For all general rockhound chatter! http://www.mindat.org/msgboard-15.html Sat, 18 May 2013 20:48:46 +0000 Phorum 5.2.15a http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293851,294197#msg-294197 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293851,294197#msg-294197
Pretty funny.]]> Alan Weigand Rockhounds Sat, 18 May 2013 18:19:43 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294196#msg-294196 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294196#msg-294196
For instance where I live in NJ I went nuts prospecting in the First Watchung Basalt Range near Bridgewater. The lowest levels date to the Triassic period. There was a lot of copper mining done around this area 100 years ago. Filled in shafts and collapsed earth show evidence of this. But I just bushwhacked over a 4-5 square mile area every day dawn to dusk observing the rocks, trying to identify them with not so much luck. Tons of samples.

So I am walking down a mountain bike trail and see what looks like coal. Not coal. Believe it to be Chalcocite. Started sifting more samples looking for to direction of the deposit. Found it. Mixed in a clay layer with some other strange quartz or calcite material. Not a big deal but found something. There is a lack of iron in the soils here. Great Zeolites have been found here, (See Chimney Rock).

My second discovery was on an steep hillside. The entire area was nothing but vuggy looking rocks. Turns out to be a combination of what I think is a mixture of copper ores that cooled at a low temperature morphing into these stones with copper crystals, malachite, chrysocolla with small pieces of silver. The rocks in said area all look the same but have different weight properties. Some breaking with ease, some like trying to crack steel. So that was my first solo prospect with no world class zeolites found but did find that old vent of mineralization and its a first step.

Found a line of basalt there with huge holes in it. Dug for a while. Took home some dirt samples to go through. I guess if I was looking to find something great I would start there but I dont think the park rangers would appreciate me digging into the hillside.

Ideally I would like to find a spot to claim where I can legally dig and my head wont be cut off or shot. Some areas out West and into Alaska I wouldn't venture without a gun because of bears. And even on the Appalachian Trail near the Delaware Water Gap, you want to talk about Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes? I hiked miles of those trails in the summers growing up. Hunting in caves, rock-piles ect. I was lucky to only hear them but was warned about them. The late Steve Irwin did a special some years back in the same area. He was excited about all the deadly rattlesnakes three feet from the trail! "Wow mate!, what a beautiful 5 foot specimen!", " Look at the shape of that head and those beautiful markings on the skin", look at those fangs!" This would kill me in 15 minutes!"

Thanks Steve. RIP. I enjoyed the show but not into the receiving end of venom.

I will most likely head to Maine or Vermont until it gets cold and look for Tourmaline and whatever else I can find up there until it gets cold near the end of September. I like the thoughts of Colorado also but the season is short and not sure an area like Mt .Antero is a good idea to prospect alone. Plus there will probably be a bunch of new idiots like myself up there looking for there first million that could but wont happen overnight, maybe even in a lifetime. I just want to find enough this summer to make it through winter and end up with a cool specimen for my collection. Learn about
rock-hounding geology more as well as mineral ID. As many months as I have been studying rocks and minerals, I still cant tell the difference between blue topaz, aquamarine, tourmaline unless its crystal system is in tact. I bought a huge green stone yesterday with all sorts of other color stones in it. I was just told it was an Aquamarine from Brazil. I doubt it due to its size and 40$ price tag but hey, I liked it. And when I get around to cabbing and cutting, maybe I will find something nice in there to polish.

And as far as being insane, its more like stepping outside of the box and taking a chance. Most people wont ever get the chance to know what the Bearing sea is like in the middle of winter, or what it feels like to make a great find. I would rather pursue my dreams as radical as they may seem to some, than regret not doing what I really wanted before age starts dictating what I can and cant do. At this moment, I am still free.]]> Alan Weigand Rockhounds Sat, 18 May 2013 18:15:32 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294189#msg-294189 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294189#msg-294189 D Mike Reinke Rockhounds Sat, 18 May 2013 15:58:50 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294182,294182#msg-294182 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294182,294182#msg-294182
Thanks

Mel Baker]]> Mel Baker Rockhounds Sat, 18 May 2013 15:03:56 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294179#msg-294179 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294179#msg-294179
As to location, if you are quick with a knife and know just where to put it, you can do no better than to head for the Marange field in Zimbabwe. Almost no police on the ground, so one hears, because as fast as they put them in, they take of their uniforms and join the diggers:-D So policing is from the sky only with armed helicopters. These never land but shoot on sight from the air, leaving the rest to the vultures. But these won't bother a savvy chap like you as you will hear then coming for miles.... So all you need to do is make sure that that your fellow 'illicits' are more afraid of you than you are of them. A couple or public decapitations with the edge of your shovel should do it - and with the heads left on sticks to warn others off your dig.You can buy a woman for a square meal a day and an AK-47 and 200 rounds for a couple of carats of rough.

