Chertaceous
starting to shine!
There's no such thing as "just a rock".
Member since December 2013
Posts: 39
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Post by Chertaceous on Dec 19, 2013 9:37:34 GMT -5
Th., 12/19/13 @ approx. 09:36a.m. E.S.T. (T.U.S.O.A.)
Folks,
I seem to be doing a lot of correcting myself in these forums, but that's okay as I love learning and writing about this stuff. Also, I certainly don't want to be putting incorrect information out there.
Right, then. In reference to my last post in this thread, I have a bit of a correction to do regarding quoting that book. Also, since I have it right here beside me now, I might as well just quote directly from it. The name of the book is >The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals<; a pretty common reference guide for lots of rockhounders. This one is the Third Printing. Now, directly from its "article" on phenakite is the following: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OCCURRENCE: Fine crystals of phenakite, up to 5 cm (2") across, have come from pegmatites at the Morefield Mine, Winterham, Amelia Co., Virginia. Twinned crystals, as much as 3.75 cm (1.5") in length, have been found on Mt. Antero, Chaffee Co., Colorado.
The name is from the Greek `phenakos', "deceiver," because it was formerly mistaken for quartz. Phenakite is used as a minor gemstone. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That's straight from the proverbial horse's mouth.
Switching gears here a little bit; can anyone tell me about some good prospecting and mining sites for jet? If so, please do; it will be much appreciated. The Internet has all sorts of information on jet except where it occurs naturally and in/under what geological conditions. It does mention that it is petrified, metamorphosized wood and lists it as a lignite. Lignites include peat and the various types of coal.
Thanx, All, for putting up with me. You're a GREAT bunch!
--R.H.E.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2013 15:14:02 GMT -5
That fellow, Rich Fetterman if I remember correctly, has a lot of heart to donate that big ol' smokey and forfeit the potential profit he could have made from it. It was also very cool how he was donating it in honor of his late brother who was with him when the two of them found it. In the wildlife filming business it is common to use captive animals to guarantee a 'capture' during the episode. I have first hand knowledge. My animals have been used for this purpose. I am not accusing this show of that. But it sure makes "donating" (the crystal they borrowed from the museum) back to the museum really easy. If you think about it. Everybody wins in that scenario. The show has a killer episode. The hunters look like gods. The museum gets free publicity and everyone wants to see the TV crystal. Now that I said that, which makes more sense? My scenario above or the likelihood of finding a giant crystal like that while the film crew happens to be there? That is to say, a once in a lifetime find, AND it happened coincidentally while a TV show is filmed? Well, I guess you know my opinion.
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Chertaceous
starting to shine!
There's no such thing as "just a rock".
Member since December 2013
Posts: 39
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Post by Chertaceous on Dec 19, 2013 16:23:25 GMT -5
Th., 12/19/13 @ approx. 04:22p.m. E.S.T. (T.U.S.O.A.)
All,
Shotgunner may well be right; money, ratings, publicity, and image most likely do take precedent over reality on any "reality" show. They did seem to indicate, though, that Rich and his brother had found this big smokey years ago and that Rich occasionally leant it to the museum for display, but this time it was to be a permanent donation. They also mentioned that this monster crystal was one of two that Rich (and his brother?) had found, and that one had already been donated to the museum.
I refined my web search a bit and quickly learned about jet-stone source locations and provenances. It seems to be pretty rare and occur in only a few shale/siltstone formations that are few and far between. Whitby jet-stone from the northeast coast area of Yorkshire, England seems to be some of the most renowned and widely known and has been mined for centuries. Counterfeits of jet-stone abound and are made of a wide variety of materials. Jet-stone, like its coal cousins, will burn.
--Rick E.
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,785
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Post by gemfeller on Dec 19, 2013 18:10:18 GMT -5
Chertaceous, my recollection of the show about Rich's big quartz crystal is that Rich found it by himself years before this episode was filmed but had frequently hunted the same area with his brother, who was the first person he notified of the find. My memory of the museum matter agrees with yours.
As for jet, Whitby, England is famous for it. I even have a small specimen sent to me by a European friend. Jet is scientifically classified as lignite coal. The major U.S. source has been Coaly Basin not too far from Hanksville in Wayne County, Utah. It began commercial production in 1919 but I don't know its current status. It's said to take a good polish but isn't as hard or dense as Whitby material. Jet has also been found in Maryland, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Dec 20, 2013 2:17:58 GMT -5
I'll have to check out that gem hunter show on amazon, we don't have regular tv or cable so if it ain't streaming I ain't watching. My brother is always going on about prospectors but I've only seen part of one episode at someone's house...
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Chertaceous
starting to shine!
There's no such thing as "just a rock".
Member since December 2013
Posts: 39
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Post by Chertaceous on Dec 26, 2013 9:32:31 GMT -5
Th., 12/26/13 @ approx. 09:31a.m. E.S.T. (T.U.S.O.A.)
Hello, All.
Last evening they aired a "behind the scenes" episode of `Prospectors'. I don't know if it is/was a new episode or not, but it is the first time I have seen it and it was incredibly fascinating! Obviously, it was a different format than a standard episode and the various film crew members and producers were interviewed and shown lugging all their bulky equipment up and across all that perilous terrain. They also showed their "flying camera" that is a crazy-looking thing to say the least.
The show's various "cast" and crew members were talked about by each other and also interviewed in personal, one-on-one settings. It was very interesting, and quite often comical, to get their perspectives on each other and on being the center of so much direct, constant attention.
I'm going to shift gears here slightly, as I have come across another reference to Mount Antero in "The Auduban Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals (third edition)". This is regarding aquamarine and falls under the book's "aricle" on beryl. It reads as follows... "OCCURENCE: Beryl has been mined comeercially from pegmatites in the New England states, where gem-quality aquamarine, golden beryl, and morganite were also frequently found. Many of the pegmatites in North Carolina have yielded both ore-grade and gem-quality beryl. Pegmatites on Mt. Antero in Chaffe Co., Colorado, have yielded some fine aquamarine crystals, and pale aquamarine and excellent morganite crystals have been obtained from the pegmatites at Mesa Grande and Pala, San Diego Co., California. Pale-green beryl occurs with scheelite in a pegmatite near Oreana, Humboldt Co., Nevada.".
And life goes on.
--Rick E.
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Chertaceous
starting to shine!
There's no such thing as "just a rock".
Member since December 2013
Posts: 39
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Post by Chertaceous on Dec 26, 2013 9:38:10 GMT -5
Th., 12/26/13 @ approx. 09:36a.m. E.S.T. (T.U.S.O.A.)
Hello, Again.
Please blame me, and not the book, for the typos in my last posting. "Aricle" should have been "article" and "comeercially" should have been "commercially". It's nuts; I proof-read the thing before posting it and still screwed-up. This being human thing is frustrating sometimes ;-) !
--R.H.E.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,685
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Post by Fossilman on Dec 29, 2013 11:49:12 GMT -5
I have the show "marked" on my DVR,so if I miss it,I can still watch it later.......
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rockncajun
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2009
Posts: 344
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Post by rockncajun on Dec 29, 2013 12:12:52 GMT -5
I did the same. Whenever an episode airs, it gets recorded.
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