We have gone and stayed a few times at the Lindsey Ranch out in mason and are going back for several days towards the end of may. I have a question or two on the topaz that can be found there, if there is anyone that is familar enough to be able to asnwer the question, as the ranchowner was unsure herself. On commanche creek, where we primarily worked the stream beds for topaz there are several spots of "schiz(spelling?)where the creekbed cuts thru them. Now we primarily worked the stream beds by digging down and sifting thru the gravel etc on the screened racks I had built, but I was wondering...is it worth prosepcting the actual rock faces of the stream beds themselves and even looking at the rocks that are not up in the streambed but rather up on the cliffs and the small 1700 foot mountain that one crosses to get to the creek? ( I guess in other words...can the topaz actually "form" right there or does it only from upstream and come down form the katamecy rocks and deposit itself in the streambeds?) Hope this question makes sense. I am wanting to know if we should concentrate our efforts in the commanche creek stream beds or if there is a better spot to work in and around the streambeds. Thanks for any and all replies ( I do have all the tools needed to split the rock faces of the "schiz" where the stream cuts thru it..just a bit uncertain as to what to look for...) http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,93886#msg-93886 Sun, 19 May 2013 01:53:14 +0000 Phorum 5.2.15a http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,286597#msg-286597 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,286597#msg-286597
Frank]]> Franklin Roberts Collecting Wed, 27 Feb 2013 04:18:32 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,285888#msg-285888 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,285888#msg-285888 gothc.net]

according to this site there will be collecting on some ranches.]]> Matt Neuzil Collecting Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:27:58 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,285885#msg-285885 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,285885#msg-285885
Thanks.

Bruce]]> Bruce Cammack Collecting Wed, 20 Feb 2013 19:54:41 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,257621#msg-257621 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,257621#msg-257621 Anthony Griffith (2) Collecting Sun, 08 Apr 2012 16:07:29 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,256046#msg-256046 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,256046#msg-256046 Yes, get in contact with Frank concerning Texas localities; I hear he is the man.... :-D]]> Paul Brandes Collecting Thu, 22 Mar 2012 22:24:09 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,255857#msg-255857 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,255857#msg-255857 Call me at (512) 848-8309 before Friday, March 23 if you're interested in topaz hunting in Mason on the 24th.
Frank]]> Franklin Roberts Collecting Tue, 20 Mar 2012 23:17:52 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,255404#msg-255404 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,255404#msg-255404 Lori Eldridge Collecting Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:49:33 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,249485#msg-249485 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,249485#msg-249485
Frank]]> Franklin Roberts Collecting Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:07:07 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,248619#msg-248619 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,248619#msg-248619 Well it's been nearly 4 years.... are you back from the ranch ? :-D

All kidding aside, I've never been to the Lindsey Ranch. Does anyone who have been to both Seaquist and Lindsey Ranch have an opinion about how they compare ?

Thanks, Chris]]> Chris Olson Collecting Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:50:47 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,213255#msg-213255 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,213255#msg-213255 You may want to read this post if you don't get a reply right away.....

Franklin Roberts - Injured]]> Paul Brandes Collecting Wed, 09 Feb 2011 17:01:41 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,213226#msg-213226 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,213226#msg-213226
Are you still giving tours of the Lanno uplift. I posted some sights on this thread of places we would be interested in. We need lots of coaching as we are just getting into this.

Thank you,

Jennifer Pocurull
979-739-9768]]> Jennifer Pocurull Pocurull Collecting Wed, 09 Feb 2011 04:59:01 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,213225#msg-213225 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,213225#msg-213225
I saw you are the granddaughter of Seaquist ranch. We would love to do a rockhounding, fishing, kayaking or basic adventure trip over spring break. Can you give more information?

Thank you,

Jennifer Pocurull
979-739-9768]]> Jennifer Pocurull Pocurull Collecting Wed, 09 Feb 2011 04:56:03 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,183631#msg-183631 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,183631#msg-183631 I'm going to Seaquist ranch the end of the month to do some hunting. It'll be my first time going there. It sounds like a great place to visit - it's so nice that your grandfather allows people the opportunity to visit it and hunt there. I'll let you know how it goes. If you have any tips for me about good places to look, I'm all ears :) (well, eyes actually in this case) :). Thanks! Tanya]]> Tanya Cole Collecting Thu, 20 May 2010 04:23:35 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,182508#msg-182508 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,182508#msg-182508
I stayed at the Lindsay Ranch a couple of years ago and managed to take home some nice topaz crystals I pulled out of a few miarolytic cavities. PM me for details. I might be able to meet you out there. I haven't visited with Delores in a while.

Frank]]> Franklin Roberts Collecting Wed, 12 May 2010 06:44:59 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,178202#msg-178202 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,178202#msg-178202 Tanya Cole Collecting Tue, 06 Apr 2010 23:40:44 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,178200#msg-178200 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,178200#msg-178200 James Christopher Collecting Tue, 06 Apr 2010 23:20:04 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,178161#msg-178161 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,178161#msg-178161 Tanya Cole Collecting Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:31:07 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,177535#msg-177535 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,177535#msg-177535 Halbug Collecting Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:01:28 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,177534#msg-177534 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,177534#msg-177534 Halbug Collecting Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:50:11 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,176905#msg-176905 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,176905#msg-176905 What condition are the roads on the ranches, I don't want to get stuck. We will be driving a
2007 Saturn Vue.

Thanks for any advice
Dennis]]> Dennis Ward Collecting Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:11:34 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,109497#msg-109497 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,109497#msg-109497
I have pictures of the excavation but haven't taken any of the pieces removed from it just yet. I plan on doing that over the weekend. I'd be happy to post them when they're done. In the meantime, you might want to see some of my other photos from central Texas pegmatites at my gallery.

