wikieup,AZ: garnets

Hi everyone!

In addition to collecting fluorite this past weekend, I did some garnet seeking. There is a rhyolite flow east of Wikieup, AZ that has lots of lithophysae, some of which contain euhedral garnets. The garnets are trapezohedron with minor dodecahedron faces. They are said to be spessartine, which makes sense (Mn lowering temperature stability) and they are dark red to black in color. The best ones (although small) I found along one ledge and required much light sledge hammer and chisels to expose the garnets residing inside the cavities. Only about 5 % of the cavities I opened contained garnets, but they sure are pretty.
The largest crystals I found were about 1.5 cm, but the average was about 8 mm.

I am thinking i might try and set some of these small ones in rings as naturally faceted garnets.

Enjoy!

Ian

Hi Ian,
Great collecting you had in Wickenberg and Wikieup. When I was reading your post on Wickenberg and the fluorites you found, I was thinking of the mine adit I found on my uncle's ranch just east of Wikieup and the small plate of citrine I found there. I was 14 at the time and still have the specimen. I am still working on getting to Tucson in Feb. and if I do will PM you about being in Morenci and some possible collecting.

Linda Smith
Rock Mama and Boogie Boarding Grandma

Hi Ian!

Good job digging ... as per usual :O)

I have made some jewelry using naturally shaped garnets, one is a ring with a big honking Ely, Nevada garnet crystal,
it is my sisters favorite ring!

Good Luck Digging!

J T

Ian, the garnets you found east of Wikiup, was that at the Lion Springs site? I went there about a month ago and found only two small but nice garnets before I wore out from swinging a hammer.
Steve

Nice haul Ian,
I also was up in the Lion Springs area about a month ago and didn't find anything at all. Bad pre-planning still gets me once in a while , though I really didn't give it a whole lot of effort... (note to self: call Ian next time I'm in AZ!) I'm also curious if this is the same area you collected in.

Jim

Gentlemen,

Yes this is the same area. There was a pipe leading down the mountain form the spring. The mountain is called Elephant Mountain accorning to the quadrangle. I actual spent significant time traversing "dead" rockjthis weekend as well. Fortunetely I found a good area.

I would be glad to help anyone interested find the sparkly treasures.

JT,

Howdy my firend! I actually put over a half dozen into my gem collection to mount specificallt into rings. I will send you some pics when I eventually get to fabricating them.

Cheers and thanks for the interest.

Ian

Ian,

I took the liberty of adding the locality to Mindat.

Chet

Are there any other minerals in the rhyolite? Such as pseudobrookoite, hematite, ilmenite, tridymite, etc?

Hi Ian,


Nice haul of specimens! I've been to the locality once and found my share of specimens. I've read that most of these are actually almandine but do range into spessartine. In fact, the latest edition of the Mineralogy of Arizona states "the manganese content of these garnets is variable, and some are spessartine in composition." Some of the garnets have a micro-film of hematite that gives them an awesome, almost-metallic look to them. It is the only other mineral that I've found on my one trip to the locality. I hope to go again sometime soon now that it has cooled off dramatically here in AZ.

Happy Holidays!
Dana

Ian, I would be interested in the garnet location you found. I think the Lion Spg site gets hit pretty hard although there are other locations in the area.

:) Hey, nice garnets..
They look similar to the ones im finding in Colorado... I am having one of my garnets set in ring by a jewler..hehe If your a chatter, im usuall in chat here.
Have a good day.. keep up the good finds..
RUBY

Hi Ruby,

I am glad you like the garnets. I have been thinking about planning another trip, which by-the-way Lawrence IS the Lions spring site .

I agree with you Ruby, they are great for jewelry. Attached is a ring I made in February using on of the garnets from that trip. The ring is casted and sterling.

Thanks!
Ian

Hi,

I was at Lion Spring last month for the second time. The first time we were there we did not find much and by the time we discovered that we were looking in the wrong place, we had to go. This time we searched in the "right place" and we were very successful. We spent about three hours overturning allot of rhyolite and found nine specimens worthy of display including a 15cm rhyolite slab with three 8mm garnets on it.

very nice find

Very nice garnets!!!! Thanks for showing them!

Wade,
Did you follow the trail up the mountain to find the garnets? The trail ends near the actual Lion Spring. I went a few months ago but only found a couple of garnets before I wore out cracking rhyolite. I hiked up but if you have a high enough clearance vehicle it is possible to drive up. I have heard of other locations in the area but haven't visited them yet. I would like to find some worth turning into a ring like Ian made.

Since the heat is on in AZ, I'll probably have to wait until next fall to go back.
Steve

Stephen,

Thanks for the ring compliment!

Drop me a message when you are thinking about returning. I also would like to go back for a weekend!

Cheers.Ian

If we get one more cool spell, I would like to try it this spring but the way the weather is going, probably not till fall. Let's stay in touch. It's supposed to be somewhat cool this weekend but I have relatives visiting from the Midwest. They wouldn't be up to a mineral hunting trip into the Wild West of Lion Springs.
Steve

Still watching this thread, if it sinks I'll bump it up before fall for a possible visit to the area when things cool off some. Let us know how you did if you manage to make it in before summer takes full hold, Stephen...


(I also like that naturally faceted ring, Ian!)

Steve, I followed the trail (rough 4x4 road) to where it ends then followed a footpath up. Most of the garnets are far to the left ( 75 yards or so) of where the foot path ends. I did not break any rock but just turned over anything I could move. Found lots.

Wade