Recently came across small thumbnail hematite crystals and crystal groups from Katanga, DRC. These are well formed crystals that remind me of small versions of better know hematite crystals from mines in South Africa but without the luster. Check of mindat photos shows only two images under hematite for the region, neither are similar to the thumbs. The source said he acquired a flat of similar thumbnails sometime in the past (in perky boxes). Sorry, have no images of the pieces at this point but perhaps this rings a bell with other hematite collectors? Surprised examples have not found their way to mindat hematite gallery. Thanks, George Balogh http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258264#msg-258264 Fri, 24 May 2013 16:33:59 +0000 Phorum 5.2.15a http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258568#msg-258568 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258568#msg-258568 Rock Currier Rockhounds Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:42:53 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258476#msg-258476 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258476#msg-258476
The pseudomorphs I am talking about are the plancheite/shattuckite after dioptase after calcite, sometimes covered by new generations of dioptase crystals. The 2011 find is quite special, because it gave also of pseudomorphs of a different and completely new style (other than the classical scalenoedral shape) than the classical ones (the classical material, mostly dating from the 1920's, was studied again in a 2005 article of the MR), with new replacements (at least 4 replacements on my speciments, an amazing variety)! Many studies and professional photography to be made before publishing! That find remained mostly unoticed until the biggest wave of speciments arrived at Munich last year, part of them trough Zambian and South African dealers. Predicting this, the hunt for these was the purpose and focus point during last year Munich show! (luck again) This did not make big waves for two reasons: these rarities are little known outside Congolese collectors, and no good pictures of the best 2011 speciments have been published yet. They appeared often unoticed in some shows, because in the middle of decoration rocks nobody is looking at... I posted a picture of a top speciment in "Gail favorite of the day" tread. John Veevaert offered a few speciments on his website Munich update at very affordable prices, and surprisingly, everything was not snaped up immediately! One speciment, a bit more expensive, in in the Arkenstone webpages, I would have seen that 1.5 years ago, I would have jumped... Just not known yet, In Belgium, I had to wait for a decade to obtain my first old Tantara pseudomorph, they are very preciously kept by connoisor collectors here, considered as one of the Congolese holy grails! So you can imagine how exited I was with that little new find! Everything is gone now.

The Ethiopia trip was not a geological trip, culture and trekking were the purpose, to see the Ethiopian wolve in the Bale montains, and to go in the Omo valley areas. While passing through Konso villages, I saw a few speciments of amazonite (it was probably the very begining, they were not known yet), Since I was travelling with non collectors, I did not want to bother my friends with a search up to the source...I did not hear about mineral regulation at that time in Ethiopia, all the efforts started to be concentrated on art objects (tribal and religious), after many have been looted for western art market. With the fast developpement of the country in the last years, the lifestyle of southern tribes (where money was not used yet) is sadly under serious treat!

Best regards!

Val]]> Valere Berlage Rockhounds Thu, 19 Apr 2012 07:14:31 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258467#msg-258467 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258467#msg-258467
Interesting discussion but sounds as if learning more about the location would be
difficult at present. Can anyone offer specifics, perhaps based on information
gathered when conditions were more stable in the Congo?

The crystals in question are really nicely formed for hematite and would be interesting
if specimens can be located that are still attached to matrix.

Based on the discussion so far one might hesitate to add images to mindat. On the
other hand doing so could stimulate interest and potentially more solid documentation
in the future.

George]]> George Balogh Rockhounds Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:17:17 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258464#msg-258464 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258464#msg-258464 What kind of pseudomorph are you referring to in the Spring 2011 find?

Where in Southern Ethiopia did you go? My experience there is limited to Konso and the granite amazonite pegmatite area near the Kenya border. It did eventually produce a couple of tons of amazonite specimens for my business though and a few fine specimens for my collection. Easier to get around in and do business in than the Congo, but still far from being easy like Brazil or China. I am now convinced that the main thing that inhibits business and things like the export of minerals are the politics of the country. Some countries want to control everything and it kills competitive business and unless you have the fix in with the powers that be you won't be able to do that business. Business always finds a way, but the cost of goods produced is much higher to the local consumer than would be the case in a competitive environment. When you were there, was it still illegal to have mineral specimens which till not long ago were property of the state along with all mineral resources.]]> Rock Currier Rockhounds Wed, 18 Apr 2012 23:16:46 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258462#msg-258462 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258462#msg-258462 What kind of pseudomorph are you referring to in the Spring 2011 find?]]> Rock Currier Rockhounds Wed, 18 Apr 2012 23:01:10 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258418#msg-258418 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258418#msg-258418
Although I traveled a little bit out of the beaten tracks in this world (to see a kalashnikov or sleep near a pile of rocket lounchers happened to me before, no big deal, but when risk is present and requires to councel or modify a trip, I do not hesitate, I modified trips in the last minute several time for safety reasons) , I have little experience of Africa, of course, I went many times to Morocco, very easy country good for family and romantic travel, and in southern Ethiopia 13 years ago, leading a group of 4 peoples without experience in an area when, at the time, very few went (difficult because one guy had panick attack due to remoteness, everything finished very well). But Southern Ethiopia was far more easy, even without infrastructure at that time. I enjoy comfort and a 5 star hotel too, I am not so crazy!

