Wyoming trip again...

[Jim in Idaho]

Back this week to Wyoming. Still no diamonds, but I wasn't really looking. I did succeed in isolating the gem area I've been working. It is the only place, in several square miles, that produces both pyrope garnet and chrome diopside. I learned a few more things about that locale, but am keeping them to myself for the present. I hope to get back over there one more time this fall.
I did run into this little guy by my camp spot. Don't see them at this elevation very often. Downstream a few miles, they're common.


And, a few scenery pics:

You can see the different layers of erosion debris above the clay layer in this one. The top layer has garnets and chrome diopside. I'm still evaluating the other layers and the clay. Generally, I've found the clay doesn't have much in it.

 

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[hvacker]

Good eating on one of those things!
Good luck Jim.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

LOL...that one was only 2 1/2" long, HV. Would only make a small mouthful. Not like the monsters you guys find down there. I have found them as long as 5" in Wyoming and Idaho.
Jim

 

[hvacker]

They are still cool to find of any size. Reminds one that there is still wilderness.
Still hard to believe they are harmless, unless you eat them I'd bet.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Looks like a fun place to dig. I'd sample the bottom greenish-stuff. #5 looks interesting to.

 

[The Dirt Pirate]

Looks like a good place to find some cool stuff.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Looks like a fun place to dig. I'd sample the bottom greenish-stuff. #5 looks interesting to.

Ya know, EU, I often find gems near the clay deposits, but I've never found a gem in the clay. But, the biggest piece of chrome diopside I've found had hard clay stuck to it. Some of that clay is hard as a rock, some breaks down in water. Some reacts to acid, some doesn't. That area of southwest Wyoming has a ton of interesting, vacant country, I enjoy just wandering around over there. That #5 pic is not at all unusual for that area. You can find all sorts of rocks....quartz, calcite, garnet, olivine, etc. That area has been down to sea level, and back up to several thousand feet many times over millions of years. That makes for a really interesting geology. There is an incredible amount of fluorescing material there, too. I could easily fill the pickup in a few days.
Jim

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Looks like a good place to find some cool stuff.

It is, Kid...sort of like where you live. I spent the night in your town a few years ago....my wife and I both thought it was nice place. But, I left California in 1972, and I'm not going back...Ha!
Jim

 

[IAMZIM]

Kewl little guy, I picked one up once, and forgot that sometimes they will squirt blood out of their eyes at you, glad I had it away from my face! LOL! Would love to see some pics of the chrome diopside if you have any.....; )

 

[Jim in Idaho]

I'll post some pics, Zim, but I got a nasty flu bug, and won't get to it for a couple of days.
Jim

 

[Eu_citzen]

Ya know, EU, I often find gems near the clay deposits, but I've never found a gem in the clay. But, the biggest piece of chrome diopside I've found had hard clay stuck to it. Some of that clay is hard as a rock, some breaks down in water. Some reacts to acid, some doesn't. That area of southwest Wyoming has a ton of interesting, vacant country, I enjoy just wandering around over there. That #5 pic is not at all unusual for that area. You can find all sorts of rocks....quartz, calcite, garnet, olivine, etc. That area has been down to sea level, and back up to several thousand feet many times over millions of years. That makes for a really interesting geology. There is an incredible amount of fluorescing material there, too. I could easily fill the pickup in a few days.
Jim

That clay looks like it originated from mafic rocks, hence my interest. I know its interesting, being familiar with Dan Hausel's work to.

 

[hvacker]

Clay,s might be the most mysterious geology out there.
Especially it's layering.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

What amazes me the most about the clays in western Wyoming is the variety. Colors from almost white to bright blue, and various chemical natures. Some can be dissolved with acid, some acid doesn't touch. Some is easily water soluble, some you can soak for years with no effect. Strange stuff. I've found asbestos fibers growing in some clays, and there is fairly common hunks of large asbestos specimens to be found. I assume it all grew in the clays, from chemicals present in the clay. Some of the largest deposits of Trona in the world are located in western Wyoming, too.
Jim

 

[Eu_citzen]

Interesting for sure! Our clays here are rather boring: grey, white & brownish. That's it. Glaciers sure did their thing here.

As a side note..
That bright blue would be fun to try using as a pigment for paint making.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

At one point I thought the gems were in the clay, so I was toying with the idea of making a jaw crusher with an adjustable spring cushion. That way it would be tough enough to crush the relatively soft clay, but wouldn't damage the gems. I'm still thinking about it. Not sure if the gems come from the clay, or it's just coincidence that so many seem to be found near the clay mounds. If the blue were crushed, it would be interesting to try different uses for the color. The blue seems to be fairly hard, as clays go, and not easily soluble.
Jim

 

[wilfndgold1]

Love your Wyoming posts please keep posting them.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Thanks! I'll keep posting as long as I have something worth sharing. I'm heading back over next week.
Jim

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Here are some pics of Chromium Diopside

I've posted these pics before, but it's been awhile. This pice is the largest I've found...it weighs 3.8 carats, and is about the size of a kidney bean. You can see evidence of the matrix still stuck to it.

This pic are pieces recovered with the jig, or found on anthills, or recovered with the saruca. The emerald green is the chrome diopside. According to the experts, it's pretty fragile, and doesn't last long after eroding from the matrix. if you find it, you're within 1/2 mile or so of the pipe. Generally, I find about 2 or 3 of the CD for each garnet. Garnet is much tougher.

 

[IAMZIM]

When the experts say "fragile" do they mean it can't be cut or faceted? Just curious, the colors are awesome!

 

[Jim in Idaho]

It can be faceted, but requires some real skill. has to be oriented in certain ways, and can only be cut emerald-style if what I read is correct. It's really brittle, and has the same hardness as glass, so doesn't work well as rings...only as earings, or necklesses. It is gorgeous stuff. I'd love to find a really big piece of it. Most of the larger pieces (above 1 carat) often have lots of uncrystallized material in the stone, which makes it hard to facet. Also, it's somewhat dark, so the finishes stones have to be sort of small to get any brilliance. There was a lot of it coming out of Russia for awhile, but the source is slowly drying up. There isn't much in the way of raw stock to be had in facetable material.
Jim