sheldon74
having dreams about rocks
Member since May 2013
Posts: 59
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Post by sheldon74 on May 26, 2013 18:25:54 GMT -5
Hi everyone, I am from Cobalt, Ontario, Canada. I have been a bit of a lurker and enjoy reading everyones posts and learning. The only thing I have ever done with my rock hobby is cut slabs and collect for myself. Now I hope to take it one step further and hopefully be able to create something as spectacular as what I have seen you all post on these boards. With my metal detector I can find Cobaltite(Cobalt), Niccolite (Nickel), and Native Silver. Here is a picture of a 2 lb. slab of Native Silver In Cobalt. Attachments:
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,169
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Post by jamesp on May 26, 2013 21:02:58 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum from Georgia.Native silver-go figure.How far is Cobalt from Ottawa?
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Post by paulshiroma on May 27, 2013 13:00:12 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum!
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sheldon74
having dreams about rocks
Member since May 2013
Posts: 59
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Post by sheldon74 on May 27, 2013 15:12:35 GMT -5
Thank you,
Cobalt is 6 hours from Ottawa.
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Post by Jugglerguy on May 27, 2013 15:51:00 GMT -5
Wow! That cobalt/silver rock is really cool. Is it more cobalt or more silver?
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sheldon74
having dreams about rocks
Member since May 2013
Posts: 59
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Post by sheldon74 on May 27, 2013 17:57:59 GMT -5
I would say it is around 35 - 40% silver. Here is another nice 2 pound slab of silver. No Cobalt in this one. Attachments:
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milto
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2010
Posts: 162
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Post by milto on May 27, 2013 18:07:34 GMT -5
Just reading an article in an older Rock and Gem mag about Cobalt.Sounds like a fun place to scrounge.Welcome to the site.
milto
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Post by Jugglerguy on May 27, 2013 18:16:47 GMT -5
Wow, how much is a two pound slab of natural silver worth? It'a about $700 at the current price of silver, but is it worth more as a specimen? I can't believe you can find something like that. Is it from a mine or just laying around?
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sheldon74
having dreams about rocks
Member since May 2013
Posts: 59
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Post by sheldon74 on May 27, 2013 18:52:47 GMT -5
Is it from a mine or just laying around? It's from both places. It comes from an old mine and it is on the ground for people to pick up. If you do a search on the town of Cobalt there is some interesting history behind it. 400 million ounces of silver came out of here in the early 1900's. The miners only kept the very high grade material and discarded the rest of the silver in huge rock piles. It gets harder each year to find quality pieces because of the many people that come here and look for and metal detect. Once in a while you can find some very nice pieces. I know people that have discovered museum quality specimens that weighed well over 100 pounds. The first slab of silver I posted earlier came from this rock. It was found with a metal detector and was buried about 3 feet deep in discarded mine rock. It weighed 150 pounds and was a good workout to get back to the truck from the bush. Attachments:
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sheldon74
having dreams about rocks
Member since May 2013
Posts: 59
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Post by sheldon74 on May 27, 2013 19:08:47 GMT -5
Not everything gets slabbed up. Just the pieces that are not aestheticlly pleasing. Some pieces are probably worth more as a specimen. This piece I kept as a specimen. It had a mild acid bath to expose the silver vein more. Attachments:
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Post by johnjsgems on May 28, 2013 12:53:30 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum. I've sold a little silver from Cobalt. My neighbor at the old Cloud's show specialized in that and WY jade. Really interesting material.
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Post by Toad on May 28, 2013 13:24:00 GMT -5
Welcome. Real cool specimens.
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sheldon74
having dreams about rocks
Member since May 2013
Posts: 59
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Post by sheldon74 on May 28, 2013 20:33:06 GMT -5
Thank you for the welcomes everyone
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2013 15:04:29 GMT -5
You know any goose hunters? Maybe I can pack my shotgun and metal detector then come up, and hunt my two favorite things! Silver and geese. lol I do really love silver.
Welcome from sunny SoCal. Thanks for the pics and the knowledge!
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sheldon74
having dreams about rocks
Member since May 2013
Posts: 59
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Post by sheldon74 on May 31, 2013 19:21:12 GMT -5
Bring the detector but your on your own for geese Don't forget the bugspray! Those suckers are hungry and they are really bad this year.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2013 22:31:05 GMT -5
Bring the detector but your on your own for geese Don't forget the bugspray! Those suckers are hungry and they are really bad this year. I might could make it happen! Hunting season is September. Still buggy then?
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sheldon74
having dreams about rocks
Member since May 2013
Posts: 59
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Post by sheldon74 on Jul 16, 2013 11:22:30 GMT -5
Not too bad here in September. That's a good time to visit
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cobalt
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2013
Posts: 2
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Post by cobalt on Jul 24, 2013 12:22:44 GMT -5
Hello everyone. I am the new new guy at this wonderfull site. I have received lots of usefull information about Cobalt Ontario. I personally was there just 2 weeks ago on the Colonial Mine/Mill Site and had a great hunt. I have collected Safflorite(Cobalt), Pyrite(Fools Gold), Serpentintinite, Quartz, Calcite, Magnesite, Dacite, Pegamatite, Native Copper, Bornite(Copper Ore), Basalt, tiny traces of Silver, Chalchopyrite, Erythrite(Cobalt Bloom), Melanterite(Copper Ore), and a whole lot of other stuff totalling 5 massive overflowing buckets and around 300 pounds of heavy metal and other samples in total. A little bit of information about my family and me if you care to read, starts out with my great grandfather who owned multiple mining claims that didn't end up going anywhere, sadly, and are now underwater when a dam was built flooding the area. He was a prospecter and a hoarder of rocks. However, his second wife sold every collection item he owned from coins to stamps to rocks until only 2 small display boards with about 2 or 3 dozen samples on each were left. I received one, my uncle received the other(he is also a rock collecter). The sample inspired me to be wired with rocks. I am a "rockhound" and have over 70 labelled samples so far. I am missing some stuff in my collection however and most of my samples are not even "souvenir worthy". I am going to buy a metal detector to see if I can find some good samples. If anyone is kind enough to give me some hints as where to investigate more deeply on other less known or accessable mine sites, please (only if you want) inform me. I am not trying to take all of your samples LOL. Thank you to everyone and I hope I can also be of good use to you as well.
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sheldon74
having dreams about rocks
Member since May 2013
Posts: 59
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Post by sheldon74 on Jul 24, 2013 15:42:08 GMT -5
Welcome to the Forum, Cobalt You must be a geologist to be able to name all of those types of rocks. I would say you had a great collecting day coming home with 300 lbs of material. There aren't too many secret spots in Cobalt to find silver. Just drive down the road and find an old mine site. Don't worry, you can not get lost in the back roads of Cobalt. Sometimes you will find silver and sometimes you don't. A metal detector will significantly help. It is becoming harder to find all the time though. I never seem to have much luck at the Colonial Mine. Most of the open stopes and shafts have been fenced in or covered but you still have to be careful where you go. How'd you like them flies and mosquitos? They drive me crazy. Anyways the next time you're in the area send me a message and I would be happy to get out there with you.
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cobalt
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2013
Posts: 2
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Post by cobalt on Jul 25, 2013 10:19:25 GMT -5
Thank you sheldon74 for the kind welcome and the information. It has been very helpful and useful. The mosquitoes and flies probably made me overlook some rocks LOL. And I think it would be fantastic to get together sometime in Cobalt doing what we love to do.
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