Rock Tumbler & Polisher, Lapidary Equipment, Rock Hammer, Mineral Specimen-Our Specialties

Utah Rock Collecting Article, Guest Author

2008-07-25T10:52:00.005-06:00

Collecting in Utah, 2008

On May 10th , Steve Smith and I left Arkansas, just ahead of a tornado, for Utah for a few days of rockhounding. After visiting the interactive dinosaur museum in Fruita, Colorado, we headed for Marysvale, Piute County in east Utah, just south of rte.70 to our first collecting site. A small pasture on BLM land, 2.8 miles north of Marysvale is strewn with boulders of banded grey-white rhyolite containing vugs of small amethyst crystals associated with micro rutile crystal sprays and complex crystal forms of bixbyite. Alas, the weather turned nasty with sleet, snow, rain, and wind, making for miserable and not-so-productive collecting.
Onward to our reservations at Best Western in Delta, Utah, where the weather improved. We stopped in at the West Desert Rock Art rock shop and were told that blasting was done a month earlier at the White Knoll spot in the Topaz mountain “cove”, 40 miles NW of Delta. The next 2 ½ days were spent collecting at Topaz mtn. On day one we were at the Knoll with hammers and chisels, which opened up small vugs, seams, and lithophysal cavities in the hard rhyolite
that yielded sherry topaz singles to 1 inch and some small clusters. The next day we explored another part of the cove, the White Canyon, where we found rare micro pseudobrookite sprays to 6 mm., and even rarer red beryl 5-7 mm. wide. Some beryls were in rhyolite maitrix in boulder float, below which we sifted for a few more loose crystals. One shovelful that Steve dumped into the sifter contained a very angry scorpion that I nearly grabbed with my bare hand! The morning of day three was spent collecting more topaz at the White Knoll area. Even though it was only Thursday, more people were beginning to show up. Best time to visit there is mid-May during the week, as weekends can be very crowded.

pseudobrookite, red beryl, topaz (photo captions)

That afternoon we made the 4 hour trip to Wendover, on the Utah/ Nevada border, to our motel. The next day we headed south on paved, then gravel roads for close to 60 miles, to the ghost town of Gold Hill, Tooele County. This mining district has a complex geology and mineralogy and was mined off and on for gold, silver, lead, copper, arsenic, and minor amounts of other minerals. Today the mine shafts have been sealed, but the BLM told us that unclaimed tailings were okay to explore. After navigating the 4WD mine road we parked on a flat area of tailings about half way up to the Gold Hill mine. Then we hiked up a fairly steep trail to the top at the South Pit and Glory hole. Here, clear and green crystals of adamite, plus austinites conichalcite, olivenite, mixite, chrysocolla ( including pseudophorphs ), and several other copper, zinc, lead, and iron arsenates, as well as some carbonates were collected. Most of these were micros, with some TN’s and miniatures. At one tailings area, a very angry rattler warned us off. This is a very isolated region, with no cell service. Plan accordingly!

conichalcite, adamite, austinite (photo captions)

The next leg of the journey took us back to Delta, then west to the private trilobite claim at Antelope Springs. $38.00( ouch! ) for 4 hours of shale-splitting yielded several complete Cambrian trilobites. This is a very popular and productive area.

trilobite- Asaphiscus wheeleri (photo captions)

Finally we headed back east, and decided to revisit the Marysvale rhyolite locale again, this time on a beautiful day. Here I found my best bixbyites. We decided to pass on the Yellow Cat petrified wood area of Utah and the Book Cliffs in Colorado due to time and lack of knowledge of access. If the road accessing these areas are at all wet, they can be impassable for even 4WD; so, homeward bound.

bixbyite (photo caption)

Utah is still a great destination for field collecting, thanks to the BLM designated areas, some of the Chambers of Commerce, and local Rock shops and private claims. Contact the BLM for current status at abandoned mines and open prospecting areas, the internet for Rockhoundingutah, the MinRec Jan-Feb 1993. and Holfert,etal. Field Guide to Topaz and associated minerals in the Thomas Range,Utah, for more info.

Ed Hakesley

Semi-Precious Stone Beads, Dichroic Glass Cabochons & Findings for Jewelers

2008-07-14T12:14:00.009-06:00

We have expanded to include a full selection of semi-precious and other stone beads. Here is just of taste of what is in the shop. Hurry in for the best selection since we received small quantities of lots of different sizes, styles & stones!

We are also carrying a line of handmade, unique dichroic glass cabochons and a jewelry findings collection to go with them.

Come and see all the goodies Mon - Sat 9:30 - 6:00.

Forensic Geology

2008-05-15T11:24:00.002-06:00

Today's forensic geology has a futuristic quality to it. Forensic geology is just what it sounds like, solving crimes with geology.

Its roots are with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes." Even though Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was only writing fictional stories, several criminologists of his day used the same thought process to solve important crimes.

With only a microscope and deductive reasoning, they were able to show guilt (or innocence) by examining soil samples on clothes and shoes.

The first real case involving minerals was in 1904 when Gerog Popp, a German criminologist was asked to help with a murder case. Eva Disch, seamstress, was found strangled in a bean field. A handkerchief found at the scene with snot on it was examined, and the snot was found to contain coal dust, snuff, and mineral particles, particularly, hornblende and mica. Popp was able to examine the layers of dirt on one suspect's clothes and determine that the suspect had been at work at a coal mine, then home, then through dirt to Eva's bean field, and back home. The route to and from Eva's bean field contained fine particles of hornblende and mica. The mud splashed on the suspect's pants with the evidences in the handkerchief left little room for doubt. When the suspect was confronted with the evidence, he confessed everything.

Today this evidence would have been secondary to DNA testing but it would have still been used. (And as a side note, DNA is being extracted from "fossil" records. This is where paleontology meets biology!)

There are hundreds of examples of this kind of evidence being used in criminology. There are dozens of special labs, both with crime enforcement and with specialized consulting firms, set up in many different countries that specialize in this.

If you'd like to read more about it, check out Evidence from the Earth: Forensic Geology and Criminal Investigation by Raymond C. Murray. We are taking orders for those of you who would like your own copy. They are $20.

Rick

Rock Shop Recycles Glass--Lapidary & Glass Art Have a Lot in Common

2008-02-19T09:57:00.012-07:00

We recycle glass! We are now accepting sheet glass (windows, shelves), clean food jars & bottles, glass chunks, stained glass scraps or other glass. We're sorry, we cannot accept tempered, safety, or auto glass.