Do you know what? I can't wait to go back to Congo. Already as a little boy, Congo was in my dreams, there is something emotional with that country! I live in Belgium, that may be part of the explonation. At 5 years old, some friends of the family projected movies bobins on the livingroom wall, of Kivu, peaceful at that time, and gave me my first Congolese rocks! I was crasy and dreaming! You are right when you suggest Congo is not leisure, it is travel and/or business! (even if local industrials, born there, who know better Swaeli than French, make glamorous touristic and relaxing activities there) It required careful preparation, several plans that could substitute each other, needed in a place where things are not always under control and can be unpredictable... It was above all an initiatic and learning trip! Some plans were prepared through networks organised with Tierry Michel, a wellknown jurnalist, Congo specialist ("Katanga business" movie is from him, highly recommended); through networks organized thanks to friends who know local entrepreneurs; and other personnal connections). And of course all possible problems had back up solutions! There were problems, but nothing that stopped me!

I visited several mines, and about minerals, that was my most exiting trip ever! I have little experience and I was lucky also! I had the opportunity to see new deposits, very promizing! I selfcollected interesting stuff in Tantara, and in the same locality, I had the first pseudomorph I saw of the spring 2011 find! Never I would have dreamt to obtain a large speciment of such a rarity I was there at the right moment! The begining of a great adventure since after, I gathered a large suite of the best of these unknown speciments! (that find was very short, just one pocket in spring 2011, and a little one just before) I baught about 10 kgs of minerals in Lubumbashi (selected among thousands pieces gathered by a guy that know dozens of diggers), the 2 best were on my lugages (a carrolite and the first pseudomorph I got in Tantara, passed at customs, lucky again), the 10 kg parcel sent by a friend there arrived, luck again! Finally, I started to build a network, of peoples from there, peoples, who have the know how to export speciments (not easy in large quantity...), and who have many relations over there...

But Congo is special, you do not go when you want, but when it opens its doors! I hope this is only the begining, so many discoveries to be made, so many new mines, Mashamba is lost, under water and Chinese hands, Who cares, Katanga is so huge!

I will just tell my biggest fear, that could stop everything especially if long, a real risk: a Katanguese indepedency war

Val]]> Valere Berlage Rockhounds Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:57:15 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258400#msg-258400 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258400#msg-258400
Interesting coments. I remember a friend of mine went collecting in the Kolwezi area in the 60's. He paid, as usual, the guards for his entry to the quarry. They took all his money. When he came back, the gards had been changed and where claiming him money to get out of the quarry. As he gave all to the previous crew, they put him in jail for the night.
His wife had to pay for his food, his release, the minerals he found and his equipment like hammer and chissel and backpack. Otherwise, it must be a wonderfull country. Now back to the topic.

Personally, I never saw hematite from the Kundelungu plateau..
Gilbert Gauthier, J.M. Pendeville and other RDC specialists never talked about them.
Buttgenbach, with the help of the whole Union Minière crew, who studied the area, does not mention them. He mentions hematite crystals in quartz veins along the Lubumbashi river.
Today, you can not tell where specimens comes from except if you collect them yourselve, what is not allowed without paying a bunch of guys.
The diggers are very inventive creating localities who does not exist to keep other diggers away from the place.
Keep in mind that these diggers diversifie their stock by trading with other diggers.
As a lot of " illegal "ore is shipped by truck to Zambia and even more south, the truckers can bring up specimens back from God knows where. Cobalt ore is shipped as far down as South Africa.
Here's a link to the Kundelungu Park : [fr.wikipedia.org]. His superficie is 7600 km².
Thats like telling that calcite has been found in the Walloon part of Belgium.

I remember the most recent, the rutile from Kipushi specimens story.
Later on it was proved they where from Zambia.
I am almost sure these hematites are not from the RDC or in the best case, not from Katanga. Or they rediscovered the Lubumbashi site where Buttgenbach refers to but we will probably never know for sure. Anyway not for free.

Just my 2 cent.
Take care and best regards.

