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Post by writerman2255 on May 26, 2011 18:52:08 GMT -5
Thank you, deeply. I have worked very hard to find them, sometimes shoveling for eight hours in the heat, but it's worth it when you love two things, emeralds, and the Earth! Such gifts. Love and Light, Tom. I will post some new pics. soon.
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Post by writerman2255 on Jun 2, 2011 12:58:28 GMT -5
Okay, another Tree Treat. This is the top of the display box I use to house that perfect double emerald which is in another photo somewhere in this thread, the really bright clear green emeralds. These pieces range from sixty to three carats, depending upon the crystal. Yes, there is a lot of aqua in there, but the Tree has a lot of aqua that I've found. Enjoy! Love and Light, Tom.
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Post by lee on Jun 2, 2011 15:13:52 GMT -5
Tom my friend:
You are the man when it comes to the "Tree". The specimens that you have posted pictures of are absolutely fantastic. Such a variety !! I know those emerald, beryl, and fluorite pieces have come with great effort on your part. Keep up the good work and good luck in expanding your collection.
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Post by writerman2255 on Jun 2, 2011 18:25:30 GMT -5
Thanks, Lee. Effort? Ha! What's eight hours of digging in the dirt, throwing rocks around, and splitting them with a twenty pound sledge? A walk in the park I say! At least I don't have to pay to go to a health club, that's for sure. And the air's better out on the mountain. Here's a pic of that piece of classic green at the front of the pic earlier. It's a closeup. This guy is about a quarter inch long, and one of the few emeralds that consistently comes out the right color. It's like green candy. Love and Light, Tom.
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Post by HeadieRocks on Jun 5, 2011 22:21:21 GMT -5
All these pics make me wonder how many emeralds I threw out into my driveway back in NC. I didn't quite understand then that the muscovite hid the emeralds under it...
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Post by Barrett on Jun 6, 2011 1:13:35 GMT -5
the biotite and chlorite schist provided the chromium and the pegmatite had the beryllium..where they meet good things tend to happen
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Post by writerman2255 on Jun 20, 2011 16:36:49 GMT -5
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Post by HeadieRocks on Jun 20, 2011 21:22:47 GMT -5
Tom, if and when I make it back east to dig, and head to the Tree, I want to dig with you dude! You have the best luck of anyone! Great finds once again
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Post by Ryan on Jun 20, 2011 23:52:58 GMT -5
Very nice Tom! Your Crabtree collection is likely unrivaled in the country, Speakin of snakes, I was near boone at a magnetite and garnet locality last week and I saw two of the buggers right under the rocks I was trying to collect! I am a snake pet owner so I know for a fact these two were non venemous, but dang did I jump when I uncovered them!!!
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Post by writerman2255 on Jun 23, 2011 21:59:26 GMT -5
You know, Ryan, I don't know about that. I've heard stories about people in their eighties who used to go to The Tree regularly, and have incredible collections, which far surpass what my meager efforts have managed to accumulate. I just heard a story about such a collection today, from someone who was visiting the mine. Boy, would I love to see one of those from the sixties! I can only imagine. I try though. Thanks for your encouragement. T.
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Post by Dicky the Rockhunter on Jul 1, 2011 14:13:24 GMT -5
Hay Tom I have some of that material and was wondering what the matrix is composed of ? Itried to drilla hole in a small cab to hang it from a silver chain and it is realy hard and tha black just turns to mush and runs.
Love it though Dicky
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Post by writerman2255 on Jul 1, 2011 19:07:32 GMT -5
Dicky:
What you probably tried to drill through that came apart, was biotite. Nothing can hold that stuff together. The other material is quartz, feldspar, tourmaline, possible to drill through with a diamond drill under water. Hope this helps!
T.
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Post by Dicky the Rockhunter on Jul 3, 2011 7:15:35 GMT -5
Dicky: What you probably tried to drill through that came apart, was biotite. Nothing can hold that stuff together. The other material is quartz, feldspar, tourmaline, possible to drill through with a diamond drill under water. Hope this helps! T. Thanks Tom , was just currious.
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Post by writerman2255 on Jul 18, 2011 13:53:59 GMT -5
Yes, I have been doing some sweaty summer digging. But at least at The Tree, it rains and cools off. This piece has at its center a very deep, clear green six sided emerald, 6/16 in width, and how deep into the stone I don't know yet. These are such a great color. The first shot is the front with the 6/16 in the center, and the second shot is the back of the piece. This is going to make some really nice pendants! Enjoy! I know you do, because I love all of your posts as well. Keep on posting! Love and Light, T.
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Post by writerman2255 on Jul 20, 2011 19:23:23 GMT -5
Okay, the above piece has been cut into smaller pendant sized pieces, and I wanted to show you how that works. The following is the polished face of the wrap, with the top left natural, because the emeralds in it were so gorgeous the way they were, I left it open so that you can see that the big one goes all through the piece, and is obviously six sided, so it looks perfect that way. After these, I think I can wrap this tomorrow, and then post the gold wire wrap them, so you can see the whole evolution of the process. Enjoy. T.