What are we doing with used glass? We're providing it to local glass artists! To see recycled glass art, hurry to Red Butte Gardens for The Nature of Sustainable Art show. It runs through February 24th from 10 AM to 5 PM.

Visit: Mcrushoglass.com for some great recycled glass art.

Here are some snapshots of the show:

Cash & Treasures Update

2008-02-05T18:12:00.000-07:00

We just received this nice note from Carl, the producer of the show:

"...By the way, the first edit went to the Travel Channel and they LOVED the show. Thank you and thanks to your wonderful family for all your help!!"

Carl

We're looking forward to seeing the episode for ourselves. We'll let you know when as soon as we hear when it will air!

Rick

Lortone vs. Harbor Freight Rock Tumblers

2007-11-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

Here are real customer comments sent to us at rockshop@rocks4u.com.

About the middle of August, I purchased a 3-lb rock tumbler from Harbor Freight Tools and have broken four belts in the process of tumbling and polishing one batch of agates. The particular model I purchased would be equivalent to a Lortone having only one 3-lb barrel. I did read one web site that warned about the poor quality of the Harbor Freight tumblers, but I wondered how I could go wrong for $22. I had my answer when I spent $16 on two replacement fans (the first two belts broke a blade off the plastic fan when they failed), four replacement belts, and shipping (close to half of the cost). The belts are difficult to replace and don't seem to last very long. I even tried a rubber band while waiting for the new belts to arrive. The rubber band did last for most of the pre-polish step, but was sticky and gummy at the end of that cycle. I'd have to be really desperate to try that again.

Near the end of September, my wife and I visited your shop in Salt Lake City (while visiting friends in Salt Lake), and I saw that you run multiple tumblers seemingly on a continuous basis. How long do the belts typically last on the Lortone tumblers? What is the diameter of the Lortone tumbler belts? Would I get more service life out of the Harbor Freight tumbler if I replaced the fan with a Lortone fan and used a Lortone belt?

I live in (city), WA so I don't visit Salt Lake City very often. I was impressed with your shop when we visited because of the assortment of tumblers, tumbler parts, grit, and rough rocks. Thank you in advance for your help.

RK

Our reply:

Hi RM,
Thank you for your compliments to the shop. I’m glad you stopped in. We have a number of customers that use Lortone replacement parts for their Harbor Freight Tumblers. Specifically, we send out a lot of belts. I believe the Harbor Freight sizes correspond to the Lortone sizes, so you can base belts on your tumbler size. I’m not sure about the fan. That may be a gamble.

We send out shipments via FedEx and USPS everyday, so it is no problem to send you parts if you want to give that a try. Either order on-line at https://shop.rocks4u.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=86 or give us a call at 1-888-762-5746.

May we use your comments and my response on our blog—with no identifying information, of course?

I hope that was helpful. Please let me know if I can answer anything else.
Sincerely,
Anita

RM replies:

Yes, you may use my comments in your blog. I will order later this week, after pay day.

I based my question about the capability of swapping parts on your web catalog. The entry for the cooling fan indicates it can be used in the Harbor Freight tumbler. I was wondering if you knew of anybody who had successfully interchanged the parts.

You didn't answer my question about the service life of the Lortone belts (i.e., how long do they last?). I want to find out if the belts break frequently and I have to accept that lot in life, or whether the Lortone belts are made of better material and will last for several tumbling phases or for several batches of rock. I think that the material in Harbor Freight belts doesn't hold up to the heat generated by the flexing and the transfer of energy (to turn the tumbler drum). When they fail, they are usually cracked in several places, as if the rubber became brittle. I've removed the top guard plate to facilitate air flow for cooling to see if that helps.

And we reply again:

Hi RM,
I asked our lapidary people and they said you could swap parts between Harbor Freight and Lortone. Also, Lortone belts are much better than the one you have. They last a year or more in our machines. The trick to keeping them running is to not over tighten. Also, don't get the oil on them.

Thank you for allowing us to use your comments. Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with!
Sincerely,
Anita

Cash & Treasures visits Rockpick Legend Co.

2007-11-13T10:45:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, November 10, the host and crew of Travel Channel's Cash & Treasures filmed an episode about Utah topaz at our store! It was a lot of fun, but a lot of hard work, too. They started around 10 in the morning and worked until 5 at night. We answered a lot of questions, took direction on camera, stood around while they filmed segments, arranged displays, re-arranged displays, made new displays, oh, and gathered props.

We were pleasantly surprised by how friendly the group from Cash & Treasures were, not only to us, but to our friends and customers. Kirsten Gum was just as nice off camera as she is on camera. The camera men, Luke Saver and Brian Cardello, showed the kids their equipment and posed for pictures. Some of us got closely acquainted with audio man Aron Prigg as he wired us with microphones--he was very nice about it. And last, but not least, Carl Schick, the producer, was patient with our screw-ups, open to our non-experienced TV producing suggestions, and just plain fun to work with. By the time they were done we felt like they were old friends.

They started by shooting opening segments outside the store. When they came inside, they had Rick sort and appraise the topaz they found while collecting the day before with Mike Unruh, well-known topaz expert. Later in the day we had the pleasure of visiting with Mike.

After Rick appraised the topaz, he helped Kirsten wash the topaz in an ultrasonic cleaner. My favorite line of the day was when Kirsten asked Rick if she could use his toothbrush. Of course she wanted the one he was using to wash topaz, but it was a great line, anyway.

After the topaz was clean, Alston showed Kirsten (and crew) how to cut topaz on a lapidary saw. Kirsten seemed especially impressed that Alston was not afraid of putting his fingers right up to the blade. Alston showed her he could touch the blade while it was spinning without getting cut. With a little coaxing, Kirsten tried it and sighed a sigh of relief when all her fingers were still intact. This works because a rock saw blade cuts by grinding--it's not really "cutting" at all.

Next Constance helped Kirsten make jewelry with her topaz and our findings kit (modified to suit Kirsten and crew). There was a little problem getting the bell cap around the topaz for the pendant, so Alston trimmed the topaz--twice. Once that was taken care of, Kirsten got her topaz pendant and earrings.

Kirsten had several nice display pieces, so Zeke and Frederick showed her how to display them with acrylic stands and mineral tack. They all seemed to enjoy a lengthy conversation about displaying topaz, their favorite gems, and where they like to go rock hounding. While I'm sure this conversation will be cut out of the final show, I wish you could hear it. It was very cute all the way around.

