Paydirt.co.nz

New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

 

The forum has moved to community.paydirt.co.nz, see you there!

This forum is now an archive to preserve the knowledge and finds posted here.

3 Pages123>
Gold & Rubys???
Eagle  
Posted : Thursday, 12 May 2011 12:31:32 PM(UTC)
Eagle

Rank: Gold Nugget

Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 71
Man
Location: Central Otago

Thanks: 3 times
Was thanked: 15 time(s) in 12 post(s)
Well I hooked up with the mighty Starflash when he was down these ways on his last business trip a week or so back.
I took him on a we bit of a mission,no detecting just some sniping & a few buckets through the sluice at one spot.

Good times & pretty sweet to hook up with a keen prospector fom the Warm reaches of the North Island, "on ya Starflash".

Gold from sniping & the sluice box below,nothing large the biggest bit was .6gm

UserPostedImage

6 grams total

But the really interesting thing is what Starflash & I panned out from the clean up in the sluice box.
We both think they may be Rubys as the location we were in is known for its gemstones.

Rubys???

UserPostedImage

UserPostedImage

I know the photos aren't the best,but they are very translucent in the light & were amongst the heavy black sands.

Hopefully some one out there will be able to give us some clues.

Cheers
Eagle
Back to top
gavin  
Posted : Thursday, 12 May 2011 1:03:26 PM(UTC)
gavin

Rank: Gold Ingot

Groups: Administrators, Registered
Joined: 20/02/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,326
Location: Christchurch

Thanks: 736 times
Was thanked: 535 time(s) in 287 post(s)
I noticed a lot of these ruby looking gravel in the Arrow and other rivers - I was led to believe they're garnets? Not sure though - maybe I've been chucking $'s away! :P

Nice little haul of gold you have there! Must join some of you pros sniping sometime and pick up a few tips ;)
Back to top
WWW
kiwijw  
Posted : Thursday, 12 May 2011 1:25:39 PM(UTC)
kiwijw

Rank: Gold Ingot

Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,152

Thanks: 92 times
Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)
Eagle/Starflash, Well done guys. Nice little haul. Leaves the Coro gold for dead aye starflash. :) I'm with Gavin....I reckon garnets as well. Still.... looks nice when you pan gold & garnets together in the pan. Nice colour contrasts, gold, black (ironsands) & red.

Happy hunting

JW :)
Back to top
gingerbreadman  
Posted : Thursday, 12 May 2011 2:09:24 PM(UTC)
gingerbreadman

Rank: Gold Ingot

Groups: Registered
Joined: 19/07/2010(UTC)
Posts: 473
Location: south of the black stump

Thanks: 34 times
Was thanked: 96 time(s) in 74 post(s)
great looking stuff there eagle i see you dont wast your time with collecting fines..!
nice one..gbm
Back to top
starflash  
Posted : Thursday, 12 May 2011 2:16:21 PM(UTC)
starflash

Rank: Gold Ingot

Groups: Registered
Joined: 16/08/2010(UTC)
Posts: 192
Man
Location: auckland, tairua

Thanks: 18 times
Was thanked: 38 time(s) in 30 post(s)
hi eagle good to meet up with you last time, yeh was a bit lean on the gold specially considering how far we drove to that spot, thats how it goes some times.

i think their rubys, very very small that have no worth, maybe next time we can get a stone that is big enough to cut. if i find the big one, (the perfect ones go for around us$30,000 a carat), then i would flag gold and become a gem collector.

i see the rains have come now and i guess snow is just round the corner, 23 degrees and humid up here today.
Back to top
Eagle  
Posted : Thursday, 12 May 2011 2:37:45 PM(UTC)
Eagle

Rank: Gold Nugget

Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 71
Man
Location: Central Otago

Thanks: 3 times
Was thanked: 15 time(s) in 12 post(s)
Cheers on the kind words fellas.

I like your thinking Starflash I'm sure there will be a jewellery size piece there.I cant wait to get back there.
We have had rain too mate,the rivers are up & down.I am about to hit a bussy period with work so that will limit my time on it for a couple weeks.
Hows the traffic!!! LOL

GBM I'm a gold pig & take everying I see no matter what size,spotting gold "I love it".

Gavin I have done heaps of sniping in the arrow & have personally never seen anything like them.
In fact I have sniped many,many different creeks & never come across anything like it thats why me & Starflash were getting quite excited about it..

Jw what size do these Garnets come in?

If anyone has some more info It would be great to hear..

Cheers
Eagle
Back to top
starflash  
Posted : Thursday, 12 May 2011 3:01:44 PM(UTC)
starflash

Rank: Gold Ingot

Groups: Registered
Joined: 16/08/2010(UTC)
Posts: 192
Man
Location: auckland, tairua

Thanks: 18 times
Was thanked: 38 time(s) in 30 post(s)
hey eagle look carefully at the colour of what we found to the colour guide below
UserPostedImage
the garnet seems to dark
the ruby has a very similar colour shade
by the way, half of those are mine $$$$$$$$
Back to top
gingerbreadman  
Posted : Thursday, 12 May 2011 3:17:38 PM(UTC)
gingerbreadman

Rank: Gold Ingot

Groups: Registered
Joined: 19/07/2010(UTC)
Posts: 473
Location: south of the black stump

Thanks: 34 times
Was thanked: 96 time(s) in 74 post(s)
You are wishfull thinkers haha...i say garnets!
Back to top
Eagle  
Posted : Thursday, 12 May 2011 4:38:43 PM(UTC)
Eagle

Rank: Gold Nugget

Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 71
Man
Location: Central Otago

Thanks: 3 times
Was thanked: 15 time(s) in 12 post(s)
Sorry Starflash already sold, oops S#@%!!!

