 2010 9:03:13 GMT -5
AGAIN EDITED TO STOP ALL THE COMPLAINTS...
ignore me please.
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Post by roswelljero on Mar 8, 2010 10:32:00 GMT -5
Sorry to hear you had a bad experience on your first dig.  Later, jeri |
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chromenut
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2009
Posts: 1,971
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Post by chromenut on Mar 8, 2010 10:45:15 GMT -5
I'm just letting this fall under the "doo doo happens" category...
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oldgrouchy
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2006
Posts: 240
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Post by oldgrouchy on Mar 9, 2010 10:11:12 GMT -5
The dig last Saturday was a MAGMA dig. The Gaston Gem Mineral & Faceters Club had a dig on 12/12/09. I attended BOTH and it is a good place to hunt, but it does cover over a thousand acres. It is difficult to know what to look for the first time out and sometimes I have trouble after living here 50+ years!! The main thing at the Bessemer City site is spodumene and associated minerals since this was originally owned by the Lithium Corp of America. It is a HUGE area and would take many days to cover, even weeks. I have gotten acquainted with a couple of the employees and am STUNNED at what they have found. Glassy aqua, apatite and spodumne suitable for faceting. I was given a chunk Saturday that will make some GREAT cabs when I get around to it. It looks like lazulite specks in a dark matrix of quartz but it is not like the Graves material. Keep your eyes on the ground and if you do not see what you like whereyou are then pack up and move to another spot.
Doug
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