The filming wrapped up with a final appraisal from Rick. Cleaning, mounting and making jewelry didn't really change the value of the topaz, but it definitely made it nicer to look at!

Thank you Kirsten, Carl, Luke, Brian, and Aron for an education in making a TV show, a fun (but hard) day, and being so great to work with! We're looking forward to seeing the episode sometime next spring, and we hope you'll visit us again!

Anita Dalrymple

Feldspar Gemstones

2007-11-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

By far the most abundant mineral group on earth is the feldspars. Yet, when you think of gemstones you don’t associate them with feldspars. However, the feldspar family produces some pretty amazing gems.

The feldspar family is composed silicates (Si2O4) of potassium (K), sodium (Na), and calcium (Ca) where the sodium replaces the potassium and the calcium replaces the sodium in various amounts to create some very common rocks and occasionally, gemstones.

Imagine a triangle ▲ where at the top of point you have pure potassium silicate which is the mineral orthoclase. Most orthoclase is white to fleshy in color and boring. Under special conditions it can form a very rare gemstone from citrine to honey in color and be as transparent as glass.

Now moving down the left side of the triangle toward the bottom left corner we add a little sodium to get sanidine, one of the rarest of the feldspars. Most of the time sanidine is just white and opaque like the crystals from Tooele. Given the right conditions it can form a smoky quartz look-a-like.

Add enough sodium now to make it a 50:50 mix and you get moonstone. Moonstone is one of the gems that have many faces. It can be orange, yellow, green, red, gray, brown, and black. But the most sought after is the blue. When you get a blue flash across a semi-transparent stone it is just amazing. Even more beautiful is when the blue is mixed with orange, yellow, or red. Then you see a rainbow dancing within the stone. This is one of the most popular gemstones in the world. It is said to bring young maidens great luck.

Once you have replaced all the potassium with sodium you have microcline, a.k.a. amazonite. This forms opaque stones that are robin-egg blue to deep emerald green.

Now we move across the bottom of the triangle from left to right replacing the sodium with calcium.

Oligoclase is a rare and visually stimulating gemstone. It forms various shades of greens from mint green to pastel green like tourmalines. It can also form shades of yellow, tan, and brown.

With a little more calcium you get sunstone, a very popular gemstone. Our Utah sunstone is fun to collect but it doesn’t really turn out a good gemstone. The material from Oregon however, is the finest in the world. It forms blood red to pastel reds and green, tan, yellow, brown, and black. The highest quality is the red with inclusions of copper flakes that make the stone shimmer or glitter as it moves in the light. I particularly like the ones with red and green together, they remind me of Christmas. This sunstone is probably the most valuable feldspar on the market.

With a 50:50 mix of calcium and sodium you get labradorite. Calcium and sodium molecules are round and large so when they mix there is there is a lot of space between them. This space, called interstices, fills with water and creates a prism as the light refracts off of it. This phenomenon is called labradorescents. We see the colors of a rainbow--yellows, blues, greens, oranges, reds, and violets. They are often very vivid and striking, making this mineral a favorite among mineral collectors, gemstone collectors, jewelry wearers, and just about anybody who sees it. Though named for Labrador, Canada where it was first discovered, the best material comes from Madagascar. Labradorite is often called spectralite or galaxite.

Moving to almost pure calcium you get bytownite. It is among the most rare of gemstones and a favorite with collectors. It has a warm glowing yellow to amber color.

We have a few of these feldspars in stock. We have some moonstone cabs of different colors, sunstone, labradorite, amazonite, etc.

Adrienne is updating the minerals on the website about once a week. This week she should have about 50 more specimens on including guitar picks custom made by Alston and gemstones.

See them at: https://shop.rocks4u.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=106

Rick
Rockpick Legend Co.
1017 S Main Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
801-355-7952

Planning Christmas Gifts?

2007-10-24T16:46:00.000-06:00

If you'd like to purchase a rock tumbler for Christmas we recommend placing your order early--the sooner the better. The last few years the major manufacturers, such as Thumler's Tumblers and Lortone were unable to deliver tumblers by our requested dates. They appear to be following that pattern this year.

Also, keep in mind that most large equipment such as a saws and combo units are made to order. Please allow up to a month for these items.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Rockpick Legend Co.
1-888-Rock-Shop
(1-888-762-5746)

How Do I Polish My Petrified Wood Rounds?

2007-09-08T16:09:00.000-06:00

We have about 12 pieces of petrified wood that are 3" thick and up to 11" around that we want to polish. What type of equipment would we need to do this job? We don't want to spend too much for a one time project. We just want to polish the pieces we have to give as gifts.

Thanks for any advice or help.

Bobbie

Hi Bobbie,

Lapidary work (cutting and polishing rock) requires some specialized equipment. Petrified wood is essentially agate. Agate is a hard material that requires silicon carbide or diamond abrasives to cut and polish. I’ve listed some options for you below. Another approach may be to take your pieces to your local rock shop and have them cut and polish for you. That would save the investment in the equipment. I hope this helps!

There are three ways to polish your petrified wood:

Cut a face, and then flat-lap. For an 11” diameter you’d probably need a 24” saw. That would be a tight fit, since you have to subtract the arbor diameter from the blade size and then divide in two for the size of rock you can actually cut with the saw. Peculiarities of the rock can also affect how well it will fit in the vice (bumps, jags, etc.).

Here is a link to saws: http://shop.rocks4u.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=29

Here is a link to flat or vibra-laps: http://shop.rocks4u.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=41

Break up the wood and then tumble it, although that seems like a shame for such nice size pieces.

Here is a link to rock hammers: http://shop.rocks4u.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=6

Here is a link to rock tumblers: http://shop.rocks4u.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=81

Hand polish using a grinding/polishing combination unit. The belt sander might be the best tool for this size stone.

Here is a link to grinders & polishers: http://shop.rocks4u.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=52

Sincerely,
Anita
Rockpick Legend Co.
www.rocks4u.com

How Do I Get Small Fossils for a School Project?

2007-09-08T12:56:00.000-06:00

My son is taking a class in earth science and geology this year. We are trying to obtain specimens of different samples to put together for his class. We have a very limited budget. I have no idea what a small fossil might be worth. I realize there are different types of fossils. My question, if possible, is if it is possible to get a small fossil that might be of little or no value for this project.

