Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 6:14 pm Posts: 640 Location: Hohe Tauern N.P., Austria
Dear Debaro!
Sorry, didn´t log in for quite a time.
I am happy you liked it in the Valley and look forward to see you there this season.
If you really want to have some tips regarding the general geology of the valley, so to find some of its nearly 180 minerals in a five day trip ,you have to sit down with a local professional and plan the tour under consideration of the weather forecast.
Buy a copy of Dr. Niedermeyer´s book in the Alpenrose, its just a few Euros and worth it for planning trips.
Take your time to visit the nearby museums and showrooms of the Diggers to look at what is there and where to find it. Don´t expect easy openings of clefts or veigns: the area is widely rockhunted since centuries .
You can also pm me early enough to check if i´m mining. If so, feel invited for a exchange about all your questions while we dig for greenies.
Happy digging!
Nikolaus
_________________ Gemstones are everywhere. You just have to dig deep enough to reach them.
I spent two weeks at the entry of the Habachtal, in 1979 or so - in a typical Austrian house, as a guest. Very rainy days btw...
As far as I can remember this Habach Valley is very long and broad so that one cannot find the location of these famous emeralds. One really needs an exact map.
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2008 5:41 am Posts: 2 Location: Zalaegerszeg, Hungary
Dear Nikolaus!
Thank you for the information.
We'll go to the Habachtal valley from te 15th (friday) to the 19th (tuesday) of august. We've booked accomodation in the Enzian-hut.
We plan to wisit the Alpine Mineral Show, the Museum in Bramberg and the Exhibition of the Steiner's on the 15th of august. We try to find something in the valley in the next 3 days - near the Emerald mine, at the end of the valley ("Prehnit Island" and near the glacier), and if we have enough poser, maybe we visit the "Evil"s mill". We have to leave the "Emerald-kindom" on the 09. of august.
I hope, Dr. Niedermayer"s book will help us to find great minerals, and maybe we met there!
Post subject: Re: The Habachtal Emerald deposit – Green Fire beneath the I
Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 7:27 pm
Nikolaus Lackner wrote:
Although the occurrence of Emeralds in this high alpine valley is the only relevant one in Europe....... Later on an English company (Esmerald Mines Ltd.) took over the operations for about 20 years, and the stones they mined in that period (There are only figures for one year left in documents: in the 1903 season they sent 32.000 Carats of fine rough and 7.000 Carats of best quality to England) were labelled as “Indian emeralds”, because the deposit was not known to most of the people in gem trade and would have sold for a much lower price........ high prices are paid by European collectors only, but paid is paid. Some people tried to take advantage of this fact and imported cheap rough from other mines around the world to sell them as Austrian emeralds.......
Nicklaus, Gruess Gott!,
Like the formations of gemstones, what is begun on one day, long ago, can give pleasure much later. Thank you for a most interesting story. Sadly or not, i am unlikely ever to visit Colombia again (and when I did in days' past, it was with no thought of gem stones). But Austria.... why, it's almost next door to UK, nicht war?
Strangely, I was reading only earlier today about the final extinction of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 and the setting of the stage for the days of the Hapsburgs and Austro-Hungary. Anyway, I miss the wine. It's too long since I shared a bottle of a good Trockenbeerenauslese in the dying light of a summer's evening. Next year perhaps...
Thanks again for the story,
Ich wuenche Ihnen usw....
Owen
P.S. Is Habacht an Austrian variant of the German 'Habicht'? Or is the derivation something different?
Post subject: Re: The Habachtal Emerald deposit – Green Fire beneath the I
Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 10:25 am
Gemology Online Veteran
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 6:14 pm Posts: 640 Location: Hohe Tauern N.P., Austria
Owen,
would be glad to show you around... Just tell me early enough. As the last Habachtal dig with the Frummembers was such fun (Read in Field trips for gem hunters), I assume there will be another one next year...
Habachtal does not have the same roots as Habicht. Habach is the name of the little stream in the valley, Tal means Valley. Ha-bach has come from Heu - bach, Heu is hay, bach is creek, small stream. The name therefore expresses the age old agricultural tradition of harvesting hay up there in the summertime.
_________________ Gemstones are everywhere. You just have to dig deep enough to reach them.
Post subject: Re: The Habachtal Emerald deposit – Green Fire beneath the I
Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 10:44 am
Nikolaus Lackner wrote:
Owen,
would be glad to show you around... Just tell me early enough. As the last Habachtal dig with the Frummembers was such fun (Read in Field trips for gem hunters), I assume there will be another one next year...
Habachtal does not have the same roots as Habicht. Habach is the name of the little stream in the valley, Tal means Valley. Ha-bach has come from Heu - bach, Heu is hay, bach is creek, small stream. The name therefore expresses the age old agricultural tradition of harvesting hay up there in the summertime.
Und frohes Geburtstag auch!
Many thanks, Nicklaus. Similarly, should you ever visit the South of England please be sure to let me know that you will be coming. The good wine here (IMO) all imported but we make some good beers and have some nice places to drink them in
Post subject: Re: The Habachtal Emerald deposit – Green Fire beneath the I
Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2016 2:19 pm
New to the Forum or The Quiet Type
Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2016 8:33 am Posts: 3
Hey Nikolaus
My partner and i have traveled over from Australia to Austria and will be heading down to Habachtal as i have learnt that there are gems in the area. In Australia I often go fossicking as it is a passion of mine and was wondering if you would be interested in taking us out on an emerald fossicking trip? Would be great to meet up with someone with knowledge of the area. Im only new to this site so my pm does not work yet.
Post subject: Re: The Habachtal Emerald deposit – Green Fire beneath the I
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2016 5:00 am
Valued Contributor
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2014 8:23 am Posts: 254
Hello David and welcome to GO-Forum.
Nikolaus was in forum last time Sun Oct 04, 2015 and I do not know if he is reading your posting. There is a very good magazin called Pinzgau - Tal der Kristalle und des grünen Feuers extraLapis No. 32 ISSN 0945-8492 Christian Weise Verlag München http://www.lapis.de/mineralien_buch/de/ ... nzgau.html
Best locality is Bramberg Habachtal. From there you can take a bus (called emerald bus) for to drive to Almgasthof Alpenrose. In steep switchbacks you climb the Gasthof Alpenrose over the former Sedl-Alm (Söllalm) to Leckbachrinne.
Post subject: Re: The Habachtal Emerald deposit – Green Fire beneath the I
Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 10:30 pm
Valued Contributor
Joined: Sat May 17, 2014 3:55 am Posts: 140
In August 1979 I was doing fieldwork at the nearby Mittersill scheelite mine. On a Sunday I took a local train to Sulzau and then walked, walked amd walked. After almost 4 hours I got at the base of the mine. Then I climbed the steep side of the valley up to the entrance of the mine. It was clearly locked. There were a few people fossicking around. I ended up buying a sample from a local collector. Nevertheless it was an interesting walk. I guess today there are better tourist facilities to access of entrance of the mine.
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