My day at Rich Hill

[oldies1955]

Hey all:

Went out today with a friend to his super secret nugget patch.

Its so secret...the gold dosent even know its there! HAHHH...I kill myself sometimes

He did get a lot of gold off of it a ways back.

He has been helping me learn what to look for and such when patch hunting.

It was a nice day out today. Cool, breezy, not many people out, no EMI....ahhhh the stuff detecting dreams are made of.

Didnt find any yellow stuff, but man did I clean up the desert!

Also, I added some new settings to the ML5000 for bad EMI days and deep patch hunting.

Must have gotten the patch right as it was quite as a mouse and nice and stable. Just a few warbles every now and then from hot rocks.

OK.....this is a first for me....got a target in the spoon. Sifted it down to a quartz rock and a deer turd.

I run the quarts over the coil thinking I have a specie...not! I run the turd over the coil and is sounds off.

What the heck! ....I start digging at it with my teeth..ok, fingers and inside the turd is a piece of aluminum.

DOH!!!! Anyone else ever have something like that happen?

Found a cool green stone rock with iron and some crystals in it.

And....my usual assortment of interesting items.

I cant believe I found that really small piece of wire by the pencil lead with a 9X14 coil.

All in all it was a great tiem out enjoying life.

Enjoy.

Tom H.

[adam]

Tom , Why is there so much trash on a "beaten patch" ? I dont get it.....Are people not taking the trash with them?

Nice specimen of Epidote !

I have found aluminum in cow turds many times, and I always get a kick out of it

[nuggethunting]

Hey Adam,

Well it's not one of my old patches. I would have to question the same thing, why so much trash on an old beaten up patch?

I'm sure you're getting tons of great information, that guy was a pioneer in that country for nugget patches.

P.S. I hit an old patch today with a new customer. I found one piece of trash in 2 hours of "low and slow" hunting, but several gold nuggets.

Thanks for sharing.

Rob Allison

[frank c]

YEAH cow patties always sound off.

[oldies1955]

Baleeted...

[oldies1955]

Tom , Why is there so much trash on a "beaten patch" ? I dont get it.....Are people not taking the trash with them?

Nice specimen on Olivenite !

I have found aluminum in cow turds many times, and I always get a kick out of it

Only about 3 of the pieces were from the patch.

The rest were from the walk up to it and back from it.

Tom H.

[AZNuggetBob]

Nice green tourmaline crystal Tom. AzNuggetBob

[adam]

Only about 3 of the pieces were from the patch.

The rest were from the walk up to it and back from it.

Tom H.

Oops , I jumped to conclusions there....

Where the heck is Quartzsite??

[Border Boy]

Cool day out Tom, really got to be tuned in to hit those tiny targets during EMI days. Some of the worst EMI i have seen has been on that darn hill!

Justin

[beepinpete_WA]

Sounds like a fun day Tom even tho the gold was in hiding.

Nice crystal too mate.

Pete

[notoriouskelly]

Ya Tom,

I get EMI at Gold Basin - tourist copters part of it?

[AZNuggetBob]

Let me see if I can clear up a few things here.

At first we were hunting an area that I had spotted satellite surfing as a possible new patch on our way

to an old patch that I had found that produced a lot of nice nuggets a few years ago.

The amount of buried trash in the first area is always is nice indicator that the area has not been hunted hard.

There were indicatations that it had been worked in the past by the old timers,stacked rocks,drywash piles etc.

As far as the crystal,it is a classic striated lengthwise gem quality tourmaline but you have to see it up close to tell.

I heard all this pounding and banging and I look over and Tom is going hardrock with his nugget huntin pick.

I guess he wanted that crystal pretty bad, but I have to say he does have a good eye for gem stones.

Take care all AzNuggetBob

Tom forgot to mention Tourmaline's are not unlike gold nuggets in that usually when you find one there are more.

[adam]

Sorry Bob,

There is no way, no how, not in a million years, that that is tourmaline.

[AZNuggetBob]

Adam

I appreciate your opinion. Maybe you could explain to us in a little more detail why you feel its not a tourmaline.

AzNuggetBob

[beepinpete_WA]

Just lookin back to your post there "Border Boy" what if any do you put down to the Rich Hill" EMI problems ?

I know you blokes in AZ have the Foo Fighters to worry about but what if any external (Antenae) Microwave, Radar, etc

Oooops shhhh area 51 hahahaha

Please dont get me wrong here mate but the crap we hear about the AZ test sites these days who knows what's

causing the EMI.

We have some very good ground here in oz, and its is litered wih Flat saucer sized gold it is amazing (Maralinga Lands) Sth Aus.