Paul.]]> Paul De Bondt Rockhounds Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:48:39 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258398#msg-258398 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258398#msg-258398
In the case of chasing hematite in Kundelungu I don't think there are any private industries involved in that area and that the market for these hematites is so small that there exists no cadre of artisinal miners to dig them. Such a cadre of artisinal miners does exist for the malachite and other specimens they dug out the benches of the big abandoned copper mines in Katanga. It is from them that all the tons of rough malachite that is exported to to the lapidary factories in China are produced.

If anyone does get to Lubumbashi, there is a suburb of that town called Ruashi where a fair percentage of the rough malachite ends up and is the home of many small malachite factories exist that turn out many pretty malachite carvings and other lapidary articles. Of course if you buy more than you can fit into your suitcase, be prepared for a battle to export the stuff, unless of course you know the ropes and have some knowledgeable individual or organization that will export the stuff for you. Even if have the stuff in your luggage, hour luggage will be examined on leaving and the officials will of course find not permitted items, your specimens and malachite carvings will be among them and you will have argue and eventually pay more to take them with you.

Finally when leaving the Congo we managed to catch a newly instituted flight from Lubumbashi direct Johannesburg. However we made a stop in Zambia and all of the passengers were made to exit the plane and pay a $20 transit tax before they could get back on the plane and continue on their way.

Valere,
Do you buy many specimens in the Congo? I almost get the impression that you are basing your good advise on experience you may have had in other African countries? Would you care to share with us which ones those are?

Valere's comparison of the "corruption" of western countries compared to Affrican countries reminds me of a cartoon a friend sent me a while back. A little boy comes up to his fathers easy chair and stands there. The Father is reading his newspaper and the boy says to the father. "I have been considering a career in organized crime". The father replies with a question "Government or private sector? The father further adds " I would recommend government sector because you never go to jail."]]> Rock Currier Rockhounds Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:37:43 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258392#msg-258392 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258392#msg-258392
I went to Congo last year and it was the most expensive trip of my life! True, once you want to travel outside Lubumbashi, it can take a lot of time and be very expensive, especially when a lonely traveller that will also feed and offer shelter to the agents, drivers... that will come with you and take all the costs...

Although very useful for security, official agent presence can be conter productive since many artisanal diggers are afraid by them. To travel on invitation from private industrials with their teams who know local key peoples has proved a lot more efficient to obtain rocks from locals! Of course, to travel alone would be both crazy, and in the best situation, it would mean to turn back at one checkpoint or onother! To buy rocks from the diggers is the best way also to give some money where it is needed.

However, I would say the system is not so dark, it is just another system than ours, we have to accept these rules or stay out (yes, Congo is expensive and difficult!, but with the corruption and politicians working for lobbies, and filling their pockets, in our countries, we can not give any lessons of good governance, and Congo is giving so much to us, it is part of the game to give back the Congolese a right share) Our system is a system involving quite low administration costs, very high taxes; the Congolese system involving very low taxes but high "administration" costs and time.

Congo is a very beautiful country, and the reward for the traveller (who does not need a daily bubble bath) is usually much higher than the costs!

Valère]]> Valere Berlage Rockhounds Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:04:31 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258380#msg-258380 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258380#msg-258380 Rock Currier Rockhounds Wed, 18 Apr 2012 01:55:02 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258379#msg-258379 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258379#msg-258379
That is a good match and I recall the location was the name of a park.
At the moment the specimens are unavailable for me to check this.

Do you know more about the location and history of collection of these pieces?
I was impressed on discovering specimens that they are similar to ones from
South Africa, as mentioned, but not as large or as showy. Did this DRC location produce
larger specimens?

Would appreciate any information others on this forum might supply.

George]]> George Balogh Rockhounds Wed, 18 Apr 2012 01:09:19 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258270#msg-258270 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258270#msg-258270
[attachment 37882 hematitewcongo1.8x1.3x1.jpg]]]> Harold (Hal) Prior Rockhounds Tue, 17 Apr 2012 02:47:29 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258264#msg-258264 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,258264,258264#msg-258264 These are well formed crystals that remind me of small versions of better know hematite crystals from mines in South
Africa but without the luster. Check of mindat photos shows only two images under hematite for the region, neither are similar to the thumbs. The source said he acquired a flat of similar thumbnails sometime in the past (in perky boxes).
Sorry, have no images of the pieces at this point but perhaps this rings a bell with other hematite collectors? Surprised
examples have not found their way to mindat hematite gallery.


Thanks,

George Balogh]]> George Balogh Rockhounds Tue, 17 Apr 2012 01:28:07 +0000