Quartz, Australia

Here's a possible candidate for the Mt.Gee locality, I was luck enough to find a decent sized vugh many years ago that contained well-formed (but slightly dull and opaque) Amethyst clusters. Although the Mt.Gee area is abundant with quartz, the Amethyst variety is quite elusive! Specimen measures 7cm x 7cm, and is one of several specimens extracted from the pocket. Not exactly a "world-class" specimen by any means, but hopefully representative of Amethyst from this location.

Ps. Ralph, no problems to use the White Rock photo if you wish, just send me a PM if you need the hi-res file.

© Patrick Gundersen

Here's a suite of my recent finds from Harts Range, mostly collected from 2010 and 2011, please feel free to use any of these in your article if required. The first 5 specimens are all from the one pocket in 2011, with the highlight being a large 12cm x 8cm cluster featuring large, lustrous sceptered smoky/amethyst crystals:

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The below specimens were collected from various vughs in 2010:

Howdy Ralph,

Kathleen Patricia Mine, Cowell, Eyre peninsula, South Australia, Australia - Updated.

Cheers Mark.

We will never have all the answers, only more questions!

Mark,
Mt Gee had no good photos at the time, it does now, but I think we could use more. Maybe we could ask Mich Vort-Ronald, had had some great ones?

Regards,
Ralph

Hi Ralph,

Not sure how much Mick still has, but I'll check with him. I know several of the minsoc guys have good specimens from there, not to mention all the other localities!
I know one who is reluctant to post photos of some of his specimens, which is a pity, but I respect his privacy, so I'll leave him out.
I have a few decent one too, just need to get the camera going and take some photos. One more thing on the list of things to do I guess!

Cheers Mark.

We will never have all the answers, only more questions!

Hi Mark
I don't see what you changed with the Kathleen Patricia, but I'm sure it's good. Do you have any info on this mine? I don't know it.

Regards,
Ralph

Thanks Patrick, great specimens and photos, I have used a few, better stop.
Are these all from the Entia valley, or just generic Harts Range?
And can you add a few words about the occurrence(s) sometime please?

Regards,
Ralph

Thanks Mark. I should have some reasonable specimens myself, but over the years things disappear or get buried in boxes. I need a concerted campaign of digging in my shed!

Regards,
Ralph

Hi Ralph,

Kathleen Patrica previously read;

"A morion (smoky quartz) mine.

Production from 1977-2007 of semi precious stones - Quartz was estimated at 20 tonnes."



It now reads;

"A morion (smoky quartz) mine.

Approx 26km north-northwest of Cowell, the deposit has formed in a northly trending section of the Warrow Quartzite, from the Hutchison Group, which is believed to be of Lower Proterozoic age (542-2500mya).
Crystals as large as 15cm in diameter have been found and plates containling numerous crystals to approx 90cm in diameter.
The best crystals appear to have been found in the 30-60cm (depth) zone, with crystals above this depth being faded.
Chemical testing shows little difference in the composition of chemistry between the clear and the smoky varietys. With no obvious trace element being responsible for the smoky colourisation.
There may, however, appear to be a link between temperature and the changes in colour.
Few if any gem quality specimens have been found here, although collector quality specimens are common.

Production from 1977-2007 of semi precious stones - Quartz was estimated at 20 tonnes.

No mine summary card appears to exist for this site.
Although detailed geological data has been produced; as a mine very little information exists."

Cheers Mark.

We will never have all the answers, only more questions!

Is that the sort of info you want for this article?
A cross of geological and historical, or would you rather lean towards the historical only?

Cheers Mark.

We will never have all the answers, only more questions!

In the S.A. Mines Dept book, Barnes et al. (1980) Some Semiprecious and Ornamental Stones of South Australia, there is an entire chapter devoted to the Kathleen Patricia morion mine, including site photos, maps, geology etc. The same volume also has chapters on amethyst (Hundred of Kelly, Fullerville) and Olary Province rock crystal occurrences.

Cheers,

Ben.

Howdy Ben,

That's where the info we have was paragphrased from.

Cheers Mark.

We will never have all the answers, only more questions!

Here's a couple of photos of a recent find in July this year. A large collapsed clay-filled vugh was discovered in a granite outcrop in the Bismuth Dam region of the Torrington area, New England, NSW. The pocket was dug over 3 days (and a night, hence the name "Moonlight Pocket" !) and yielded over 2000 crystals. These specimens were mostly single crystals with an average size of about 5cm long and in rare cases up to 18cm long. As there has been some post-growth movement in the pocket, only a few clusters were found intact. These crystals featured an unusual growth structure featuring a central core of black Smoky Quartz and then a secondary out growth of richly coloured Citrine. In places the two quartz layers are separated by a thin layer of sericite mica causing the outer quartz layer on the stems of the crystals to have been weathered away, exposing the dark Smoky Quartz stems. The end result is an almost "Scepter" appearance. This is most noticeable in the single crystals as can be seen below:

Very cool,
Looks like Ill have to put some of them in the best minerals Quartz article.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

Large Quartz var. Morion
Thulimbah, Stanthorpe
Queensland
Australia

Dimensions: 190mm x 85mm

In personal Collection. Part of the "Giant Crystal Project"



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2012 09:08AM by Nigel Richardson.

Quartz var. Rock Crystal
White Rock Quarry
Horsnell Gully
Mt. Lofty Ranges
South Australia

Dimensions: 185mm x 120mm

In personal Collection. Part of the "Giant Crystal Project"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2012 09:14AM by Nigel Richardson.

Candlewax Quartz
Rumsby's Mine
The Gulf, N.S.W.
Australia

Dimensions: 160mm x 60mm

In personal Collection. Part of the "Giant Crystal Project"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2012 09:17AM by Nigel Richardson.

Quartz var. Rock Crystal with Phantoms
Silent Grove
N.S.W.
Australia


Dimensions: 165mm x 40mm

In personal Collection. Part of the "Giant Crystal Project"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2012 09:23AM by Nigel Richardson.

Thanks Nigel, I will add these to the article.

Regards,
Ralph

Hi Nigel, could we add these great pictures to the respective localities in the database?

Regards,
Ralph