tyandnan
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since April 2014
Posts: 96
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Post by tyandnan on Jan 13, 2015 23:58:55 GMT -5
Anybody know of any good dumortierite locations in the western US. I live in Utah, but I am willing to make a trip for it. I want pounds not pebbles. It doesn't need to be top quality, but it does need to be blue. Is the Imperial County, CA stuff collectible in quantity?
I appreciate any help getting me on to this stuff.
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Post by snowmom on Jan 14, 2015 6:37:40 GMT -5
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Post by jakesrocks on Jan 14, 2015 8:31:48 GMT -5
If the area is still open to collecting, the old Black Jack silver mine. It's north of the Kel-Baker road, about 1/2 mile east of old Rt.66, near the little town of Amboy, San Bernardino Co, Ca.
Several hundred acres just east of the old mine were closed down as a "sensitive desert habitat" back in the early 90's. The green weenies may have gobbled up the mine property by now.
Used to be able to collect some nice dumortierite from the mine tailings. The mine itself was too dangerous to enter. I haven't seen the mine since the mid 90's, but the headframe and tailings pile were visible from the Kel-Baker Rd. to the left of the road. You used to be able to drive part way to the mine, but the last several hundred yards were a steep climb up the old, washed out mine road. Watch for rattle snakes. They aren't plentiful, but are in the area.
Most of the dumortierite was in small pieces, but large enough to cut decent cabs. Scarce but also available were small pieces with druzy dumortierite crystals, nice for thumbnail or micro mount specimens.
You may also find mining artifacts in the tailings pile. I found several chisels, a small pulley and a crushed miners light.
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Post by orrum on Jan 14, 2015 10:12:32 GMT -5
Quartzsite Az. Gem and Lapidary Club has a claim in Quartzsite. Come visit and I will take you there.
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Post by drocknut on Jan 14, 2015 10:31:19 GMT -5
Bill, he wouldn't be able to get as much material as he is talking about at the club's claim.
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Post by jakesrocks on Jan 14, 2015 15:22:22 GMT -5
It sounds like he's doing this for commercial purposes, rather than hobby use. There are restrictions placed on many collecting areas as to how much you can collect just for this reason. People over collecting just to make a buck. At the same time depleting supplies for us real hobby collectors.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2015 16:05:18 GMT -5
It sounds like he's doing this for commercial purposes, rather than hobby use. There are restrictions placed on many collecting areas as to how much you can collect just for this reason. People over collecting just to make a buck. At the same time depleting supplies for us real hobby collectors. Prohibition of human activities have proven to be ineffective.
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tyandnan
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since April 2014
Posts: 96
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Post by tyandnan on Jan 14, 2015 17:10:13 GMT -5
Whoa. It appears that my intentions are being misconstrued. No commercial mining enterprise here. There is just more opportunity in this hobby than cabbing, and I would like to explore it. I want to pick up larger pieces of this stuff to work in slab sized material, not just cabs. I am not trying to collect so much that nobody else can. When I said lbs, I did not mean thousands.
If you were to look into my projects posted in the creations section, you might get a better idea into what I am after.
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Post by orrum on Jan 14, 2015 18:26:11 GMT -5
Yes our claim is for folks to get personal use hobby quantities.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,455
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 14, 2015 19:37:52 GMT -5
I used to love hunting it around Indian Pass in California. Used to be good hunting but man that was eons ago. Have no idea if the area is even open anymore or all hunted put. Think I still have a few pieces around somewhere if I haven't tumbled all of it up yet. It tumbles up a real nice Levis blue.....Mel
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tyandnan
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since April 2014
Posts: 96
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Post by tyandnan on Jan 14, 2015 20:29:16 GMT -5
I saw some info on Indian Pass. Was there decent sized material there? Maybe some softball sized chunks?
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2015 22:37:57 GMT -5
I've heard Indian pass is reduced to chips.
YMMV
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tyandnan
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since April 2014
Posts: 96
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Post by tyandnan on Jan 15, 2015 9:10:40 GMT -5
I once saw something promising on a web page where someone went to an old Nevada mine. I can't seem to find it again, but it appeared there was a lot of blue near the mine entrance. Anybody hounded this stuff in Nevada?
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,455
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 15, 2015 18:44:18 GMT -5
Knowing the way things go with collecting sites since the advent of selling sites like E-Bay I imagine Scott's assessment of Indian Pass is correct. Back in the day you had to hike a bit off the road and do a lot of chipping but fist to softball sized and larger stuff was pretty easy to find.....Mel
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drdelite
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2013
Posts: 1
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Post by drdelite on Feb 26, 2017 0:24:15 GMT -5
.It's been awhile since your post, but there is still quite a bit of dumortierite around Indian Pass. We just got back a few days ago, not sure if you are still looking for it?
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Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,564
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Post by Mark K on Feb 26, 2017 16:27:36 GMT -5
Don't even get me started.
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