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Post by lee on Sept 16, 2009 20:33:50 GMT -5
It has been a while since I posted some pictures of Diamond Hill material. Here are two pieces I got on my last two visits. First is the big 13 pound amethyst cluster I got on my trip before last and then there is a nice quartz crystal cluster piece I got during the last dig. Each cluster is over 7 inches tall and 5 inches wide. Enjoy. Lee |
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Post by arappaho on Sept 16, 2009 22:01:59 GMT -5
Love the color in that cluster, Lee! Nice find and nice job cleaning it.
Joe
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Post by rockpeople on Dec 29, 2009 17:35:50 GMT -5
This is my fav. As a newby, I was very excited to wash this off after the April 09 Diamond Hill dig. I got another smokey probably worth more, but love these contacted Amethyst twins. Will post better pics. Attachments:
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Post by root2crown on Aug 13, 2010 7:17:31 GMT -5
my favorite specimen in my own collection is the lovely twinned beryl i found the first time i ever went to the ray mine. it's featured as my avatar for the moment but here's another view:  i was collecting in the main dump pile, found a boulder, noticed two tiny blue spots. i worked on it for over 30 minutes (only had a 1 lb carpenter's hammer and this was a fairly large boulder) to reduce it into manageable chunks. the largest of those chunks finally split open and there it was. i hate to associate the best moment of my life to a material object but honestly, that moment was up there. all i could think about was how that crystal was 300-400 million years old and had never been seen or touched by a human until i came along. it's as if it was waiting for me all this time...not to mention i could dig there a hundred more times and never find anything like that again! |
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Post by hydrogeologist on Aug 13, 2010 20:29:11 GMT -5
Nice find. Is it repaired?
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Post by root2crown on Aug 14, 2010 18:59:19 GMT -5
unfortunately, yes, repaired. it broke in half (as they tend to do) as i was extracting it from the boulder. i couldn't bear to leave it broken so i used superglue.
i was less experienced then...it was actually only my 2nd time collecting specimens (ever) and my first time at the ray mine. i could go there a 100 more times and NEVER find something like that again. what a day!
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Post by carnelianpete on Aug 26, 2010 13:35:29 GMT -5
Very sweet piece you found there. I know how you feel about that great find. I still get a thrill everytime I find a really good specimen and I have been collecting for 35 years or so. Best of luck in the future. Its a keeper. No sale or trade on that one if I had it.
Pete
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Post by writerman2255 on Aug 26, 2010 18:45:27 GMT -5
You know, I've often thought the same thing. About crystals and how they haven't been seen by another human for millions of years, and here this thing is, popping out of a rock just for me. I feel so honored. Thank's for sharing that! Nice find! Love and Light, Tom.
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Post by morishidol on Aug 26, 2010 21:00:34 GMT -5
 from the 2010 Diamond hill spring dig! |
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Post by arappaho on Aug 31, 2010 21:25:41 GMT -5
I love that piece, too, Jason. Nice Find!
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Post by stevebarr on Sept 1, 2010 1:34:45 GMT -5
That one sure does look pretty since you got it cleaned up! I remember when you wandered up with it in your hands, all covered with dirt and I knew instantly that you had unearthed a killer shelf specimen. Great find!
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Post by mickey on Sept 1, 2010 8:35:21 GMT -5
That is an absolutely gorgeous DH specimen!!!
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Post by scott on Sept 1, 2010 14:21:04 GMT -5
Definitely one of my favorite finds, a classic smoky tessin habit quartz crystal that is flawless throughout. Too bad this location has apartments going in ontop of it right now.  |
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Post by stonebuster on Oct 12, 2010 7:21:28 GMT -5
My favorite find was this 7 inch gem smokey I found in a five foot wide pocket in a pegmatite at a abandoned quarry in Connecticut in the early 1990's. When pulling rubble away from the wall of the quarry I saw a laurel bush above with a root trailing down the rock face. The root dissappeared into the rock and into the pocket which is how I found the previously undiscovered pocket. Finding an undisturbed large pocket and discovering what's inside has to be one of the most exciting feelings I've had rockhounding. Attachments:
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Post by writerman2255 on Oct 17, 2010 18:06:12 GMT -5
Really nice specimens! Thanks for posting them. Tom.
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Post by Ryan on Oct 18, 2010 1:51:28 GMT -5
Stonebuster, that crystal is spectacular! So dark yet clear. That must have been really cool getting into an undisturbed 5 foot pocket in peg! That crystal is a neat shape. Is that a Dauphine face termination?
Morishidol, that DH is beautiful. Looks like it belongs in a museam.