If you can help or lead me in the right direction I would very much appreciate it.

Thank You

George

Hi George,
Thank you for your inquiry. We have small fossil samples for just this purpose. Our small sample fossils include shells and crinoids. Brachiopods are small clam shells fossilized 300 million years ago. Crinoids were a plant that looked like today’s sea-lilies. These are the fossilized stems from about 30 million years ago.

So that school children can afford to own and experience fossils, we offer these fossil specimens at $1 each.

Since they are not currently on our website, you can call to place an order. The number is 1-888-Rock-Shop. We ship Fed-Ex ground.

I hope that helps!

Anita
Rockpick Legend Co.
www.rocks4u.com

How to Recycle The Cutting Oil in Your Rock Saw

2007-09-01T20:49:00.000-06:00

Cutting oil, regardless of which kind you use can be recycled to save money and the environment. We recommend using either Lortone’s Premium Cutting Oil or Covington’s Rockhound Oil in any saw.

To recycle the oil this is what we do:

1. Use a clean, dry 5 gallon bucket. Place a block of wood or brick in the bottom of the bucket. If you use a block of wood it needs to be the size of a brick. The less porous the material you put in the bottom, the more oil you will recover.

2. Now take a plant container like the ones bushes or trees come in and place that in the bucket so it sits on the block. We drill extra holes in it so the oil drains through faster. Small holes don’t work as well. I like 1” holes.

3. Place a paper grocery bag in the plant container.

4. You are ready to pour in the used oil, mud and all. We drain our saw right into the paper bag.

5. Let it stand for 24 to 48 hours. We often let it stand for a week in the heat of summer to recover even more. After a week you get virtually nothing else from the mud. You can reclaim as much as 50% of your oil this way.

Happy Cutting--Rockpick Legend Co.

How Do I Polish Lake Stones in My Rock Tumbler?

2007-08-25T14:33:00.000-06:00

Attached are pictures of rocks I attempted to polish in a tumbler, I am not getting the results I would like. I would like a glossy polish to the rocks. Also is there a way to remove the so called polish that is on there now? Thanks in advance for any help.

Judith

Hi Judith,
I think your problem is contamination. The photo shows a rock with "caves" in the surface. This rock and others like it (including some with less extreme "caves") will carry grit from one stage to the next, even with careful cleaning. Set aside all rocks like this one, and start again in step 3. That should solve your problem. Also, make sure you're cleaning your barrel very carefully.

Some people get stones like these to polish by running them through a soap stage in between the regular stages. You could try that as well. For a soap stage, we recommend Ivory bar soap shredded with a cheese grater, and water.

If all else fails, take comfort in knowing that some stones just won't take a polish.

Anita
Rockpick Legend Co.

Can I Polish Petosky Stones in my Rock Tumbler?

2007-08-25T13:15:00.000-06:00

We recently received this question from a customer. Here is our answer:

Petosky stones are really hard to polish.

In the polish step, replace the water with corn syrup. Use Tin oxide polish only with clean plastic pellets.

You should also add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar.

If this doesn’t work, nothing will in a tumbler.

Most petosky stones are polished by hand and not in a tumbler.

I Can't Find "Soap Flakes"--What do I use as the final step in my rock tumbler?

2007-08-23T17:15:00.000-06:00

Here's a rock tumbling tip:

Use a bar of Ivory soap as your final burnish, but shred it with a cheese grater first.

Many name brand laundry detergents are harsh enough to remove the polish. Some generic brand detergents have been used successfully, but on a trial and error basis.

Happy Rock Tumbling!

Just What Are The Plastic Pellets in The Rock Tumbler Grit Kits For, Anyway?

2007-08-23T17:09:00.001-06:00

I have a quick question pertaining to previous orders. I am new to the whole lapidary process and do not understand what the little plastic beads are for. The rock polishing unit I purchased from you makes no mention of them, we are curently using Tide for step five. Any help is appreciated. Thanks, John H

We've been getting this question a lot lately. Here is the response we've been sending out:

The plastic pellets are volume fillers for steps 3 and 4. When the rocks fill less than 1/2 the barrel, use the pellets to increase the volume to 2/3 or so. You can reuse the pellets, but only in one step. So place the used pellets in a bag and mark them either step 3 or step 4 (depending on which stage you used them in). Don't cross contaminate. Retrieve the pellets by pouring the contents into a bucket of water. The pellets will float, and you can scoop them off for reuse. Scooping with a colander works well.

Tide is not the best choice of a "soap." It is actually harsh enough to remove polish. Use a bar of Ivory soap, but shred it with a cheese grater first.

Happy Rock Tumbling!

Be on the level and not carried away with the Karo!--Rock Tumbler Tip

2007-08-18T12:44:00.000-06:00

Here is a rock tumbler tip from a customer--Thanks, Duane!

Hi Rick, I've had two bad experiences with my Thumbler double tumbler recently. Both of these bad experiences were my fault.

I came home to find the tumbler stopped (good thing the motor has heat protection!). This was the first time this had happened and luckily my wife asked if it could have been the Karo I used. Turns out she was right, I had cleaned the tumbler off from what had leaked out but never cleaned the barrels. In my hurry to start a batch of Picture Jasper and Burro Creek Agate, I just reused the sticky tumblers.

The sticky tumblers would climb up the retaining washer and jam between the rollers. No problem, clean up some more and let the motor cool and I'd be off again.

Sure enough, the tumbler went into service just as it always does.
However, I get home from work the following night and find the same thing, the tumbler over heated and shut off.

This time I restart the tumbler and watch it for several minutes only to see one barrel climb up over the retaining washer. It didn't take long to realize that I had moved the tumbler off of a level surface. This was making both barrels gravitate to the retaining washer. The tumbler was moved back to a level spot and has been happily tumbling for quite a while now.

Lessons learned, wash your barrels if they get dirt built up on them and make sure the tumbler is on a level surface before starting the motor.

Just thought I'd send you an update on using Karo and suggest a word of advice about making sure the tumbler is level (you might find out your garage floor or work bench isn't as level as you thought they were).