It's a great life. Just make sure to stand on top of the dung-hill and don't end up under it. No different from Wall Street really; just a little more 'up front' about what it takes to succeed :)-D]]> Owen Lewis (2) Rockhounds Sat, 18 May 2013 14:39:27 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294178#msg-294178 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294178#msg-294178
Also, expect to lose lots of money in such a venture. It is very difficult to make it commercially viable.

And....be careful trying to collect in foreign countries. It is best to have established contacts there. Approaching the wrong mine and trying to collect could get you in deep trouble.]]> Jeremy A. Zolan Rockhounds Sat, 18 May 2013 14:18:54 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294172#msg-294172 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294172#msg-294172 D Mike Reinke Rockhounds Sat, 18 May 2013 12:21:51 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294171#msg-294171 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294171#msg-294171
Spencer.]]> Spencer Ivan Mather Rockhounds Sat, 18 May 2013 12:01:21 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294169#msg-294169 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294169#msg-294169
I admire your spirit of adventure, but if I were you I'd keep some money in reserve, buy a second-hand bearproof camper van and spend the summer way up North (Canada?) or somewhere far from civilisation anyhow. See how you get on before the winter, then re-appraise the situation...]]> Michael Wood Rockhounds Sat, 18 May 2013 10:55:58 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294167#msg-294167 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294167#msg-294167 good luck with local mafias and landowners.
Deposits are usually well guarded unless it is some old defunct mine. Do you really think that owner will let you to work on some cavity ?

Of course there are some people with contacts which travels around the world and do this business. But why one of them would like to involve you in it ? What you can offer ? Hard work ? You can easily hire 20 locals to work for you in that "poor" countries. Or just buy what has been find by others.

In fact the only valuable think is to be able to locate the places with biggest chance to find the cavity. But that requires years of experience and many already found cavities.

If you are so naive to start this after watching some TV show , better stay in front of your TV.]]> Štěpán Krejsek Rockhounds Sat, 18 May 2013 08:35:09 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294048,294165#msg-294165 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294048,294165#msg-294165
Thanks for the info. :)

Matt.]]> Matthew Langlois Rockhounds Sat, 18 May 2013 07:39:43 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294163#msg-294163 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294163#msg-294163 James Ha Rockhounds Sat, 18 May 2013 05:04:02 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294077,294162#msg-294162 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294077,294162#msg-294162 James Ha Rockhounds Sat, 18 May 2013 05:01:43 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294161#msg-294161 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294161#msg-294161 Alfredo Petrov Rockhounds Sat, 18 May 2013 04:38:25 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294077,294159#msg-294159 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294077,294159#msg-294159
Steve.]]> Steven Kuitems Rockhounds Sat, 18 May 2013 04:08:28 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294152#msg-294152 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294152,294152#msg-294152
I have made up my mind. I would travel to Brazil, Pakistan, Anywhere in the US to find a pocket. I have been rock-hounding for 6 months. I am familiar with survival and could live in the woods for any amount of time. I dont have connections and this post seems eccentric to you I am sure.

I made my decision after watching some recent TV shows, (yeah). I worked in Alaska for 3 years on the Bearing sea for three years, was a stock broker and quit after 9-11. Wall Street sucks.Successful painting business, quit due to siatica and addiction to pain meds, cleaned up. Been buying selling gold/silver urban prospecting for the last 6 years.

Loooking for a down to earth partner that will work as hard as they can as I will probably outwork you physically. I am 42
and will give 100% for the right situation. I am 42 yo, male, not gay, single, looking for a good male/female friend

I must admit I got hooked on Prospectors on the Weather channel.It wasnt the gems so much as the challenge and
idea of driving a hole right through the peak. Then driving left and right to each side of claim. Still trying to figure out the lightining issue up there.

Telsa had the solution if you dig deep enough.

Alan Weigand
Bridgewater, NJ.
908-745-1291
netrubicon@yahoo.com]]> Alan Weigand Rockhounds Sat, 18 May 2013 02:16:34 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294151#msg-294151 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294151#msg-294151
Send me a private message (see upper right of this page) with e-mail and maybe phone number, and we can coordinate from there.

