Pyrope?

[wondertuckian]

Can someone help me out with these? Wondering if these are pyrope garnets. Found them in my black sand concentrates about 30 miles southwest of the six pack lamprophyre in Kenosha, WI. mindat has info. re: the six pack lamprophyre or there's a report here:http://www.d.umn.edu/prc/lakesuperiorgeology/Volumes/ILSG_43_1997_pt1_Sudbury.CV.pdf (pg 11-12) Colors range from a deep red to a purple-pink . Getting quite a few in every cleanout. Have found very little in the way of precious metals. Wonder if I should switch gears & do a little diamond prospecting. Any thoughts?

 

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[Jim in Idaho]

They look like pyropes to me. What you really want are G10 pyropes, but no way to tell that by looking. I would be prospecting for diamonds, and/or more kimberlite indicator minerals...like chrome diopside, which is emerald green. CD tends to be very brittle and only lasts for about 1 mile once eroded from the kimberlite. That makes it a valuable indicator of the pipe location. I have no idea if lamproite also has CD. Best of luck!
If you have harvester ants, you should also be checking anthills for indicators.
Jim

 

[wondertuckian]

Thanks for the response, Jim. Haven't seen anything, yet, that would appear to be Chrome Diopside. The exploration that was done turned up quite a few minerals, one of them being CD, but I am 30 miles down from the six pack lamprophyre, and God only knows how much (or little) CD would have survived gettin' pushed around by glaciers. As far as anthills, I should be so lucky. I'm dealing with an old stream bed that was buried under about 4 feet of clay. I'd like to see the ants that could harvest gems through that. It'd be like watching an old sci-fi movie!

 

[Jim in Idaho]

LOL...I hear that! I guess you're just going to have to get closer to that lamprophyre. Hope you find a diamond, or two.
Jim