I have personally seen gold from the 60's Nuke test areas that would make your mouth water, but its now locked up for 10,000 yrs due to the radiation.

Enough of that, its a touchy subject here in oz so i'll leave it at that.

[beepinpete_WA]

Adam

I appreciate your opinion. Maybe you could explain to us in a little more detail why you feel its not a tourmaline.

AzNuggetBob

Hahahaha Bob your a shit stirer man hahahaha.

But i love it man

Keep it up Bruz

[AZNuggetBob]

Hahahaha Bob your a shit stirer man hahahaha.

But i love it man

Keep it up Bruz

Rope or shovel his choice. AzNuggetBob

[adam]

Aznuggetbob,

I have made a mistake. In my original post, I quickly claimed that it was olivenite. I dont know what I was thinking, maybe that was the first green mineral that came to me, but it certainly was not what I meant to say.

What I meant to say was Epidote, and there is quite an abundance of it on rich hill proper,and in the alluvial fan. I`m at kind of a disadvantage because I swore I had a specimen from there around here somewhere, but I guess not. I am neither minerologist or expert in any mineral related field. I would find it hard to believe that one of the richest placers in Arizona also has an abundance of gem quality green tourmaline. That would be highly inconsistent with noted tourmaline localities in Arizona, of which there are few, and certainly not gem quality. As a matter of fact, I can find no such mention of Green Tourmaline at Rich Hill in any attempt I have made via internet or personal publications, period. As you know that mineral you speak of is quite abundant up there, and it forms nice crystals in varying sizes, so how is it that it is not mentioned anywhere. Surley, someone besided you must have identified it as Tourmaline at some point in the last 300 years. I would assume it would be in a rockhound book that I own or noted in the Minerology of Arizona, but it is simply not there.

What is mentioned as a mineral at Rich Hill is Epidote, and locally abundant it is. One of the best features of Epidote is its twinning habit, and as you mentioned "striated" which Epidote certainly is "strongly striated" . I have seen many specimens of that mineral up there and so has anyone who hunts the area. Twinning is quite common, Im sure you would agree. Those crystal habits and notable mentions from that very area, strongly suggest Epidote.

I guess all the scientific studies by experts in the Rich Hill area just happen to miss the presence, and abundance of Gem quality Tourmaline in their minerological assesments, and publications of the area? Hmmmmm... However, they made sure to include a lesser known insignificant mineral of abundance called Epidote.

No worries Bob, I just dont think its tourmaline....wish it was, but I just dont buy it.

Its ok to disagree, no need for rope & shovels

[nuggethunting]

Hey Guys,

It's ok to agree to disagree. This is how everyone learns and as long as we keep it open and honest, I think most respect that. Mineral ID can sometimes be tough, as many specimens that are shown on display or in books are museum type pieces. For the most part, many of these specimens will not look like what most of us just pick up in the field, unless you're really lucky (it happens).

I have to toss in one point, A good friend of mine claimed to have found several beautiful pieces of Black Tourmaline within a known Arizona gold placer up North. One of the pieces was covered with gold, making the specimen even more unique in nature.

I believe I have a picture of it, will have to dig through my picture archieves.

Rob Allison

[oldies1955]

I went to ROCKAZONA today as it is on the way to work but they now have bankers hours...well better then bankers hours!

Only open on Fri and Sat from 9-1.

Friday im going to out digging up bullets so I will try to get by there Sat. morning to ask them

to take a look at it.

I am leaning more towards that it is Painite or Alexandrite, but thats just my personal opinion.

Tom H.

[oldies1955]

Aznuggetbob,

I have made a mistake. In my original post, I quickly claimed that it was olivenite. I dont know what I was thinking, maybe that was the first green mineral that came to me, but it certainly was not what I meant to say.

What I meant to say was Epidote, and there is quite an abundance of it on rich hill proper,and in the alluvial fan. I`m at kind of a disadvantage because I swore I had a specimen from there around here somewhere, but I guess not. I am neither minerologist or expert in any mineral related field. I would find it hard to believe that one of the richest placers in Arizona also has an abundance of gem quality green tourmaline. That would be highly inconsistent with noted tourmaline localities in Arizona, of which there are few, and certainly not gem quality. As a matter of fact, I can find no such mention of Green Tourmaline at Rich Hill in any attempt I have made via internet or personal publications, period. As you know that mineral you speak of is quite abundant up there, and it forms nice crystals in varying sizes, so how is it that it is not mentioned anywhere. Surley, someone besided you must have identified it as Tourmaline at some point in the last 300 years. I would assume it would be in a rockhound book that I own or noted in the Minerology of Arizona, but it is simply not there.

