PRETTY VALLEY QUARTZ
Quartz crystals turn up in the wash at Pretty
Valley all the time. Many of them are hardly waterworn; the occasional piece
is. The majority of the schorl tourmaline and topaz is hardly worn either, and
together these represent a suite of minerals which has a different origin from
the sapphire, zircon and black spinel.
We can speculate all we like about the origin of
the second group of minerals, which have no doubt come from a basalt source somewhere
not far distant. The origin of the first group is probably the Kingsgate-like
pipes which occur on the hill to the north-west. It is possible that the topaz
and tourmaline have another source as they are not typically found with quartz
at Kingsgate.
The reference from which the map is derived is
titled “Crystal Report No.14 Kingsgate
Crystal Field (Part 1)”. The DIGS reference is GS1943/013. It is part of a
group of reports relating to the search for quality quartz crystals during
World War II. If there is a Part 2, I haven’t found it yet.
From the map it would be reasonable to assume that
there are other, undiscovered quartz pipes upstream from the fossicking
location since the pipes shown are over the hill in the drainage area of a
tributary of Bladey Grass Creek. This stream comes in on the western side some
distance downstream from the fossicking location and it is likely that it too
will be carrying quartz crystals. It’s not likely that the sapphire group of
gemstones will be found in that creek, but you never know until it has been
checked out.
As has been reported in an earlier Blog entry,
there is a little gold in Bladey Grass Creek and several times I have been told
of pieces of a green gemmy mineral, probably tourmaline, being found there. If
anyone turns up something unusual there, let us know by way of a comment here.
I need to remind readers that this is private property and that trespassers
(poachers or thieves) are certainly not welcome.
You can experience
gem hunting around Glen Innes through my You Tube site until you pay the area a
visit. Click here . Several videos deal with Pretty Valley. For related Blog entries on Pretty Valley, use the search box at the top of the page.
https://johnsbluemountainsblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/links-to-all-blog-entries-and-relevant.html All Blue Mountains blogs and videos
All New England and other Geology blogs and videos
Limestone Caves of NSW
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Shoalhaven District Geology.
| Zircon, topaz and quartz from Pretty Valley |
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