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Post by stonebuster on Oct 18, 2010 6:40:05 GMT -5
Ryan, Thanks, but I'm not familiar with the term "Dauphine face termination." But I'd like to know if it is and what it is. I hope this photo of the termination will help to clarify. Thanks, Mike Attachments:
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Post by scott on Oct 18, 2010 8:03:22 GMT -5
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Post by Ryan on Oct 19, 2010 4:04:49 GMT -5
Dauphine habit is when (usually the front) one or two rhombohedral face of the termination are much larger than the others. The crystals growth "speed" has something to do with it. There is a guy named Scott on this board who knows a LOT about quartz. He likes to dig for Tessin habit quartz ( crystal tapers thinner and thinner as it grows up) near Raleigh. He pointed me to this page: www.quartzpage.de/crs_habits.htmlCopy and paste that in your browser. It is a great tool for determining the crystal habit of a particular piece of quartz. Once again though, that piece you have there is awesome! That picture you just posted is the opposite side from the Dauphine face but Im pretty sure it is. The name "Dauphine" is derived from a name locals had givin to the French Alps near the town of Grenoble |
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Post by Ryan on Oct 19, 2010 4:05:55 GMT -5
HA!!! I hadnt even noticed you posted that Scott!!! See??? I told you he knows everything about Quartz! HAAHHAHA P.S. I see Amir gave you props on his page. You are a web certified authority.  |
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Post by JohnD on Feb 4, 2011 12:01:18 GMT -5
6
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Post by 41dave on Feb 4, 2011 12:58:36 GMT -5
hmm..I do see that NC is unfortunately left off the specimen list....we should get on that... Scott..I wonder if he accepts "Photo Only" donations? www.quartzpage.de/info_spc.html-Dave |
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Post by stonebuster on Feb 12, 2011 9:54:44 GMT -5
Thanks for the link to the "Quartzpage." Very good info there. I'm going to have to re-examine a few hundred smokies from that location now and see if I can ID the crystal forms from that link. They did come in a variety of shapes and I'll ask your assistance with some of the IDs as far as the crystal form. Thanks again, Mike
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Post by carnelianpete on Feb 12, 2011 17:33:18 GMT -5
My favorites of the month. (Till I get to go out and collect something different.) First is Bixbyite with a DT of Topaz to the lower right. Specimen size is about 1/4" for the bixbyite and about 1/8" for the topaz. The next is my best Flourite from TN. This is about 5" on a side.   Pete |
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Post by arappaho on Feb 12, 2011 21:27:55 GMT -5
WoW, Pete, WoW! Those are 2 Great specimens!
Thanks for the pics.
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Post by scott on Feb 14, 2011 12:48:31 GMT -5
hmm..I do see that NC is unfortunately left off the specimen list....we should get on that... Scott..I wonder if he accepts "Photo Only" donations? www.quartzpage.de/info_spc.html-Dave Well, I've sent Amir several specimens from NC. He has told me how busy he always is and that he already has lots of other specimens waiting to be posted on his website. Anything I've sent him may or may not ever show up on his website. But, at least Amir is now informed about the great specimens we're finding in NC. I did, however, get Amir to update his localities when it comes to "alpine-type" fissures. Just before you get halfway down the page and under the topic "Localities" you'll see he added North Carolina. www.quartzpage.de/atf.html |
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Post by stonebuster on Feb 14, 2011 17:52:32 GMT -5
Really beautiful specimens, Pete. Something special about it to me when you can collect them yourself. Connecticut is not known for it's Fluorite, but I was lucky enough to collect some decent ones at Old Mine Plaza construction site in Trumbull Ct.(Home Depot) a couple of winters ago. They were found in a narrow vein of calcite crystals. Attachments:
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Post by stonebuster on Feb 15, 2011 13:41:16 GMT -5
This specimen is a favorite of mine more because of when and how I found it. On my second day of exploring an abandoned quarry in Ct. I reached between some large boulders at the bottom of the quarry wall near a pegmatite vein. Before I ever saw these two crystals, I felt their smooth faces and knew what I had found. They were loose and came out pretty easily as did several others. Attachments:
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Post by scott on Feb 15, 2011 15:16:54 GMT -5
Now that's a tremendous find stonebuster! What feeling that must have been. Thanks for sharing. That cluster is awesome!
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Post by 41dave on Feb 15, 2011 15:35:11 GMT -5
...and kids...it's as simple as that!
man I bet that was a good day!
just out of curiosity...have you ever found beryl crystal(s) embedded in a smoky quartz crystal?
-Dave
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