Are these garnets??

[Huelten]

So the backstory is that i never have been into gems much but after a recent prospecting trip for gold i found a small emerald in my pan and needless to say i think i'm slightly pumped about gem possibilities now. I did some research after i noticed some black rocks that were constantly in my heavies and i'm thinking they could be raw garnets? but i'm not sure, i want to open it up to some with better knowledge of the subject so ive attached a picture with red marks next to the suspected "garnets". Any help would be awesome, i'm just wondering if i've genuinely found garnets or if i'm incorrect.

Thanks

 

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[PaDirtDigger]

They look like garnets from what i can see in the picture... Hold them up to the light and see what you can see... And then.... Post up that Emerald!!

 

[goldenIrishman]

hard to tell from the picture but it looks like a possibility. Garnets that are really worth something are really rare. This is one of the reasons they're used to make sandpaper.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Those look like they might be garnets. Garnets are fairly common and to rise to the standard of "gemstone" they will need to be of good size, color and clarity. Even then if it's not one of the rare garnets you probably are better off crushing them for sandpaper.

I doubt you found an emerald in Oregon. Oregon has several green stones that could be mistaken for emerald including glass, obsidian and even some garnets. If you truly found a natural emerald I would suggest you leave the gold behind and find the source of that emerald. Big bucks go to a locator of a new deposit of one of the rarest gemstones.

Heavy Pans

 

[BurntBear]

Most likely Garnets from the photo. Keep an eye out for these minerals in particular due to their high specific gravity:

Topaz
Kyanite
Garnet Varieties
Corundum (Rubies & Sapphires)
Zircon

As for the green stone, probably Serpentine or something of the like. If it's an Emerald; you'll be a popular guy.

 

[Huelten]

Ok guys, my bad on assuming its a emerald! I saw a green transparent stone and just got excited and assumed EMERALD, so my mistake, its good to know. Now comes the tricky part of actually finding out what ive got. So is it safe to say these "garnets" i think ive found are essentially worthless due to their size?

 

[BurntBear]

Garnet value is based entirely on color and rarity. Any Garnet that isn't red is noteworthy, lol. If you find them attached to their host rock; someone would take an interest as a specimen for sure.

Although, there are certainly exceptions. Any mineral that clearly displays it's natural crystal structure is always of interest to collectors.

For instance, Garnet generally forms in a Rhombic dodecahedron crystal form. If you find one that displays the crystal structure; hold on to it.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Clear green stones can also be chromium diopside...one of the indicators for kimberlite, the primary source for diamonds. There are diamonds in Oregon.
Chrome diopside tends to fracture into narrow "sticks".
Jim

 

[Bonaro]

Garnets commonly show up in the pan as a pink streak of color to the sand. They can be much darker like red wine but usually are always somewhat translucent. Most garnets are very small like the stuff you found but I have panned out marble sized ones in certain areas.
I dont think yours are garnets, too dark but I honestly am guessing...Just cant tell from the pic

 

[jog]

There is a lot of obsidian in the area where you are, not far from there I brought home two five gallon buckets of Apache tears last year which is obsidian. You might compare them to obsidian and see what it looks like, obsidian is real shiny black and glass like.

 

[TheHarleyMan2]

Yeah, those don't appear to be garnet. Like a poster said, hold it up to a light and see if it glows dark red or redish/pink color in the light. Garnets come in many colors except green. The most popular is ruby red or pink garnets.

Garnets will look like black glass in a pan of sand/fine dirt concentrate with a little bit of water in the pan.

When I pan out material and I see black looking glass, I use tweezers to hold them up to the sunlight and it will let me know real quick if it is garnet nad I put it in a vile. I found a good bit of garnet here in Texas, some of it good sized jewelry grade that I am still holding onto for the time being.

 

[IdahoGoldGettR]

Here are a couple examples of garnets. First photo is of your typical ruby red, pink, purple, and dark colored garnets. The second photo is what most folks refer to as "sugar garnets." These are pre-stage garnets that have not been broken down over the years into smaller pieces such as the 1st photo. I suspect you have the darker colored garnets in your pan.

 

[TheHarleyMan2]

Here are a couple examples of garnets. First photo is of your typical ruby red, pink, purple, and dark colored garnets. The second photo is what most folks refer to as "sugar garnets." These are pre-stage garnets that have not been broken down over the years into smaller pieces such as the 1st photo. I suspect you have the darker colored garnets in your pan.



View attachment 1123486 View attachment 1123487

Those are some nice looking chunkies you got there! I wish I could find some pieces that big!

 

[BurntBear]

Yeah, those don't appear to be garnet. Like a poster said, hold it up to a light and see if it glows dark red or redish/pink color in the light. Garnets come in many colors except green. The most popular is ruby red or pink garnets.

Garnets will look like black glass in a pan of sand/fine dirt concentrate with a little bit of water in the pan.

When I pan out material and I see black looking glass, I use tweezers to hold them up to the sunlight and it will let me know real quick if it is garnet nad I put it in a vile. I found a good bit of garnet here in Texas, some of it good sized jewelry grade that I am still holding onto for the time being.

A close up photo would definitely help to be conclusive.

TheHarleyMan2,

Garnets do come in a green color as well. They are called Tsavorite Garnets (silent "T"); although they are only found in Tanzania, Kenya & Madagascar. Like Emeralds, they get their green color from sources of Chromium or Vanadium.



That's just a $2 million dollar+ Tsavorite Garnet hanging out, being a Garnet; doing Garnet things....

 

[jog]

Here is one that I dredged up a few years back near where i live.

 

[ivan salis]

cool -- looks like a garnet to me ... I had some garnets I found made into a nice silver ring for my wife ... who upon seeing the raw garents at first said --uh honey are you sure? these look like brownish reddish little rocks to me ....

however once cut ,polished and put into a ring ..she had no doubts at all...

 

[TheHarleyMan2]

A close up photo would definitely help to be conclusive.

TheHarleyMan2,

Garnets do come in a green color as well. They are called Tsavorite Garnets (silent "T"); although they are only found in Tanzania, Kenya & Madagascar. Like Emeralds, they get their green color from sources of Chromium or Vanadium.

View attachment 1123522

That's just a $2 million dollar+ Tsavorite Garnet hanging out, being a Garnet; doing Garnet things....

WOW! that piece is huge!

 

[Hoser John]

Garnets of almost every color are all over Mariposa County and many other Motherlode areas. Coarsegold is my favorite for colors green,clear,yellow,red,black and on/on. Not rare in calif really,just mine for gold and them garnets will come-John

 

[Bodfish Mike]

I find lots of very small ones on the Kern river in CA some in crystal form. I call them creek rubies.
Here's a pic taken with a digital microscope of one.

 

[SHoward]

Garnets of almost every color are all over Mariposa County and many other Motherlode areas. Coarsegold is my favorite for colors green,clear,yellow,red,black and on/on. Not rare in calif really,just mine for gold and them garnets will come-John

Hear in Alabama if you want Garnets, just put a sluice or dredge out, the Garnets just jump in by themselves!!!!!