I have had a look on a couple of sites as well & I agree with you that the Garnets seem to be to dark & a way more purplely colour.
These seem to be a far more distinct Ruby red colour, the Garnets also seem to be knowhere near as translucent as the Rubys just like on the chart u posted.

Eagle
Back to top
hoppy  
Posted : Thursday, 12 May 2011 4:57:54 PM(UTC)
hoppy

Rank: Gold Flake

Groups: Registered
Joined: 6/09/2010(UTC)
Posts: 11
Location: Franklin area

Was thanked: 4 time(s) in 3 post(s)
Well done and very nice!! The following may answer your ruby/garnet guessing;

"Almandine garnet is an iron-rich variety that appears pink or red and is sometimes mistaken for ruby. It is found in many rocks on the West Coast. Larger almandine garnets are almost always too flawed for use in jewellery. Tiny crystals of almandine garnet are abundant in sand along the West Coast, often giving it a pinkish hue."
Back to top
kiwijw  
Posted : Thursday, 12 May 2011 5:40:55 PM(UTC)
kiwijw

Rank: Gold Ingot

Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,152

Thanks: 92 times
Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)
Eagle/Starflash, You guys could have ruby......but I dont know???.... The garnets I have are dark like your chart shows starflash. I will get a photo of the garnets I have got & put them up tomorrow night. Some are about 5mm in size. I found them in Ross & Reefton but I dont ever recall finding garnets up the Arrow Gavin, not the red kind anyway.

Happy hunting

JW :)
Back to top
Eagle  
Posted : Thursday, 12 May 2011 6:09:23 PM(UTC)
Eagle

Rank: Gold Nugget

Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 71
Man
Location: Central Otago

Thanks: 3 times
Was thanked: 15 time(s) in 12 post(s)
Gidday JW

Yea I still think they might be Rubys,also due to the location we were in...may be i'm dreaming.
It would be good to see your garnet photos.

"Hoppy" thanks for your interesting info,I have been looking at Almandine garnets on the web but I am not convinced.
I am thinking I may have to get them along to the jewellers for a look.

Cheers
Eagle
Back to top
1864hatter  
Posted : Friday, 13 May 2011 7:28:15 AM(UTC)
1864hatter

Rank: Gold Ingot

Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/08/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,007
Man
New Zealand
Location: Auckland....

Thanks: 49 times
Was thanked: 566 time(s) in 269 post(s)
Hey guys if u want to kow for sure what they are i might be able to help as im studying geology and could take one of your little gems to see one of the profossors and see what they have to say about them. Plus they have all sorts of machines to put them in and analyze them but they usually destroy the rocks..... just a thought.
And now....On sandy beaches and muddy soil, rings and coins await my coil!
Back to top
Eagle  
Posted : Saturday, 14 May 2011 12:37:57 PM(UTC)
Eagle

Rank: Gold Nugget

Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 71
Man
Location: Central Otago

Thanks: 3 times
Was thanked: 15 time(s) in 12 post(s)
Gidday hatter seeing that they will end up destroyed I might have to send u one of "Starflashs"...,cheers on the offer.

Have u been out lately??

Eagle
Back to top
kiwijw  
Posted : Tuesday, 17 May 2011 12:37:33 PM(UTC)
kiwijw

Rank: Gold Ingot

Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,152

Thanks: 92 times
Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)
Hi there guys. Eagle/Starflash, sorry to have taken a while to get these pics up of the garnets I have panned & sluic boxed. Had a computer melt down. Colour hasnt come out very well. They are quite a dark colour in the first place & the light wasnt very good when I took the pics. First pic shows the colour a bit better than the 2nd pic but the 2nd shows the ruler so you can get an idea of the size.

UserPostedImage

UserPostedImage

Happy hunting

JW :)
Back to top
Eagle  
Posted : Tuesday, 17 May 2011 4:15:42 PM(UTC)
Eagle

Rank: Gold Nugget

Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 71
Man
Location: Central Otago

Thanks: 3 times
Was thanked: 15 time(s) in 12 post(s)
Cheers on the photos JW.

I am still curious,even though Rubys are thought to be only a myth in NZ,except "Goodletite" from the Hokitika region & look nothing like Ruby red.
I will get them to a jeweller when I get some time.

Eagle
Back to top
starflash  
Posted : Wednesday, 18 May 2011 3:55:28 AM(UTC)
starflash

Rank: Gold Ingot

Groups: Registered
Joined: 16/08/2010(UTC)
Posts: 192
Man
Location: auckland, tairua

Thanks: 18 times
Was thanked: 38 time(s) in 30 post(s)
thanks for the photos jw.
now im sure there something other than garnets.
now eagle off you pop to the jewellers, quick smart
Back to top
Eagle  
Posted : Thursday, 19 May 2011 2:42:39 PM(UTC)
Eagle

Rank: Gold Nugget

Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 71
Man
Location: Central Otago

Thanks: 3 times
Was thanked: 15 time(s) in 12 post(s)
Gonna try to get to the jewellers tommorow.

Eagle
Back to top
kiwijw  
Posted : Sunday, 22 May 2011 6:26:14 PM(UTC)
kiwijw

Rank: Gold Ingot

Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,152

Thanks: 92 times
Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)
Hi guys, Thought you might like to see this.

http://www.youtube.com/w...mfu_in_order&list=UL

JW :)
Back to top
gavin  
Posted : Monday, 23 May 2011 1:20:07 PM(UTC)
gavin

Rank: Gold Ingot

Groups: Administrators, Registered
Joined: 20/02/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,326
Location: Christchurch

Thanks: 736 times
Was thanked: 535 time(s) in 287 post(s)
They're giant rubies I tell ya! :P
Back to top
WWW
3 Pages123>