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Post by writerman2255 on Jun 2, 2007 15:04:28 GMT -5
Hey, everybody. I was up at Crabtree today, and the second I found this beauty, I went home to clean it up. I first thought it was a gorgeous piece of tourmaline, because it was so big, and coated in black, but the minute I started to clean it off, I went, "Wow!" It's a deep green, with no damage, and no inclusions, just the normal emerald fissures. There's also another one underneath it that's a bit longer, and a small crystal on the side. There's more up there, I know it!  Tom. |
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Post by pegmatite on Jun 2, 2007 15:36:36 GMT -5
Very nice!
Steve
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Post by genchaos on Jun 2, 2007 17:04:06 GMT -5
Excellent find!!
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Post by fredda on Jun 2, 2007 18:57:48 GMT -5
Tom, what luck you had. Was that down by the pool or around the old truck or past that, before you turn left to go up that rise? fredda  Also, did you have to let anyone you were coming there or can ya do it spur of the moment? Like during the week? |
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Post by writerman2255 on Jun 2, 2007 20:11:15 GMT -5
You have to file a release form, and then pay your fifteen bucks to MAGMA so that you can dig for the day. The form is online, and I usually just mail in a check with it. You can also go to Little Switzerland and get the forms and pay there that day. The Crabtree is loaded with emeralds, you just have to dig for them! I had to go down around twelve feet to find that, and it ain't easy! But it's fun, and definitely worth it. Tom.
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Post by writerman2255 on Jun 3, 2007 18:50:51 GMT -5
There are no more emeralds at the Crabtree....er...there's no less either!
Yeah, and I heard someone say that 'it was all mined out in the seventies, we got em' all.' Well, I guess these were the few million that were missed! Believe me, there's so many, we won't get to them all, but we can sure give it a try! There's plenty left for those with a stout back and a persistent mindset. You can do anything! I'll even show you where I know plenty are! I am absolutely certain, that during the tourist stage of the mining there, so many were missed it isn't even funny. Or, maybe it is!
Tom.
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Post by dr00bie on Jun 4, 2007 8:34:31 GMT -5
Rodney,
Any auctions I see that claim that it is closed, I contact the seller and set the record straight. This has influenced some, but some others don't listen!
Drew
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Post by lincolnrocker on Jun 4, 2007 9:46:51 GMT -5
Yeah, I think some people would put the words "rare" and "antique" in the description if they were auctioning off a gum wrapper.
It pays to thoroughly research anything you want to buy off of Ebay before you bid. People charge for items but misinformation is usually free.
Lori
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Post by reverenddeb on Jun 6, 2007 9:16:20 GMT -5
Oh, I'm going there for the first time in 25 years. You get to the mine, and please add suggestions here. I want a specimen for my collection of US minerals. I'll have most of a Saturday to dig and early on a Sunday, then the plane leaves again.
Debbie
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Post by writerman2255 on Jun 14, 2007 16:47:33 GMT -5
 Here's the emerald (two of them that were together) wire wrapped and ready to go! I had to do it myself, and can't wait for Linda Creason's arm to heal! It's really much prettier in person by a long shot. Tom. |
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Post by reverenddeb on Jun 15, 2007 11:55:27 GMT -5
Nice.
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Post by writerman2255 on Jun 27, 2007 15:40:44 GMT -5
Just as an aside, I was in church the other day, and a woman saw my emerald and remarked that she used to go up to Crabtree all the time, and pull out emeralds this size all day long during the fifties like it was nothing at all. It didn't make me crazy or jealous, not at all, not one bit! Really! Okay, maybe. At least from her conversation, I found out that there must be thousands more specimens that people going through those mine buckets during the good ol' tourist days had to have left behind. Thousands more! I wonder where all those ones people found during that time are now? Must be somewhere!
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Post by lizziebird on Jun 28, 2007 5:30:45 GMT -5
On the one hand, you think, WOW  I keep hearing stories of emeralds everywhere, there must be a bunch left for the finding (and obviously there are because you lucky rock diggers keep finding them!). On the other hand, you think darn, they're all picked up already. Yet we keep going back, hoping to find some green beauties... That's a nice one, thanks for sharing. |
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Post by lee on Jun 28, 2007 15:07:07 GMT -5
Lizzebird:
As we all know, Tom is the ONE person who knows the Crabtree Mine finding potential the best. He has already found some great emeralds and I'm sure he will find more. If we could just watch over his shoulder, we may learn how to find more emeralds from this site. He is to be congratulated for his finds. You and I have been on the site and have not found the nice emeralds that Tom has found. Maybe our luck will change in the future. It's nice to know that Tom believed that there are plenty of emeralds left at the Crabtree Mine. I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming MAGMA field trip.
Lee
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Post by writerman2255 on Jun 28, 2007 16:13:47 GMT -5
Gee, Lee, when you put it that way, it makes me feel important! Thanks, I needed that! What I do know is this, that the Crabtree has more secrets than we know, and they're there for us to find. Many more. And, that with a lot of work, we can reach some of those gems down around twelve to twenty feet deep. I haven't reached the bottom of the dump piles yet, even with all my strenuous efforts, so there are still emeralds there from the eighteen hundreds and even before that, just waiting. Quietly.
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Post by DigDug on Jun 28, 2007 21:56:48 GMT -5
Let the general public think the mine is an Emerald Ghost Town, MORE 4 MAGMA...