[www.mindat.org]

Frank]]> Franklin Roberts Collecting Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:22:54 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,109440#msg-109440 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,109440#msg-109440
Do you have any pictures?

Regards,

Ryan]]> Ryan L. Bowling Collecting Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:08:46 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,109437#msg-109437 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,109437#msg-109437
Since the granite was vuggy, it was no great chore to chisel off a few chunks to look at when I got home to Austin. After getting them cleaned off, I pulled out a nearly perfect 1 cm monazite crystal from a vug in one piece, which explained the high radiation reading. On another smaller piece, I noticed that the magnetite crystals had clumped around what appeared to be a quartz crystal in the granite. Closer inspection revealed that the magnetite was nucleating around the crystal in a miarolytic cavity that my chisel had neatly split open. I then noticed that the "quartz" had a familiar pale blue cast to it. Sure enough, the central crystal was a topaz. I wonder, is magnetite commonly associated with topaz in the host matrix? If so, maybe a metal detector would be a good tool to use to indirectly detect in-situ topaz.

Frank]]> Franklin Roberts Collecting Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:38:42 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,109045#msg-109045 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,109045#msg-109045 Toby Collecting Mon, 15 Sep 2008 05:25:38 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,106538#msg-106538 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,106538#msg-106538 I am new on the boards, from San Anto. I poke around the Southwest for most everything. Maybe I can help with a question about getting off the creeks and into the rocks. This is where you will find the gem quality Texas topaz! (River roughed simply WON'T do!) I had gone to the area TEN TIMES before I wised up and spent most of the day with a hammer and chisel. This takes experience in training your eye for the vugs. When you break rock, you go where no one has gone before... it was on the Sequist. CLIMB but be careful! Use a flashlight, needlenose pliers, hammer, chisel, EYE PROTECTION, water, gloves. I can't remember where it was in the ranch more than it was near the tops of the hills there. You will find a lot of picked out vugs with some very nice quartz tailings left over. Finding your own vug is up to you; find a new vug and you are a genius. I picked out a FLAWLESS (non-blue) 2 ct piece (sinks in bromoforme). Take care in how you chisel, I lost about half of this one. I must say, after my "new policy" of climbing and combing actually worked, I was quite happy. The owner was, I would say, extremely surprised, and did not seem to like the idea of chiseling though! (but he jokes around a lot - I wasn't sure). I just joked back about next time bringing dynamite to loosen things up, and sluicing through a downpour heheheh!
BTW, did anyone catch the ebay auction for the Mason topaz (shooter marble sized) that only went for $150 ?!?!?! Thats insanity! Even a river-rough piece that size should do $600-800. I missed my chance to bid. HOWEVER... It looked more like Brazilian, because it was TOO BLUE. What you are looking for is BARELY blue, and NEVER more even a medium blue. If it is picked out of a vug and flawless its ten times the value (@ $150 / ct) of most creek specimens. Anyway, I've had college geology courses I & II, but have delved more seriously into the prospecting and gem/economic aspect lately. This will not make you rich. Meteorites will! Have fun everyone.]]> Space Metal Collecting Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:12:42 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,99623#msg-99623 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,99623#msg-99623
I did spend almost a whole day on the seaquist ranch...covered lots of ground...but again heat def a factor.

I actually have some pictures of the topaz that Steve found that Ms Lindsey sent me...I will try and see if I can upload them here.

basicly topaz from the creek beds will lok a bit like frosted glass....one thing you def will notice is that a peice of topaz vs a piece of quartz...the topaz will feel "much" heavier.

Also if you ever do go to the Lindsey ranch they have some samples of topaz that you can touch and see...also there is a jewelers shop right off the main square of Mason that can show you samples and will also test anythign you find for free.]]> Lance Kirkbride Collecting Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:08:25 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,99575#msg-99575 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,99575#msg-99575
My family and some friends have recently starting hounding and have made the Mason trip a few times now. We have found plenty of quartz and/or calcite all over, but have not had any luck on Topaz (that we can tell). I was wondering what a rough piece might look like from that area and how one would tell the difference in the field between calcite/quartz/topaz. I have seen many a picture of raw topaz, but none from the Mason area. Is it much different in appearance?]]> Ronnie Henarie Collecting Thu, 05 Jun 2008 20:41:54 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,98643#msg-98643 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,98643#msg-98643 We were digging and sifting by hand on the down stream side of larger rocks and formations and watching from different angles.
We found both pieces in the same area, needless to say we never left the ranch after that.

Here are the coordinates from the GPS -

N 30 48.520
W 099 16.228

This place was at the front part of the creek that is accessed by a road behind the main house. There are two picnic tables setup and this is near the furtherest one.

Oh, we are in North Richland Hills which is North East of Fort Worth. It's about 4 hours, 242 miles for us.

Good luck]]> Steven Dalton Collecting Tue, 27 May 2008 02:43:12 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,98592#msg-98592 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,98592#msg-98592
( Ms Lindsey emailed me the pictures of you and your sons( I assume lol).

we will; be leaving early am tuesday to head out there...

were u sifting when you found them or did you just find them in the bed by walking wtc?

Any basic info on the area where you found?

Looks like though they may be transformable into something if you get them cut!


Ill check this forum late tonight before we go to bed on the off chance you reply...

I am curous also if you dont mind my asking Stephen...whereabouts do you all live? We are in Leanders ( about 90 miles due east of mason)]]> Lance Kirkbride Collecting Mon, 26 May 2008 19:12:02 +0000 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,98278#msg-98278 http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,5,93886,98278#msg-98278
I plan on giving my garmin 60csx a bit more of a workout this time]]> Lance Kirkbride Collecting Thu, 22 May 2008 23:39:43 +0000