:)

Duane

Abandoned Mine Closure Follow-Up

2007-07-31T16:06:00.000-06:00

Anita, instead of Rick, is writing this newsletter. Rick didn't bother to
say so, but I wrote the article on closing abandoned mines for my Physics
for Scientists and Engineers class last semester. (The entire article is on
our blog. http://www.rocktumblers.blogspot.com) I got some feedback from
George of Midway, and thought you might like to hear what other people are
saying:

George Said:

Rick
Nice technical and historical article.
But with bad poisonous deadly gasses, unstable rotting timbers, magazines of
unstable powder, strewn blasting caps, unmarked deep shafts in dark adits,
loose ceilings, and sometimes deep water; there are plenty of reasons to
close mines on public land for the sake of public safety. What may seem as a
simple sojourn for you or I could well end up as a deadly deal, should one
of our kids wander in unsuspectingly; or should any person be trapped for
even a few seconds by deadly gas .

George
Midway

I respond:

Hi George,
Thank you for your comments. You have a very good point. I wrote this
article, and I believe other safety measures could be taken vs. bulldozing
the mines. However, you are right that there are things that need to be
taken into account before entering a mine. May I include your rebuttal in a
follow up article?
Sincerely,
Anita

George Responds:

Can do

geo

Then Rick got in the conversation:

George,

I read your comments this morning. I saw that Anita replied but thought I
would throw my $0.02 worth in anyway.

I don't deny that mine exploration is dangerous. But when you consider the
number of people each year injured playing around in old mines vs. the
number of people injured or killed skiing, mountain climbing and hiking, and
snowmobiling, it just doesn't make sense to close mines at a rate of about
$13,000,000 a year. Nor does it make since that they are closed when so
much scientific information is lost. Every mine that is closed is like
closing an underground lab.

The real reason mines are closed is 100% political. Environmentalists have
pushed for the land to be restored to its original condition. This is
counter productive. Mine closure is a huge loss of history. The mining era
of our history is rich and should be preserved, not torn down and hidden.

I have been in dozens if not hundreds of mines in the west. I have seen bad
gas, deep water, loose blocks in the ceiling, magazines full of old sweaty
dynamite, etc. I understand that most people should not be in old mines. I
also think that it is just wrong to tell me I can't do field work in a mine
because I MIGHT get hurt. Government doesn't have the right and shouldn't
have the responsibility to tell me what, when, how, etc. to do when I go
skiing, fix my roof, or go into an abandoned mine- with going into an
abandoned mine the least dangerous.

They are not just closing mines on public land. They are forcing private
property owners to close their abandoned mines or to let the state do it.
Several of these have ended in court with the private property owners always
the looser. This is wrong on many levels of wrong.

People should take responsibility for themselves and not make our government
take responsibility for us and our actions. If you go into a mine it should
be your responsibility to deal with the consequences.

This doesn't mean that I am against the environment. I am for protecting
the environment. I believe that mining can be done in a responsible way
that protects if not enhances the environment. There is no doubt that man
can not exist without mining. Our society and our very existence depend on
mining in some form or another.

I would love to continue with this dialog. Please don't take offence. I am
just offering a different point of. I do believe that this whole thing has
gotten completely out of hand with the mine closures. Every time a mine is
closed a little piece of me is lost. Once Gold Hill is gone, I will have
lost a great friend and mankind will have lost a true place of great
scientific knowledge and research, not to mention the history of mining for
the past 165 years.

Rick
Rockpick Legend Co.

And George responds,

You make several good points

Responsible government requires responsible people. It is when society
starts to fill with large segments of irresponsibility, that freedom, by its
very nature, starts to break down as government seeks to protect the foolish
segment from themselves, resulting in a loss of freedom for all.

I'm glad my article stimulated some thought on the subject. That is the
best result I could hope for! If you have an opinion on any rock related
subject, we'd like to know about it. Be sure and let us know if we can
include your comments in a blog or newsletter.

Anita Dalrymple

Why Physicists, Chemists, and Engineers Should Oppose “Abandoned” Mine Closures

2007-06-23T12:11:00.000-06:00

Many important discoveries, inventions, and modern technological devices depend upon principles learned from mineral specimens. According to William D. Callister, Adjunct Professor at the University of Utah, “Historically, much of understanding regarding the atomic and molecular arrangements in solids has resulted from x-ray diffraction investigations; furthermore, x-rays are still very important in developing new materials.”1 Some of the first x-ray diffraction experiments were performed by William Lawrence Bragg (1890-1971). In 1914 Bragg published the earliest information about crystal structures determined by x-ray diffraction.2 Bragg’s work with mineral structures was later used by physicists, chemists, and engineers. Physicists used Bragg’s work in the study of optics (diffraction patterns) and the “light as a wave” model. Chemists studied the atomic structure of materials based on information provided by Bragg. And material scientists and engineers use atomic structure information provided by Bragg in the study of material properties and new materials development.

Despite the historical importance of mineral specimens for the promotion of many sciences, government agencies are eliminating public access to known and new mineral species. Mining operations are closed because they are no longer commercially viable. But many of the mines still have scientific value in the form of mineral specimen deposits. In the past, a mining operation closed, but the mine itself was left accessible. The U.S. Department of the Interior summarizes the collective governmental position on mine closure in its 1998 Utah Abandoned Mine Land Oversight Report. It says, “The primary goal of the national Abandoned Mine Land (AML) program is to mitigate the effects of past mining by reclaiming abandoned mines, with a primary emphasis on correcting the most serious problems endangering public health, safety, general welfare, and property.” 3 Public safety is a reasonable concern. However, government agencies are not simply “protecting” the general public from accidentally stumbling upon an old mining operation. They are bulldozing, cement capping, and rebar gating access to old mines still rich in mineral specimen material. It is arguable that if governmental concern is public safety, the government could do more good (in terms of injuries and deaths per year) by closing ski resorts and other generally accepted hazardous activities.

Amateur mineralogists and mineral collectors regularly collect, preserve, and even discover mineral species. Efforts of these collectors are shared in publications such as Mineralogical Record, www.mindat.org, Rock & Gem, and in rock clubs and rock shops around the country. Allowing government agencies to destroy access to scientifically rich material demonstrates overconfidence in current knowledge, and limits future knowledge. After reviewing significant discoveries made using mineral specimens, scientists and engineers should be alarmed by “abandoned” mine closures and the increasing difficulties in starting a mining operation in the United States.

