Joined: Fri May 02, 2008 11:10 am Posts: 2698 Location: Rock and Roll Heaven
blue paraiba wrote:
Qld Barry wrote:
Well, let me be the first to ask- where is your area?
My area is nevada, i travel around the west and southwest US.
Arizona, "Ant Hill" chrome garnet. Beautiful red color, but so saturated, most cut stones over a carat are to dark.
Arizona also produces Andradite garnet. The green variety being, Demantoid, but I've not heard of Demantoid being found there officially, just rumor.
Orange Spessartite, from the "Little Three Mine" in California. If I remember my gem history right, this is the first place the found Spessartite Garnet. Seems like their is another mine close by that produces Spessartite too.
Idaho produces some fine gem Pyrope Garnet.
Montana produces Garnet.
I'm sure most western states do, it's just a matter if their gem grade.
_________________ Elvis has entered the forum and you ain't nothing but a rock hound!
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2011 11:48 am Posts: 584 Location: Odenton, Maryland
I was just reading about a public site for spess garnet in Arizona, too, though I'm not sure what color or grade they are there. East of Kingman. I gave my dad the book, but could probably pester him for the info if you're interested.
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:20 am Posts: 2756 Location: Southern California, U.S.A.
ELVIS PRASIOLITE wrote:
blue paraiba wrote:
Orange Spessartite, from the "Little Three Mine" in California. If I remember my gem history right, this is the first place the found Spessartite Garnet. Seems like their is another mine close by that produces Spessartite too.
The garnet species Spessartite is named for its occurrence in Spessart, Germany (Bavaria), the earliest-known. But it was probably popularized from its major 19th century production at Rutherford Mines, Amelia Courthouse, VA which Bauer mentioned in 1905. Early mineralogists thought it was a variety of grossular/hessonite, and not a separate garnet species.
The Little 3 and Hercules mines haven't produced much in many years -- they're being built over by housing developments and hampered by uneconomic mining regulations. Some pegmatites in the Pala District have produced small amounts of spessartite.
Spessartites from many other U.S. locations are commonly a darker orange/red or brownish spessartite-almandine combination and not the vibrant orange-hued stones.
The best AZ andradites all seem to be on Apache Indian land and visitors are NOT welcome.
Orange Spessartite, from the "Little Three Mine" in California. If I remember my gem history right, this is the first place the found Spessartite Garnet. Seems like their is another mine close by that produces Spessartite too.
The Little 3 and Hercules mines haven't produced much in many years -- they're being built over by housing developments and hampered by uneconomic mining regulations. Some pegmatites in the Pala District have produced small amounts of spessartite.quote
It isn't that they are being built over it is that California is not very business friendly and the people that own the mine decided to not pursue mining it because of that. The people of California are in a race to see who can call themselves greener and mining of all types is frowned upon. There are less then ten homes with in two miles of the little three and hercules mine which are pretty much on top of each other.
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:20 am Posts: 2756 Location: Southern California, U.S.A.
Hi Stairman, I stand corrected somewhat. I based my post on what I was told when talking with a person who mined spessartite there, Donald K. Olson. I bought my first spessartites from him years ago, before the African discoveries. I haven't visited the sites and maybe Don was exaggerating the development situation a little. But I do recall reading an interview with the mine owner who emphasized the mining operation couldn't continue because, as I posted originally, government regulations have made them "uneconomic." Meaning he couldn't afford to comply with OSHA and other regulatory agencies.
yup that is the case....olsen sounds familiar...msha would be the fed agency but California threw some other road blocks about blasting ....as if they were trying to make tiny gravel out of the peg....I've found some small but great garnets in hat field creek while gold prospecting....there is another mine close buy for sale...or was last time I looked called the surprise mine..mostly surface work only been done there.But that peg is on the same belt of pegmatite that leads to the three and herurk just amile or so as the crow flies....I have a "yard rock" from the area covered with tiny little three colored garnets that is the size of a small pig..lol....I love san diego county! 77 degree high here in Ramona today
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:20 am Posts: 2756 Location: Southern California, U.S.A.
We had a 77 high here today too. The Santa Ana's were blowing and the sky was ultra-clear with some really odd and beautiful cloud formations. I wish I'd had my camera with me while driving the Post Office. You've got great field-collecting opportunities down there. Good fishing too! I used to fish for skipjack and yellowtail tuna in the incredibly blue and beautiful waters a mile or so offshore from the San Onofre nuke plant. Did anyone ever buy a brassiere for that thing?
What is the price of Benkly material? I thought good tsavorite is more expensive. 3 ct tsavorites are going for up to $3,000 per carat, I have a few Benkly's with one a 3 ct that I don't believe is anywhere near that.
What is the price of Benkly material? I thought good tsavorite is more expensive. 3 ct tsavorites are going for up to $3,000 per carat, I have a few Benkly's with one a 3 ct that I don't believe is anywhere near that.
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:20 am Posts: 2756 Location: Southern California, U.S.A.
Maurice, nice to hear from you again. I buy stones for resale for the most part - I squirrel away some for my own collection but not often. None of my clients seems sufficiently interested in exotic garnets like Bekily's to justify a large inventory investment on my part so I haven't kept track of prices. Most want finest collector quality at the lowest below wholesale commercial prices. PM me, I might be able to put you onto the price trail.
Maurice, nice to hear from you again. I buy stones for resale for the most part - I squirrel away some for my own collection but not often. None of my clients seems sufficiently interested in exotic garnets like Bekily's to justify a large inventory investment on my part so I haven't kept track of prices. Most want finest collector quality at the lowest below wholesale commercial prices. PM me, I might be able to put you onto the price trail.
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