Paul
starting to shine!
Member since April 2015
Posts: 38
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Post by Paul on Jun 12, 2015 15:02:42 GMT -5
Hi, This past week the family took a trip to Big Bear Mountain and stopped in at a place that sells "mining experience" packages geared towards kids. You basically buy various bags and buckets of sand and they have a sluice and shaker trays for kids to discover the various fossils, gems, rocks and minerals in the sand. We bought the biggest package which includes two large bags, a geode selection, and a huge bucket with very large gem, rock and mineral pieces. My daughter had a great time sifting through the sand and finding a lot of nifty stuff. This is the total haul including a geode that she got select and crack open herself (upper left corner): Full SizeHere are the fossils she found: Full SizeThis was her favorite find, peacock ore: Full SizeAnd this was my favorite find... the ultra rare and surely extremely valuable Emoji Agate: Full SizeFor reference: It's the one in the middle. We had a couple of things we're having trouble identifying. We think this one might be green jade but it's a very light color if it is. Any thoughts? And this one we have no idea. I really need to get a better camera I think. Tried to take this as close up as I could: Full SizeAny ideas? It isn't something listed in the identification pamphlet they gave us. We have two other small pieces very similar to this. Now I really have to get some Riker's and shelves for her to start displaying her collection. Ziploc baggies just aren't cutting it anymore. We also just finished our first batch of shinies. But that's a different post. Cheers! Paul
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Post by orrum on Jun 12, 2015 15:49:14 GMT -5
Way cool I luv salted gem screening!
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Paul
starting to shine!
Member since April 2015
Posts: 38
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Post by Paul on Jun 12, 2015 15:55:17 GMT -5
Here's a better picture of the blue stone I think. Messed with some camera settings. Still need better light though. Full Size
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jun 12, 2015 16:00:58 GMT -5
I love the emoji agate. It also looks a little like the elusive Legoite. The unknown rock sure is purdy.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jun 12, 2015 17:51:31 GMT -5
Way cool I luv salted gem screening! Hahahaha!! Bill, I know what ya mean, lol. We went on a field trip with our rock club, to "one of those" places close by. We had a good time, 'cause we spent all day with friends. Didn't find anything I would consider a gem, and Bob and I did better than most people, went through a LOT of buckets. Even though we got a discount, it pretty much was a big waste of money. Could've saved the money and bought a multitude of great rocks at the next show. Or we could've pooled our money, and gone out drinking and/or eating good food with twenty of our closest friends. Well, at least it didn't rain on us, we got some exercise, and entire week's allotment of fresh air.
Now the reason I'm agreeing with you about the salting, is because I know someone that has sold material to this particular venture for just that purpose. I will not name names...
Go for the fun of it, if you are into it. The kids seem to enjoy it. Don't get your hopes up, and you won't be disappointed.
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Paul
starting to shine!
Member since April 2015
Posts: 38
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Post by Paul on Jun 12, 2015 18:34:46 GMT -5
Go for the fun of it, if you are into it. The kids seem to enjoy it. Don't get your hopes up, and you won't be disappointed.
That was exactly my thinking. I wasn't expecting anything magical although I am really happy with what we did get out of it. We went to our first rock & gem show a few weeks ago and we would have been hard pressed to get as many varieties for the amount we spent for this. Plus, it was a lot funner since we didn't know what we were getting which upped the excitement. When my daughter saw the peacock ore she was so excited she almost dropped her screen in the sluice trying to grab it. After we got home she thoroughly cleaned all the samples and started identifying and grouping them together. Just the amount of fun she's had doing that makes it worth it in my eyes even if we didn't get any "show quality" stuff.
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Post by orrum on Jun 12, 2015 18:47:02 GMT -5
Me big kid.....love salted mines!!!!
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panamark
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,343
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Post by panamark on Jun 12, 2015 19:26:31 GMT -5
Hi, This past week the family took a trip to Big Bear Mountain and stopped in at a place that sells "mining experience" packages Oh, I thought you were gonna tell us they smeared mud all over your clothes, dropped rocks on your head, broke your truck, lost your wife and friends, emptied your bank account, made you grow a beard, taught you new ways to swear and grunt and walk in a permanent "hunker", showed you that personal hygiene is over-rated, and made you eat all your food out of a can. So even though they didn't let you play with dynamite, you had it pretty easy.
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Paul
starting to shine!
Member since April 2015
Posts: 38
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Post by Paul on Jun 12, 2015 22:05:14 GMT -5
Thanks panamark. I was saving that for year two of our odyssey!
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Post by snowmom on Jun 13, 2015 4:40:51 GMT -5
Oh I would have killed for such an experience as a kid. Great way to get daughter going with rocks and fossils though I suspect she may already be genetically inclined to hounding. Thanks for a fun post!
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
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Post by Fossilman on Jun 13, 2015 9:02:58 GMT -5
SCORE!!!!!! I love salted mines and salted bags of goodies-That's how I got my wife into my hobby a bit more-she loves it!!!
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Post by gingerkid on Jun 14, 2015 13:13:34 GMT -5
Enjoyed seeing the materials you and your daughter 'mined' from the materials you purchased at Big Bear. Cool geode that your daughter cracked and looks like you may have a rock hound on your hands now! Not sure, but the blue material in matrix may be cavansite, paul. Visited Big Bear Mtn. in the early '90's when my brother was based at 29 Palms.
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 15, 2015 17:32:01 GMT -5
We used to collect tiny quartz crystals up there when we lived in Yucaipa. Lots of really interesting places. Did you take them through Holcomb Valley?
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Post by sandsman1 on Jun 27, 2015 3:42:34 GMT -5
being at a place like that with your kids or friends is 90% about the look look is this anything haha spending the day with people you like is the prize anything after that is a bonus -- it looks like you did better then most
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