A major development in atomic theory utilized gold, a mineral. In 1909 Hans Geiger and Ernest Mardsen measured the deflection of alpha particles directed at a sheet of thin gold foil. The lab run by Ernest Rutherford was able to prove that atoms contain a central nucleus. Their work led to the Bohr atomic model. This step was critical to the development of modern atomic models.4

In 1904, Paul Heinrich von Groth (1843-1927) theorized about internal crystal structures. He said, "A crystal consists (1) of a number of interpenetrating point systems, each made up of similar atoms; (2) each point system consists of a number of interpenetrating space lattices made up of similar atoms arranged in a parallel manner; and (3) all space lattices of the resulting structure are congruent, that is, possess the same elementary parallelpiped."5 By creating a crystal structure model, Groth was theorizing about how atoms connect to create solids. In his 1914 work, Bragg confirmed early theories about how atoms form crystal structures and thereby allowed scientist to theorize further about atomic connecting mechanisms and even atomic structure. Scientists and engineers still use Bragg's equation to measure the space between lattice planes in a crystal. Bragg's equation is mλ = 2dsinθ, where m is a positive integer, λ is the wavelength of the x-ray, θ is the angle at which the x-ray strikes the crystal face as measured from the face, and d is the distance between lattice planes.

Bragg's diffraction experiments also proved that light acts like a wave. Throughout Albert Einstein's (1879-1955) life, scientists debated about the nature of light and quantum mechanics. Some scientists claimed that light was made up of photon particles. Others believed light was a wave. These debates wouldn't have been possible without Bragg's proof that light diffracts like a wave. Most scientists today accept both the wave model and the particle model of light. No one has yet created a cohesive model that explains all of light's properties and behaviors.

Minerals have been used to learn about polarized light. Polarized light's wave motion is confined to one plane. Light can be polarized by double refraction, absorption, or reflection. All three types of polarized light can be demonstrated with crystals. William Nicol (1770-1851) invented the first polarizing prism.6 The Nicol prism uses a rhombohedral crystal of calcite, cut at 68°, split diagonally, and then joined again with Canada balsam (a turpentine that is used as a glue and is almost invisible when dried). The prism refracts one plane of light with an index of refraction of n = 1.658, and another plane of light with an index of refraction of 1.486. This prism was once used extensively.

Tourmaline is used to demonstrate polarized light by absorption.7 Tourmaline crystals are anisotropic (they have different material properties in different directions). They absorb light in some directions, and reflect it in others. Polarizing sheets are made with an acetate base using this same principle. Polarized lenses are used in consumer products such as sunglasses and scientific instruments like microscopes.

Light is polarized when it reflects from a smooth, nonmetallic surface. The extent of polarization depends on the angle of reflection and the index of refraction of the reflecting material. The angle at which light with one particular polarization cannot be reflected is called Brewster's angle after Sir David Brewster (1781-1868). While Brewster wasn't the first to discover this phenomenon, he does get credit for independent discovery. He also discovered crystals with two axes of double refraction and made connections between optical structure and crystalline forms.8 Brewster's angle is calculated with Snell's law, n1sinθ1 = n2sinθ2, where n1 is the index of refraction of the material in which the light is coming from, θ1 is the angle from which the light enters the second material measured from the normal to the plane, n2 is the index of refraction of the material being entered, and θ2 is the direction of travel in the second material measured from the normal to the plane. Brewster's Law is calculated as θ1 = θB = arctan(n2/n1).

There are many more examples of how rocks, minerals, and crystals have demonstrated general scientific principles. For instance, the element phosphorous phosphorescences. Phosphorescence is used in many electronic devices, including televisions. It is shortsighted to close access to rocks and minerals which are scientifically valuable natural resources. It may be argued that only trained scientists should maintain access to abandoned mines since it was trained scientists making these example discoveries. There are two arguments against that course of action. First, mineral collectors regularly provide museums with quality mineral specimens. Second, as Adam Smith suggested in The Wealth of Nations, the layman may be in the best position to invent things to improve his condition. For the advancement of scientific knowledge and technology, all levels of government in the United States should allow access to abandoned mines and facilitate the distribution of new mining permits.

Anita Dalrymple
Physics 123, Spring 2007
(modified for Rockpick Legend Co.)
Comments about this article should be directed to rockshop@rocks4u.com.

References
1 Callister, William D., 2007, Materials Science and Engineering, An Introduction, 7th ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY, p.67.

2 Klein, Cornelis, 1985, Manual of Mineralogy, 20th ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY, p. 7.

3 1998 Utah Abandoned Mine Land Oversight Report, U S Department of the Interior, INTERNET source available at http://www.osmre.gov/utahaml98.htm, accessed June 9, 2007.

4 Geiger-Mardsen Experiment, Wikipedia, INTERNET source available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geiger-Marsden_experiment, accessed June 12, 2007.

5 Kraus, Edward Henry, 1936, Mineralogy: An Introduction to the Study of Minerals and Crystals, 3rd ed., McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York, NY, p. 146.

6 Nicol Prism, Wikipedia, INTERNET source available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicol_prism, accessed June 12, 2007.

7 Klein, Cornelis, 1985, Manual of Mineralogy, 20th ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY, p. 236.

8 David Brewster, Wikipedia, INTERNET source available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Brewster, accessed June 12, 2007.

New Rock Hounding Books Available

2007-04-04T10:58:00.000-06:00

Dear Rock Friends,

Rockhounding season is here, and to celebrate we have two new rock hound books, a book signing, and a rock hammer sale!!!

Book one--“A Guide to Gold Panning in Utah” by Alan Chenworth.—hot off the presses last Saturday--is an in-depth book on where to go gold panning in Utah. Alan, who I have known for years, has actually visited each site and has given the exact amount of gold found in each location. The maps practically say “dig here to find gold.” He also tells which sites in Utah have been rumored to produce gold but don’t. The book is a bargain at only $12.95. Take a sneak peak at the cover at A Guide to Gold Panning in Utah.

This Saturday (April 7, 2007) from 10am to Noon, Alan Chenworth will be here at the store to sign copies and answer questions about the book. This is a great opportunity for some first hand information!

DURING THE BOOK SIGNING we will have a big Estwing tools sale, including the hammers, chisels, GOLD PANS, etc.

Book two--“Geodes, Natures Treasures” is all about geodes from around the world. It even has the correct geodes pictured from Dugway, Utah (unlike Gem Trails of Utah which has Mexican geodes pictured for Dugway geodes).

The book is written by Brad Cross and June Culp Zeitner. Both authors have written many books on agates and lapidary materials and are two of the most respected names in the industry. The book is loaded with pictures and info for only $21.95.

