The Best from Down Under

Re: The Best from Down Under

Ralph Bottrill — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 10:12:37 +0000

Steve,
new pseudomorph type: gold after horse?
And what happened to the rest of the horse?

Re: The Best from Down Under

David Sheumack — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 08:08:11 +0000

[attachment 40625 DiasporeoncorundumInkamullaBcomp.jpg][attachment 40624 Corundumcomp.jpg]Here is a rather intersting specimen I aquired from Patrick Gundersen a while ago, which was initially identified as corundum var. sapphire from Inkamulla Bore, Harts Range NT, with associated twinned clear corundum crystals growing around the face of the sapphire. Pat and I have had some playful debate as to the identity of this associated mineral. After adding a picture of the specimen to my album, Mindat administration queried the location :-S Thus began a rather interesting analytical exercise that has just been completed thanks to Ralph Bottrill and his XRD ;-) And the final result...............the associated mineral is DIASPORE. Further information about this find can be found in Olav Revheim's acticle "Corundum Australia" [www.mindat.org]

Re: The Best from Down Under

Trevor Dart — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 13:20:45 +0000

I acquired this piece in a box of mostly rubble at a garage sale here in Broken Hill. When I cleaned the dirt off the sample I couldn't believe my eyes. Wires of native silver included inside gypsum - not a combination I had seen before - most likely from the Junction Mine (or at least somewhere close to that part of the line of lode). It was also a chance to try out the super-macro function on my new fuji finepix camera...


©

Re: The Best from Down Under

Steve Sorrell — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:29:25 +0000

Here's an interesting gold specimen that I saw on display at the Perth Museum whilst in Perth for the Joint Australasian Mineralogical Societies Seminar last weekend. Reminds me of a horse's head.


Gold, Dicky Lee Mine, Meekatharra, Western Australia	© crocoite.com

Regards
Steve

Re: The Best from Down Under

Matteo Chinellato — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 11:08:36 +0000

of australia I love the Whim Creek Wulfenite's

imageupper.com

[www.mindat.org]

imageupper.com

[www.mindat.org]

Re: The Best from Down Under

Steve Sorrell — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 10:42:51 +0000

Axinite-(Fe) from Colebrook Hill, western Tasmania...


Axinite-(Fe), Colebrook Hill	© crocoite.com

Regards
Steve

Re: The Best from Down Under

Amanda Hawkins — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:37:36 +0000

Amazing specimens!

Re: The Best from Down Under

Steve Sorrell — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:39:19 +0000

Been without decent a internet connection for a few weeks!

Here's a micro pyrosmalite-(Fe) with johannsenite from the North Mine, Broken Hill. Picked up at the Victorian Gemkhana at Shepparton a week or so ago. Photo width is 2.7mm.


Pyrosmalite-(Fe) with Johannsenite from the North Mine, Broken Hill	© crocoite.com

Regards
Steve

Re: The Best from Down Under

Patrick Gundersen — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 22:05:51 +0000

Great specimen Matthew, one of the nicest I've seen for a long time!

Re: The Best from Down Under

Matthew Goodwin — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 08:29:52 +0000

A 50mm long pale yellow beryl crystal that I dug from a weathered pegmatite in the vicinity of Uralla, NSW in 1989. It weighs 15 carats and does not contain a single flaw or inclusion. There is a small chip off the tapered termination.

Initially a friend and I dug the prospect over several days because there were well formed schorl tourmaline crystals and prisms in the soil. We also found some smokey quartz crystals. We were sieving the weathered pegmatite from a relatively unproductive area and then this crystal appeared in the sieve. Its striations paralell to the C axis immediately indicated that it was beryl, which was a surprise given that previously the site had not yielded a single beryl crystal or fragment. We subsequently found a similar pale blue crystal which had a major flaw paralell to the C axis, as well as some smaller crystals.

Uralla is not a recognised/published locaility for beryl, but this specimen shows that very good quality specimens can be found with perservence by prospecting for new sites. I am still trying to find more when I get the chance!

Patrick - I reckon your various beryl crystals are great.

Re: The Best from Down Under

Patrick Gundersen — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 07:05:38 +0000

Thanks Ralph :-)

Re: The Best from Down Under

Ralph Bottrill — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 03:49:18 +0000

Nice pix Patrick!

Re: The Best from Down Under

Patrick Gundersen — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 01:54:02 +0000

And a mix from Harts Range, NT and New England, NSW. Further details in each photo.


© Patrick Gundersen


© Patrick Gundersen


© Patrick Gundersen


© Patrick Gundersen


© Patrick Gundersen


© Patrick Gundersen

Re: The Best from Down Under

Patrick Gundersen — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 02:50:56 +0000

Here's an assortment of Australian specimens, all self-collected with the exception of the Mooralla Smoky Quartz. Further details in each photo.


