Boulder Sunday, Boulders of Fluorite Oh My!
There are many a secret spot in the mountains and deserts still holding treasure, you just have to know the right people or do some serious researching to find those secret spots. A few weeks ago I found one!
(That's a 100lb boulder of fluorite. It was one of the little ones.)
(A larger one several hundred pounds.)
This is an old fluorite locality near Barstow which will remain a secret. It's filled with boulders containing purple and green fluorite octahedrals!
On the other side of the mountain there are solid 1" - 3" veins of fluorite that makes for great cabochons.
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The locality is right off of the freeway, but you would never know about it. You can't find any references to it online except for Mindat.org, and even then you have to know what you are looking for.
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The green fluorite fluoresces a beautiful electric baby blue under long wave UV, but the purple doesn't. My short wave UV light broke so I'm not sure yet if either will fluoresce under short wave. And sorry, my phone will not take pictures of the fluorescence.
The boulders themselves are a rhyolite and fairly hard. You need a sledge hammer to break them open and find the veins and vugs(openings) holding the fluorite. Even then one of the only ways to get them open is to find a vein and exploit it's weakness.
Anyway, that's it. Hope you enjoyed boulders of fluorite!
Thanks for reading!
If you love rocks, gems and minerals check these tags & Steemians out!
#rockhound by @bitfiend
#bouldersunday by @shasta
#mineralmondays by @rt395
#fridaysrock by @nat-expressions
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Your posts are always fascinating!
Thank you Melinda. I'm really trying to make more time to blog again. I realize what I do is pretty unique for Steemit blogs, so I hope to bring more of the world of gems and minerals here.
I just attended my first Micro Mineral Conference the other week and oh wow. Most of the people in the room were Phd's and geologists. Several of whom have their own minerals named after them! Their world is fascinating! The shape and colors you see under the microscope are mind blowing. I'm working on a post about it and should have the first one up this week. Maybe tonight if I'm not being lazy.
Thank you as always!
Oh wow what a great find @rt395! :-) Gorgeous boulders, must of been
so exciting to find this secret spot! Await your micro mineral posts!!
Thanks @shasta. Even though I knew where it was, it took me 3/4 of a day hiking the mountain to find it. I never get the best pictures because I am too busy digging. The boulders were incredible in the right light.