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Techniques for CollectorsGarnet extraction help

4th Sep 2015 04:27 UTCEvan Keating

Let me start off by saying I have no mineral experience whatsoever. I collected a few rocks with Garnet in them from some old mine at Garnet Hill Lodge in North River New York. I want to extract the garnet from the rocks and hopefully make them into some sort of necklace or something for my girlfriend, because i got them on our first vacation together.

But i have no idea what to do to get them out of the rock unharmed, or if there are places to go to get that done or what.

Anybody got any help for me?

4th Sep 2015 05:32 UTCJuan Ángel Tort Figueroa

Mission Impossible !!!

A good garnet over matrix is very beautiful. A good gift for display and remember good times.

4th Sep 2015 06:38 UTCReinhardt van Vuuren

how about a photo?

4th Sep 2015 14:39 UTCMatt Courville

When I've collected garnets in the past some full crystals pop-out of their matrix when chiseling with a hammer and some just shatter depending on the type, location, and luck. There is a club I recently joined here in Ottawa that does what you had in mind, so perhaps you could find a similar one near where you live?

Ottawa Lapsmith and Mineral Club:

http://olmc.ca/

Matt

7th Sep 2015 23:29 UTCvictor rzonca

The garnets found around North River, the Barton Mine location in particular, are not prone to extraction of more than millimeter size pieces. The garnets themselves are sometimes softball size, locked in matrix, but are completely shattered. Better to keep it as Juan said. An interesting note is that the waste rock from the garnet mines was used as aggregate in the roads around North River and when the light is right you will see red garnet bits glittering in the road surface.

8th Sep 2015 01:03 UTCSusan Robinson

Victor is right. The almandine garnet from Gore Mountain (Barton mines) was mined for use as abrasives. The garnets from there may be big to huge, but nearly all of them are badly fractured, and very dark due to high iron content and biotite inclusions. Finding a piece that is large enough to polish is difficult at best, and even after polishing, it is still very dark red and almost looks opaque, since you can only appreciate its red color with a strong light behind it.

9th Aug 2016 20:31 UTCJonelle DeFelice

I have the same question. There is a location here in MA where I've found some rocks (schist?) with lots of garnets, and some have very obviously popped out by themselves. But should I just keep them in the rock? I have no plans to polish/tumble any, but I am very curious how dealers get such clean specimens that appear to just sit on top of the matrix!

(not trying to hijack this topic... you can all yell at me if I am)

9th Aug 2016 21:15 UTCSteven Kuitems Expert

Dear Evan,

Since these garnets are rock locked and only rarely have a hint of the natural crystal faces so it might be better to trim down the dark matrix of the specimen and just keep it intact as an interesting smaller matrix specimen as a memento of your trip. In the very large garnet nodules I have seen them broken down into masses that are not as fractured and can yield material for tumbling or faceting just very dark, or left as attractive massive garnet specimens.

Steven.

9th Aug 2016 22:44 UTCDoug Daniels

Jonelle -

I would try to keep them in the matrix if possible. Adds more interest to the specimen. As to how the dealers get them the way they do? Depends on the matrix - if it is a mica schist, it may be relatively easy the chip the matrix away, exposing the crystals. Also depends on whether the garnet had started to react with the matrix, which can mess up the outer parts of the crystals (I've seen this in specimens from Tennessee and North Carolina).

11th Aug 2016 20:45 UTCJonelle DeFelice

Doug Daniels Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Jonelle -

> I would try to keep them in the matrix if

> possible. ...... As

> to how the dealers get them the way they do?

> Depends on the matrix - if it is a mica schist, it

> may be relatively easy the chip the matrix away,

> exposing the crystals.

Wouldn't there be "tool marks" on the surrounding stone/matrix?

11th Aug 2016 21:35 UTCTravis Hetsler

Not in the case of proper preparation!

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