© Patrick Gundersen


© Patrick Gundersen


© Patrick Gundersen


© Patrick Gundersen


© Patrick Gundersen


© Patrick Gundersen


© Patrick Gundersen


© Patrick Gundersen

Re: The Best from Down Under

David Sheumack — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 09:03:52 +0000

Hi Ralph,

Alas, no pics, but according to the book, when the real Agah Kahn owned the mine and general area in the early 1900's, 44 gal drums of gem greade material were shipped O/S for "prooduction"

It's a really fascinating book, somehate tendious however with the repetative documentation of changes to the various mining lease sites....lots of back stabbing in those early days :-S

Re: The Best from Down Under

Ralph Bottrill — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:53:33 +0000

Thanks David, I will keep a look out. Does that mean there were lots of productive mines there?

Re: The Best from Down Under

David Sheumack — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:16:41 +0000

Ralph,try and get hold of "Poona, Western Australia and the Seekers of Emeralds" by Alex Palmer, Hesperian Press 2010. A fascinating saga of the trials, tribulations and back stabbing for those that tried emerald mining in the Poona district.

Re: The Best from Down Under

Steve Sorrell — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:33 +0000

It's a really nice crystal Ralph, but unfortunately, only one of a kind! Don't think Andrew is going to say yes to getting it tested!

Regards
Steve

Re: The Best from Down Under

Ralph Bottrill — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:25:31 +0000

Steve, maybe, or perhaps more like pearceite, but it could be a number of things. Very interesting!

Re: The Best from Down Under

Ralph Bottrill — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:54:40 +0000

Nice emerald, presumably from the Aga Khan mine, or are there other emerald mines in the area?

Re: The Best from Down Under

David Sheumack — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:13:51 +0000

[attachment 36419 PoonaEmeraldcomp.jpg]

A 2cm X 0.6 cm emerald in mica schist from Poona Western Australia. Since the early 1900's emerald specimens from this site have been of variable quality however, some as this piece, show gem like clarity and colour saturation equivalent to Columbian specimens.

Re: The Best from Down Under

Jon Mommers — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:35:10 +0000

[attachment 36364 DSCF7941.jpg]
[attachment 36365 DSCF7939.jpg]

Erythrite
Mount Cobalt
Mount Isa Mining District
Queensland

Measures 2.7 x2.5 x 1.9cm

Re: The Best from Down Under

Jon Mommers — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:21:42 +0000

Crocoite
Adelaide Mine
Dundas mining District. Tasmania

measures 2.7 x 1.3x 0.8cm

Specimen dates back to the early 1970's when commerical mineral collection first commenced at the Adelaide Mine

[attachment 36363 DSCF1347.jpg]

Re: The Best from Down Under

Jon Mommers — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:07:49 +0000

Minyulite
Toms Phosphate Quarry
Kapunda Area
South Australia

Crystals of minyulite approximately 1.5mm in lenght
Photo taken using macro conversion lens on a Fuji camera

[attachment 36362 DSCF1911.jpg]

Re: The Best from Down Under

Steve Sorrell — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:21:51 +0000

It's a very flat crystal Ralph. All of the sphalerite crystals that I have seen from there have been equant.

But...it could be.

Regards
Steve

Re: The Best from Down Under

Ralph Bottrill — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:55:06 +0000

Maybe sphalerite?

Re: The Best from Down Under

Steve Sorrell — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:02:21 +0000

An unusual specimen from the Magnet Mine, Waratah, Tasmania. I haven't seen anything like this before and I have seen a lot of Magnet specimens. Possible polybasite? Unfortunately only the one crystal so it won't get tested.

Photo width is 11mm. Andrew Tuma specimen.

[attachment 36358 polybasite-magnet-11mm.JPG]

Regards
Steve

Re: The Best from Down Under

Steve Sorrell — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:58:02 +0000

Thanks Trev. I was a bit worried about the ID when I first looked on Mindat. More arsenates in the area than phosphates. But this specimen came from a reliable source, and then I found that Museum Victoria have a pseudomalachite from the Yudnamutana Mine too. So I am much more comfortable about it.

Regards
Steve

Re: The Best from Down Under

Trevor Dart — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:17:35 +0000

What great timing Steve, I had only yesterday added a more detailed description for that exact mine! Along with a few others in the Arkaroola - Mount Painter Area.

Cheers Trev

Re: The Best from Down Under

Steve Sorrell — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:39:51 +0000

Pseudomalachite from the Yudnamutana Mine, Flinders Ranges, South Australia...


Pseudomalachite, Yudnamutana	© crocoite.com

Regards
Steve