Can the group say Amen or OhYeah or something.....LOL
Very nice discovery Writer......"cough"....looks like the one I dropped and couldnt find......LOL
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Post by writerman2255 on Jun 29, 2007 12:10:33 GMT -5
Hey, any time you want to know where I think they exactly are, I'll let you know when I'm going up there, and point them right out. A team of diggers might do incredible work in just one day. I know I can well in one day even though I'm only one person. Imagine what four of us could do!
Tom.
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Post by lee on Jun 29, 2007 12:31:23 GMT -5
Tom:
That sounds like an invitation to me. Come on MAGMA members, you may want to take Tom up on his invitation 'cause he does know where and how to find emeralds at the Crabtree. If I were 15 years younger, I would be out there with him tomorrow. Karen would look good if she could wear a big emerald crystal neckless.
Lee
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Post by lizziebird on Jun 29, 2007 14:59:05 GMT -5
Yep, sounds like an invitation to me, too! (and yes, digdug, let's just let everyone else think Crabtree is all out of Emeralds, ha ha) If only it weren't such a haul for me to get there, I'd probably spend a lot more time there. Darn this addictive hobby.  |
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Post by writerman2255 on Jul 2, 2007 7:37:43 GMT -5
Two things. One, I have some crystals listed on Ebay right now, and if you know of anyone who might want to buy them, just let them know. I know for a rockhound they may seem like more than one would want to pay, but that's alright! Someone will buy them!
Two, if there's anyone out there who cannot go to the Crabtree because of physical health, wheelchair etc. then just email me and I will send a real emerald crystal to you, or matrix specimen, whatever I have depending upon demand, if you are willing to pay postage. Usually under a buck or so. I will do this for as long as they last. What you give out, you live out!
Love and Light, Tom.
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Post by colorshapetexture on Jul 2, 2007 14:24:01 GMT -5
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Post by writerman2255 on Jul 3, 2007 9:33:58 GMT -5
Thanks! I saw them, but they are so small and different than the one I have for sale there. The crystal I have listed is big, green, and well formed, sticking right out of the matix. It's not really 'in' the matrix, but separate and sticking out completely.
Love and Light, Tom.
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Post by writerman2255 on Jul 28, 2007 8:45:38 GMT -5
Okay, here's two more. And I was wrong, I admit it. These weren't twelve feet underground. The single crystal was something I TRIPPED over, trying to help some lady from Virginia find some emeralds right by the truck. It's 14 mm long, gorgeous green, and quite intact. The second specimen was only two feet down, and it's covered with over 50 separate crystals. It's hard to see how deep and clear the green is on the four largest ones, but they're incredible. So I eat crow now, and take back the 'twelve feet under' thing! Go and find now.   Love and Light, Tom. |
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Post by crystaldigger on Sept 4, 2007 17:49:17 GMT -5
I went up to Crabtree the other day. Found a few small ones but did find a couple of much larger beryl crystals. The biggest one was 1 1/4 inches x 3/4 inch. I will post pictures if and when I ever get my camera back from my "ex" or buy one myself (odds are for the latter). |
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Post by writerman2255 on Sept 11, 2007 12:08:26 GMT -5
You go, crystal digger! I know they're there. I'm going back up as soon as the new motor is humming in my truck, which has all my tools on it. There are many places where there's a lot of green, I've noticed that they missed a whole bunch of stuff, you just have to breathe, relax, and use your intuition to find out where it is.
Tom.
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Post by HeadieRocks on Sept 15, 2007 9:16:13 GMT -5
Was at the 'Tree on Wednesday. We found some feldspar, some feldspar, and some schorl. I don't know what it is but I just can't seem to find any beryls there at all, let alone any big green...
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Post by colorshapetexture on Sept 18, 2007 21:42:22 GMT -5
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Post by HeadieRocks on Sept 18, 2007 23:36:18 GMT -5
Worked on a few pieces I brought home from the 'Tree last week today and found one tiny speck of emerald, and in one rock I opened up I found at least a dozen super gemmy heliodors hiding inside. They are all small, between 1-3 mm wide and the longest is about 1 and 1/2 inches. I'm just glad to find my first beryl that wasn't one little corner remnant!
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Post by writerman2255 on Sept 19, 2007 20:34:45 GMT -5
I love that one in the middle with the six sided beryl shape. The beryl is there. I opened up a stone the size of a bowling ball and out fell at least twenty pieces of cloudy beryl, some over two and three inches long. There's also these strange emerald wanna be's, huge, with only a tinge of green at their ends, and then the rest is this opaque yellow green stuff. Some are probably over a hundred carats or so, at least two and a half inches in diameter. I don't know what to do with them. There are places at the Crabtree where there is a lot of golden beryl. There are also about a hundred thousand places I haven't been yet. It's work! Keep on diggin! Tom.
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Post by di66er on Sept 19, 2007 21:35:32 GMT -5
I agree with you Tom it's work! Keep on diggin! I will add ... Think Green! The emerald wanna be's are what would keep me digging if I lived near enough. Lucky happens weeeeeeeeeeee! |
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I keep hearing stories of emeralds everywhere, there must be a bunch left for the finding (and obviously there are because you lucky rock diggers keep finding them!). On the other hand, you think darn, they're all picked up already. Yet we keep going back, hoping to find some green beauties...