Finally, a hearty congratulations to Ken Rockwell of Salt Lake City. He is the winner of our rock hammer drawing. Thank you to everyone who took the time to comment or shop on our new website cart. We’re working on implementing your suggestions!

We hope to see you Saturday!

Rick & the Gang

Web Site & E-Mail Updates

2007-03-10T12:46:00.000-07:00

A quick update--the ISP hosting our website went down in Feb. 07. If you e-mailed us during that month, we probably did not receive your message. We're now with a stronger provider, and plan to make use of their many service options. Watch for our new shopping cart in March!

Many Uses for a Rock Tumbler--Some Better Than Others...

2006-11-18T23:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Rock Friends,

We often get asked if a rock tumbler can be used for other things besides
tumbling rocks.

Here are some of the other uses we have encountered.

A restaurant in Park City uses a couple of larger tumbler for marinating
meat overnight (inside the cooler).

Auto shops use them for cleaning carburetor parts.

Auto restoration shops use them for cleaning original parts like nuts and
bolts.

A local medical manufacture uses them to burnish needles for syringes.

A local aerospace manufacture use the to de-bur metal fittings and parts.

Many artists use them to manufacture beach glass for art.

Bottle collectors use them to remove dirt and crud from antique bottles.

Gold prospectors use them for crushing gold-bearing rocks so they can
amalgamate the gold.

Jewelers use them to clean jewelry castings.

Coin collectors and many with coin fountains use tumblers to clean the coins
so banks will take them.

A grad student at Berkeley is currently using one to create a specific
weather condition with sensors inside the barrel to measure the effect of--I
didn't really understand it but it sounded interesting.

A custom paint maker uses them to mix paint.

Some restaurants use them to clean utensils. It will put a pitted but clean
look on metal utensils really fast.

I know at least one clay artist who uses one to mix her own clay for
ceramics and another tumbler to mixing her own pigments for her ceramics.

These are just some of the more interesting uses. If you have some you would
like to share please let me know.

Rick Dalrymple
888.762.5728

Silicon Carbide for Rock Tumbling & Polishing

2006-09-30T18:10:00.000-06:00

Silicon carbide is man-made for use as an abrasive or more recently as a semiconductor and the gemstone moissanite The simple manufacturing process is to combine silica sand and carbon at temperature between 1600 °C and 2500 °C.

Gem crystals of silicon carbide can be made up to one inch. This material is called moissanite. It is very cheap to produce and is very close to diamonds in its properties, making it a great and cheap gemstone.

Natural occurring silicon carbide is only found in meteorites, making it extremely rare. It was first discovered in the Canyon Diablo meteorite, Meteor Crater and vicinity, Coconino Co., in Arizona.

Why does silicon carbide work as an abrasive? It has some very unique properties that man has found very important. It is extremely hard. On the Moh's hardness scale it is a 9.5, making diamonds the only thing harder than silicon carbide.

It works well as an abrasive for grinding and polishing rocks because of another property it has. It always breaks, fractures, and chips at very sharp angles. Unlike most materials, it doesn't round off on the corners when it is used. This means that when it is ground from a coarse grit to
a fine grit it still works just as well for abrading.

The material was discovered by Edward G. Acheson around 1893. He also developed the electric batch furnace by which SiC is still made today. He also formed "The Carborundum Company" to manufacture it in bulk as an abrasive.

Acheson was trying to dissolve carbon in liquid alumina (corundum) and found that all he got were hard black crystals of a new compound. He named it "carborundum" (carbon + corundum from the two materials he was working with).

A new thing on the market today is recycled grit. Many dealers selling grit for tumbling are selling recycled grit. It is much cheaper (It's used!) and will not work as well on grinding rocks. This is because used 60/90 grit has been broken down to a finer grit and will not work as a coarse grit. There is also the problem of contamination. You may be buying fine grit that has a lot of coarse grit mixed into it. This makes it not such a good deal when you are trying to polish in your fine stage.

When you are buying grit make sure you are purchasing "new" grit and not recycled. You never know what you are going to get with recycled. For the price difference it is well worth it as it will save time in the long run and you will get a better result.

We sell a variety of grit at www.rocks4u.com (click on the "Shop" tab). All of our grit is NEW!

Gemstone Terms that Every Jewelry Buyer Needs

2006-08-26T11:00:00.000-06:00

Photo: Natural Topaz

I recently went to a local mall and visited every jewelry store there. I was amazed at the lack of knowledge that every store attendant I talked to had about gemstones.

At one store I asked, already knowing the answer, what a particular stone was and how much it cost. The clerk told me it was cat's eye and it was $299. I asked "Cat's eye what? Cat's eye isn't a gemstone name. It is an adjective." She said "No, it is just called cat's eye". I gave up trying to explain at this point and just left.

In order to protect you from on onslaught of misinformation, I wrote this list of common terms used when it comes to gemstones.

Chatoyant: a band of light that moves across the stone as it is turned in a direct light. Tiger's eye is a great example. Synthetic ruby and sapphire are made to do it also.

Synthetic: Lab created to be an exact copy of a naturally occurring material. Synthetic diamonds are physically and chemically identical to natural diamonds.

Imitation: Made to look just like the real thing. An analog of a natural stone. Glass, porcelain, enamels, and other rocks are examples. Other types of imitations are ones with no natural analog. YAG, GGG, and CZ are examples. They are not trying to reproduce or copy a natural stone. They are making them for their own beauty.

Reconstructed & Reconstituted: In part made from real stones. Powder, dust, chips, and splinters are pressed into epoxy or plastic and fashioned into gemstones. Turquoise and Lapis are often reconstructed or reconstituted. Sometimes it is difficult to tell once the stones are polished.

Heat Treated: According to GIA (Gemological Institute of America) 98% of all naturally colored stones are heat treated. Sapphires are all ran through this process just to make sure they can't be improved. This treatment involves heating the stone to burn off any impurities that may be inside. It also has the effect of enhancing the color. If a stone is pale before the process, it will be a much more rich color when it comes out. This is the case with 100% of all Tanzanite. Tanzanite is normally a dull gray-green color until it is heat treated, which turns it the beautiful lavender we all like. (Tanzanite is also oiled to hide all the flaws--100% of the stones have flaws).

Enhanced Color: Any process that changes or improves the color of a stone. Heat treating is one way. Another enhancement is to soak a stone in oil or wax that has a artificial color which will soak into the stone changing or enhancing the color.