What is mentioned as a mineral at Rich Hill is Epidote, and locally abundant it is. One of the best features of Epidote is its twinning habit, and as you mentioned "striated" which Epidote certainly is "strongly striated" . I have seen many specimens of that mineral up there and so has anyone who hunts the area. Twinning is quite common, Im sure you would agree. Those crystal habits and notable mentions from that very area, strongly suggest Epidote.

I guess all the scientific studies by experts in the Rich Hill area just happen to miss the presence, and abundance of Gem quality Tourmaline in their minerological assesments, and publications of the area? Hmmmmm... However, they made sure to include a lesser known insignificant mineral of abundance called Epidote.

No worries Bob, I just dont think its tourmaline....wish it was, but I just dont buy it.

Its ok to disagree, no need for rope & shovels

they made sure to include a lesser known insignificant mineral of abundance called Epidote. <---------------------------BLAH!!!!! INSIGNIFICANT!???Your a kill joy. Im pretty sure its a diamond

Tom H.

[adam]

Alexandrite? Tom , there is no way, no how , not in a...........Just kidding

[AZNuggetBob]

Adam

Thanks for your detailed reply and I like a good debate.

Green Epidote is fairly common in the the Rich Hill area and visibly similar in character and shape to Tourmaline but not in color or clarity.

the epidote Ive seen in the area is rather opaque and a dirty green.

As a matter of fact when Tom showed me what he had been hacking at in the granite, I had to look at it twice and that's when I noticed the clarity of the crystal.

That's when looking at it from a visual standpoint I decided it could be a Tourmaline crystal.

I was sure the lone crystal in the lower part of the vug was not olivine and this is what I thought you were referring too.I was thinking of testing it while Tom was here and see if it fluoresces but from what I understand the some green varieties of tourmaline dont fluoresce well even with swuv.

I have a portable dual lens short wave/long wave uv light that I used down in baja to hunt tourmaline's at night.

but even if it is epidote, because of the quality of the crystal it would be one of the best examples I've ever seen and it is still a nice specimen.

There is one thing that I'm sure of, its definitely not leaverite.

AzNuggetBob

[AZNuggetBob]

Aznuggetbob,

I have made a mistake. In my original post, I quickly claimed that it was olivenite. I dont know what I was thinking, maybe that was the first green mineral that came to me, but it certainly was not what I meant to say.

What I meant to say was Epidote, and there is quite an abundance of it on rich hill proper,and in the alluvial fan. I`m at kind of a disadvantage because I swore I had a specimen from there around here somewhere, but I guess not. I am neither minerologist or expert in any mineral related field. I would find it hard to believe that one of the richest placers in Arizona also has an abundance of gem quality green tourmaline. That would be highly inconsistent with noted tourmaline localities in Arizona, of which there are few, and certainly not gem quality. As a matter of fact, I can find no such mention of Green Tourmaline at Rich Hill in any attempt I have made via internet or personal publications, period. As you know that mineral you speak of is quite abundant up there, and it forms nice crystals in varying sizes, so how is it that it is not mentioned anywhere. Surley, someone besided you must have identified it as Tourmaline at some point in the last 300 years. I would assume it would be in a rockhound book that I own or noted in the Minerology of Arizona, but it is simply not there.

What is mentioned as a mineral at Rich Hill is Epidote, and locally abundant it is. One of the best features of Epidote is its twinning habit, and as you mentioned "striated" which Epidote certainly is "strongly striated" . I have seen many specimens of that mineral up there and so has anyone who hunts the area. Twinning is quite common, Im sure you would agree. Those crystal habits and notable mentions from that very area, strongly suggest Epidote.

I guess all the scientific studies by experts in the Rich Hill area just happen to miss the presence, and abundance of Gem quality Tourmaline in their minerological assesments, and publications of the area? Hmmmmm... However, they made sure to include a lesser known insignificant mineral of abundance called Epidote.

No worries Bob, I just dont think its tourmaline....wish it was, but I just dont buy it.

Its ok to disagree, no need for rope & shovels

Oh one more thing Adam, other than you who said anything about an "abundance of Gem quality Tourmaline" at Rich Hill? AzNuggetBob

[adam]

I understand Bob.

I assumed you were calling all the green minerals gem quality tourmaline, and if that were the case, there is a pretty good abundance of it up there. I now see that we were discussing two different minerals alltogether. As for the Epidote , I agree that nice crystals are out there and a choice one would even make a nice pendant or something.

Hey Tom , I meant less significant than Tourmaline, but my next guess on yours was diamond , so there is hope yet Maybe I can check that specimen out if I can make it to Quartzsite. I say " if" now because I just found out work might get in the way yet again, but im still crossing my fingers.