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Post by writerman2255 on Jul 21, 2011 16:10:10 GMT -5
Okay, in this third exciting installment of The Tree! This is the evolution of the above piece into a piece of jewelry, a pendant wrap. Though it looks as if it's just hanging there, it's solidly in that wrap, being held in place by six points, some of which are hard to see. But it's solid as a rock and not going anywhere. Six wraps came out of that one piece, but this is the only one done so far. Too hot here to do any more. Sheesh! Hope you enjoy. T.
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Post by writerman2255 on Jul 21, 2011 18:45:11 GMT -5
Thanks, Rick. Lots of work, these. But I love it. Rockhounds. Wow. T.
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Post by lee on Jul 21, 2011 19:31:31 GMT -5
Tom:
It's great not only to see the specimens you find at the Tree; but also the final pendant you put together. Great work and keep the fine materials coming for our enjoyment.
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Post by writerman2255 on Aug 9, 2011 17:00:16 GMT -5
Okay, this is my latest find from The Tree! The guy who made this belt for me did such a great job. It was from a rattler I killed on the road into the Tree, not at the Tree itself. I keep the Tree rattler free, I'm there so much! Enjoy! Love and Light, Tom
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Post by writerman2255 on Aug 16, 2011 20:01:05 GMT -5
Just thought you'd like to see this one too. It was up top, near the truck. It's an amazing piece, with many more emeralds in it that I haven't clearned out yet. Some really, really, nice green too. So who says The Tree's all played out! I don't think so! Enjoy. T. BTW, the piece is about three by three inches and most of the emeralds you see are from a quarter inch, to larger, with the largest being an inch, including what it still in the matrix. Hard to get out though!
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Post by Aye Corundum! on Aug 30, 2011 16:03:56 GMT -5
Nice one writerman - I agree, the tree still has plenty for me. I found this one up by the truck also. Just sitting on top of the pile all by it's lonesome:
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Post by writerman2255 on Aug 30, 2011 18:16:47 GMT -5
Very nice, indeed! Nice green too. T.
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Post by mitch on Sept 7, 2011 17:18:05 GMT -5
I made my first trip to the Tree this past Sunday. The weather was perfect, overcast and in the mid 70's....I can't believe I was the only one there. I spent most of my time screening by the pond...I took a 5 gallon buck of material at a time from different locations throughout the dumps to see if any areas were better than others...and they were. Most everything I found was small matrix pieces and a few loose beryl crystals. Here is a pic of my best piece of the day. Same piece on the opposite side. I think there may still be some crystals underneath that biotite, so will have to scrape some more. I read every post on every page of this thread before I made my trip and it really helped a lot. So thanks to all you Crabtree diehards...especially Tom! -Mitch
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Post by Ryan on Sept 8, 2011 0:35:52 GMT -5
Mitch, I think Toms posts make up a nice 50% of the entire 52 page thread. And rightly so! Im not sure many people on Earth have more crabtree beryl than that guy does! You were wise to read the threads before going. Looks like it paid off! Youll want to GENTLY exacto knife or dental pick that biotite away from the green. I brought home a chunk from Crabtree with ZERO green showing and after a little picking, it turned out to have quite a bunch of beryl on it! Some of it deep green! (Last piece in my post on page 48 at the bottom) And since that post, I have revealed more green and a huge hex on the backside of that same piece! So good luck poking away and heres hoping theres more green under that shiney black! Congrats on your first trip and green find! Now you have to take it over to Tom and have him make a cool wrap for ya!
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Post by writerman2255 on Sept 13, 2011 16:55:46 GMT -5
Thanks, Mitch and Ryan! Hope to have some more specimens to post here soon. Been working on an idea of a new area to plumb at The Tree! They are endless. T.
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Post by writerman2255 on Oct 18, 2011 19:16:06 GMT -5
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Post by writerman2255 on Nov 25, 2011 23:13:39 GMT -5
Rick and Co. tossed over some nice new exposed stuff this last machine dig. Every little bit helps! This first emerald crystal, is a nice green, nothing deep, but it was right on the surface and it's pretty big. The second specimen is covered with the most flawless (small) pieces of the deepest and most of all, brightest emerald green material I have ever seen. It just glows. The pics may not portray this, but in person the piece does! Enjoy. Love and Light, T.
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Post by Ezdiggin on Dec 19, 2011 17:07:56 GMT -5
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Post by Barrett on Dec 19, 2011 17:58:43 GMT -5
Wow that is a crazy looking specimen. $19,000
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Post by Doug on Dec 20, 2011 10:03:40 GMT -5
I just posted that I have a better specimen and so does at least one other person I know of. It is nice, but definitely not the best and nowhere near worth that price.
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