hand2mouthmining
spending too much on rocks
Purveyors of California Gem Rock
Member since September 2011
Posts: 495
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Post by hand2mouthmining on May 20, 2013 17:15:55 GMT -5
Hi, geoenthusiasts! We've recently been digging out some colorful mariposite from the Merced River Gorge. I'd always thought that this was a stained hydrothermal "bull" quartz, but research revealed that it's one of the Marble Group stones, primarily quartz / dolomite. The bright green and purple are caused by inclusions of fuchsite & lepidolite mica, with iron oxide lending the orange & yellow tones. Iron pyrite, some times in cubic crystals, is a common inclusion. The coolest inclusions are tiny blobs of elemental gold! I can't wait to get back up and mine some more of this lovely marble! Thanks for watching! Kris
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on May 20, 2013 18:17:30 GMT -5
Pretty slabs! I used to have some luck mining some Mariposite around, I think it was called Devil's Gulch along 49 between Bagby and Bear Valley....Mel
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2013 17:44:29 GMT -5
It's far easier to get at the building materials yard. $100-125 a ton and you can have all you want and no digging required! I love Mariposite.
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Post by tntmom on May 21, 2013 17:47:21 GMT -5
Cool pieces! I've been slabbing the WA variety of that called Listwanite. Mine has no gold in it though. Sure is pretty stuff though!!!
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hand2mouthmining
spending too much on rocks
Purveyors of California Gem Rock
Member since September 2011
Posts: 495
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Post by hand2mouthmining on May 21, 2013 18:24:04 GMT -5
Pretty slabs! I used to have some luck mining some Mariposite around, I think it was called Devil's Gulch along 49 between Bagby and Bear Valley....Mel Mel, We love to dig this rock, it's a great way to teach hard rock skills to rockhounds. The outcrop we were working is north of Bagby, and has a 2000 ft, 70 degree drop off on the western face ... Not for the faint of heart! These slabs came from part of a 350+lb. boulder from the east (uphill) side of the outcrops. Good solid material, with lots of gold. "It's far easier to get at the building materials yard. $100-125 a ton and you can have all you want and no digging required! I love Mariposite." We love mariposite too, Scott! Yes, the landscape supply has tumble grade mariposite, but where's the fun in that sort of rockhounding? This 204 lb. boulder (actually just part of that 350+lb. boulder) was tightly wedged in a fractured outcrop. Lleaving the excited newbies to their (mostly futile) rock bashing for 45 minutes while I scouted around, they were a little winded and ready to listen & learn how to see fractures. They quickly learned how to deconstruct a tightly bound rock pile, and then take apart a fractured boulder. It really helped that we had a experienced lode & placer gold miner along, with plentiful hard rock experience. We were able to convince the hard rock newbies to cease their random rock bashing after commenting on how much nice mariposite powder they were producing! We came back to the rock yard with boulders that will easily produce large, very solid spheres. Plus, we had a "bucket list" experience, made new friends and experienced an incredible day. The building & landscape supply is nice, but it can't compare for an experience! Kris
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Post by paulshiroma on May 21, 2013 21:40:13 GMT -5
Out of curiosity, how did you get that boulder home?
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Post by roy on May 22, 2013 9:15:52 GMT -5
nice! it's all about the hunt and company the rock we take home is just the bonus
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Post by johnjsgems on May 22, 2013 9:32:36 GMT -5
Paul, I have a 300 lb. or so piece of NV Wonderstone from Fallon. I had three guys help me lift it into my pick up on a blanket. Some people use an old tire and roll large rocks up a ramp or from a berm. I think if I was in the rock business I would have a lift gate on a truck or a small truck mounted crane.
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hand2mouthmining
spending too much on rocks
Purveyors of California Gem Rock
Member since September 2011
Posts: 495
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Post by hand2mouthmining on May 27, 2013 19:12:24 GMT -5
Out of curiosity, how did you get that boulder home? Paul, it was something like John's wonderstone boulder. We had a crew of diligent rockhounds, many of whom were much stronger than me. So, since there was 4 wheel pickup access to within 15' of it's resting place, we used chisel and hammer to dislodge about 100 lb. of nice mariposite chunks, then the muscle power of 3 of us to load it into a pickup. Some of the chunks of mariposite we have for sale ...It then traveled about .2 miles uphill, and was transferred to my pickup. As always, the crew that turned out for this Rockhound Field Trip Fanatics! sponsored Event were first class folks. Much prime mariposite went home with us that day! This is going to be a major collecting site for us, with many challenges and rewards. The terrain is steep, with a 60°, 2000' drop off about 20' away from the west side of the deposit. But, after all, it's the challenges that make the trip special, isn't it? More in the sales section! Kris
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