Any Rock Hounds?

[highdesertranger]

the "Gem Trails" books are good for beginners to locate areas. they are available for several states. also search for "rock hounding" books I have seen these for several areas.

when I said go prepared I meant, many of these places are way out in the boonies you are a long way from resupply. the Oregon Sunstone area is very remote about 100 miles to a small store, maybe 150 miles to a large store. in other words have everything you need gas, food, water and backup. there IS NO RUNNING to your local store. highdesertranger

 

[sushidog]

I just got my stones in today that I had cut and mounted from my Hiddenite trip last June.

The emerald earrings total 1.57 cts and the white topaz ring is a brilliant 2.75 cts. The picture doesn't do it any justice as it looks more like a diamond than, well, my diamonds do, though at a tiny fraction of the value.

The emeralds don't have quite the saturation of my previous finds, but should still be in the $350-$400 ct range due to their nice cut and relative clarity (all natural emeralds have inclusions).

The white topaz is probably worth less than the ring it's mounted in, but it sure is a pretty, bright stone. The scissor cut really brings out its brilliance! DW is sure excited about how it turned out. I might even get lucky tonight, who knows?  :heart:

We'll be going to the Franklin/Cherokee, NC area for some ruby/sapphire mining at the end of the month. I'll let you know how we do when we return. My last time there I found the most valuable stone I've ever found, a 25 ct star ruby that cut out to 4.6 beautiful cts., so wish me luck. We're getting a little better at it, but I've found mining is mainly a factor of 3 things, 1. The amount of material you screen through 2. Where you look 3. Dumb luck. I think that last factor has had the greatest effect on my success (or lack thereof.)  

Chip

 

[Cammalu]

Nice Chip. I always wanted to do that but never have.


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[highdesertranger]

wow Chip those are beautiful. nice job. highdesertranger

 

[Charlotte's Web]

I just got my stones in today that I had cut and mounted from my Hiddenite trip last June.

T

Chip, the last time I saw a big sparkler like that someone proposed.
Don't scare me like that! 

Charlotte

 

[sushidog]

Thanks folk!

It gives me motivation to continue. The finished product represents many hours of hard work, as I'm sure you can imagine - but it's a labor of love.

Chip

 

[lenny flank]

Any rockhounds who happen to be in the Louisville KY area--there is a VERY nice state park just across the Ohio River in Indiana called "Falls of the Ohio State Park". They have a rather extensive fossil bed there at the river's edge--a Devonian reef, 420 million years old. Although you're not allowed to take anything, you can walk around and look to your heart's content--lots of tusk corals, horn corals, rugose corals......

I spent the whole day there.