Norm King]]> Norman King Rockhounds Sat, 18 May 2013 02:04:48 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,219007,294150#msg-294150 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,219007,294150#msg-294150 Rock Currier Rockhounds Sat, 18 May 2013 02:02:49 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294077,294148#msg-294148 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294077,294148#msg-294148 gary moldovany Rockhounds Sat, 18 May 2013 01:18:00 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294141#msg-294141 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294141#msg-294141 However, they do like fluorescent minerals, minerals which show unusual properties (magnetism, piezeoelectric quartz, hardness, inclusions, etc.). These are points for you to ponder. I help show people around the Seaman Mineral Museum in Houghton, MI, and I can tell you from experience that unless they are geology or chemistry majors, or experienced mineral collectors, they are somewhat clueless as to what they are looking at. Many are there to look at "pretty objects" that captivate their imaginations.]]> Susan Robinson Rockhounds Fri, 17 May 2013 23:37:22 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294140#msg-294140 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294140#msg-294140 Tim Korte Rockhounds Fri, 17 May 2013 23:35:10 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294136#msg-294136 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294136#msg-294136 I am in Evansville, and will be in Louisville on the afternoon of May 28. I'm not an appraiser, but maybe I could help?]]> Norman King Rockhounds Fri, 17 May 2013 21:19:23 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294133#msg-294133 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294133#msg-294133 Hello Tim

This is Maurizio Dini from Chile. If you ever come along with minerals from this country, I will be happy to advice you about it's locations.

I have been acquiring some expertise on chilean minerals, and I am more then willing to give you a hand.

Have Fun with them!

Maurizio Dini
La Serena
Chile]]> maurizio dini Rockhounds Fri, 17 May 2013 19:59:41 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294132#msg-294132 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294132#msg-294132 Susan Robinson Rockhounds Fri, 17 May 2013 19:58:29 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294127#msg-294127 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294127#msg-294127
Do not perform any destructive chemical or physical tests to the most notable portions of the specimen, such as large crystals or rich mineralization. If you are wondering about the identity of any specimen you think may be important, you can send small samples to an external service where they can be analyzed with XRD, XRF, SEM-EDS, and Raman spectroscopy. These are perhaps the most fundamental instrumental methods of mineral structural and chemical analysis. Be aware that the cost of these analyses may exceed the value of the specimen so be selective!]]> Jeremy A. Zolan Rockhounds Fri, 17 May 2013 19:34:47 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294125#msg-294125 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294125#msg-294125 4 samples- 3 sulfurs and 1 hematite]]> Tim Korte Rockhounds Fri, 17 May 2013 18:39:02 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294123#msg-294123 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294123#msg-294123
Put video on youtube (or other service) then put link here.]]> Wayne Corwin Rockhounds Fri, 17 May 2013 17:23:19 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294077,294122#msg-294122 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,294077,294122#msg-294122
I second the recommendations above. Joining a mineral club, at the very least will give you easy access to fellow collectors. Our club (the North Jersey Mineralogical Society) has a great mix of people with varied interests including many who field collect. Getting to know other members will allow you to learn things about the hobby you might not pick up on your own. In addition, as mentioned above, we set up club sponsored trips so everyone can get out in the field a few times a year. Getting to know members of the club will also get you in on some impromptu collecting trips when they arise.

If you can make it, I recommend you come to the Riverdale show at the Glenburn. There is usually a club table and a few of the vendors set up at the show (including myself) are club members. Free admission too! Otherwise we have monthly meeting at the Paterson Museum, all detailed on our website.
[nojms.webs.com]

Bryan Davis
President - NoJMS

P.S. Thank you all for the kind words and recommendation of our mineralogical society!]]> Bryan Davis Rockhounds Fri, 17 May 2013 17:21:53 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294115#msg-294115 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294115#msg-294115 I would 2nd Alan Goldstein he is right by you, lives in Lexington, he works at Fall's of the Ohio state park, he should be able to help you out! Good Luck with your collection, sounds like quite a find!!

deepskyspy@insightbb.com Alan's contact :)

thanks
E]]> Everett Harrington Rockhounds Fri, 17 May 2013 15:54:24 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294113#msg-294113 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,15,293645,294113#msg-294113
As far as video goes, I tried to attach a pic earlier but it said the size was too big. I know a video would be much bigger. I guess I did something wrong because I see other people have attachments.]]> Tim Korte Rockhounds Fri, 17 May 2013 15:39:34 +0000