If you are going to purchase a gemstone or a piece of jewelry, make sure you research the stone. One jeweler I visited insisted that a certain stone I was looking at was a natural ruby. It was around 15 carats and was completely flawless with a paler shade of red than a ruby should have. I am sure it was a synthetic ruby. They insisted it was a natural, and at $5,000 was a bargain. If it had been a natural ruby, that quality and size would have made it around $250,000 per carat making the stone $3,750,000! Synthetics are much cheaper, and this stone (assuming it was a synthetic) should have cost about $15. This makes it quite the bargain for them, not for the buyer.

I'm sure there are other terms out there, so if you have questions about any of them please just ask. Rockshop@rocks4u.com.

Rick

Topaz Mountain

2006-08-11T00:21:00.000-06:00

Topaz Mountain is the southern most mountain in the Thomas Range which extends
from Tooele County to Juab County, in the central west desert of Utah.
Topaz Mountain is in Juab County.

It is the product of five distinct rhyolite flows cause by the extension of the
Basin and Range province. After the eruptions had occurred, hot gases
bubbled up through the fissures and cracks looking for a place to escape.
Some of the gases formed bubbles within the rhyolite. These bubbles are called lithophyses.

As the gases cooled, Topaz and other minerals would deposit on the sides of
the fissures and within the lithophyses.

There are a number of different minerals found in the Thomas Range,
including:

Topaz. Topaz is found in epithermal veins (epithermal means it was
deposited by hot ground water or steam). It forms as sherry-colored to
clear and pink. Crystals are 0.25" long to 3" commonly, though some have
been found up to 4" and one exceptional crystal was almost 5" long.

The color is caused by natural radiation. So when topaz is exposed to the sun
light, it fades out. The color can be replaced by re-exposing the crystals
to radiation such as x-rays.

Since the Topaz in the Thomas Range is located in a rhyolite, it often has
rhyolitic sand included within the crystal. There is NO way of cleaning
this off. Topaz crystals completely included with sand are called "sand
crystals."

Floaters are also common. This means that there is no visible point of
attachment and the crystal is terminated on all sides.

Topaz has a hardness of 8, specific gravity of 3.5, and has a strong basil
cleavage. Topaz is often confused with quartz. The quartz found in the
Thomas Range is very small (1/8") and topaz is orthorhombic where quartz is
hexagonal.

Red Beryl. Red beryl is a member of the beryl family, which also includes
aquamarine, heliodore, emeralds, morganite, and goshenite. It is by far the
rarest of all the beryl's. It is found in several places with in the Thomas
Range, including the Cove. It forms as red to red-orange to orange-violet
and pink hexagonal plates about 0.25" across and 1/16" thick. Larger ones
are rare.

Red Beryl was discovered by Maynard Bixby in the mid-1890's and hence is
often referred to as Bixbite. There is only one other documented locality for Red Beryl, and that is in the Wah Wah Mountains, also in Utah. The Wah Wah Mountains is the location that the gem material is found.

We have a great selection of Red Beryl for sale in the store.

Bixbyite. Was first discovered at what is known as the Maynard Claim. It
was discovered by Maynard Bixby at the same time he discovered the Red Beryl
also at the same location.

Bixbyite forms as black, lustrous cubes. Most are less than 0.25", though
in the past few years some exceeding 1" have been found on the north end of
the Thomas Range. Often the cubes have been naturally modified to have each corner faceted.

We have some great samples of Bixbyite for sale in the store.

Pseudobrookite. Pseudobrookite forms as slender black needles. Most are
under 0.25", though they have been found to 2". It is very difficult to
remove specimens of pseudobrookite off the rock, because when you hit the
surrounding rock, the needles pop off. Use a super glue and pour it all
over the pseudobrookite and the matrix while you are extracting the specimen
and when you get it home, soak it in acetone to remove the glue. No damage
will come to the crystals and you might end up with a keeper. Good sprays
of pseudobrookite from this location are among the finest in the world.

Weeksite. The Autunite #8 claim is the type-locality (meaning this is where the mineral was first discovered) for Weeksite. This location is marked on the topo maps of the area. It forms as yellow needles on chalcedony. Is weakly radioactive.

Durangite. Duranite is a rare mineral, and the best crystals in the world are
found in the Thomas Range.

Holfertite is a new mineral with its type locality in the Cove. It is
named after John Holfert who discovered it. Holfertite forms as very small,
bright yellow needles with the topaz and hematite. It is a uranium
silicate.

Other minerals that may be found in the Thomas Range are
Hematite, Garnets, Chalcedony, Cassiterite, Ilmenite, Fluorite, Magnetite,
Sanadine, Mimetite, Hyalite Opal, Crystobalite, Calcite, Fluorite, Rutile,
Amethyst, Zircon, and Trydimite

The Topaz Mountain area is still open to the amateur collector and here are
some pointers on finding the goodies:

This detailed information is for the Cove. There are many claims in the
Thomas Range. The Cove/Topaz Mountain is open to the amateur collecting.
That means nothing but hand tools. For more detailed information on rock hounding rules in Utah, see www.rocks4u.com/Utahrockhoundingrules.htm .

I am asked often if there is any more topaz to be found at Topaz Mountain.
YES. It just takes some skill in finding it.

The first thing you must know is that it takes patience, lots and lots of
patience. Topaz Mountain doesn't like to give up her treasures, so you must
have patience, and did I mention you must be patient?

Most of the topaz is found in the fissures and lithophysa pockets. Use a
long screw driver to probe cracks and the vugs. If the screw driver can be
moved around, then start working the fissure to open the pocket. Not all
will have topaz. And the ones that do may only have small and undesirable
topaz. Remember--be patient. Sometimes the sand and dirt will cover the
topaz in a vug, so make sure you blow or sweep the fissure out. Please be an ethical collector, and refrain from damaging specimens that you can't carefully remove. The next person may have the skills and tools to preserve the specimen.

Topaz from other locations around the world include the Zapot Claim in
Humbolt Co. Nevada where large crystals of blue topaz were discovered a few
years ago, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, California, Nevada, North Carolina,
and North and South Dakota. Brazil has produced topaz crystals to 1500 kg. Russia, and several African countries have also produced great specimens. Pakistan and Afghanistan have produced world class specimens also. Namibia produced the only true red topaz, the rarest of all. Idaho has produced great green topaz crystals which are exceptionally rare and even more rarely fluoresce under shortwave light this is rare in and of itself.

Rick