Emeralds:

[mad4wrecks]

I don't doubt Pete's story either, just, as Brad mentioned, the legalities of it.

From an old news story on www.treasuresites.com:

They'll get the message as they already are off Fowey Rocks, where pontoon-boats full of divers are pulling up and scuba & snorkel clad enthusiasts are jumping in with spaghetti colanders to sift the sands for emeralds in the area 1 mile SW where a galleon might just be.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Minelab PRO-FIND 35 Waterproof Pinpointer Metal Detector for Experts with Tone ID & Adjustable Sensitivity - Grab it through Amazon!

[mad4wrecks]

Roger that Mr. Gecy sir!

(I won't even mention you hijacked this emeralds thread)


ok, back to our regularly scheduled programming..............Pegleg wondered about the purpose of the earth mover on the north side of Jupiter Inlet. Also, Phips Folly has recently mentioned his "emerald honey hole" on the beach.

So I put 2 and 2 together, and using my Microsoft Magnifying Tool 7.0, zoomed in on the earth mover. Below is what I discovered!

 

[rgecy]

..........You know I am also thinking about leaving at least for a while.
Peg leg

Tom, You always seem to have a way of lightening the moment. I see Phips Const is responsible for the sifting of emeralds on the north side of the jetty! No wonder he didn't want anyone to know!

Sorry for highjacking the thread guys, but I am sick of hearing about everyone saying they are leaving. I don't know if its for sympathy or what. All I ask is that we be civil to each other.

Is this too much to ask?

 

[Peg Leg]

You know that there comes a time when everone needs a BREAK. Everyone also knows that I post on every subject that comes up if I know anything about that subject. There are many times that I see that I am repeating myself-different words but with the same meaning.
When and if I ever do leave it will be for a short time but no matter what I will always read what is being posted and am always ready to respond to question that are asked of me.
Peg Leg

 

[Peg Leg]

RGecy,
I am amazed that you were able to get on the back side of the bucket from a 1D photo. Sure would like to know what camera you were using OR did you go to this location and take some photos .
Many things lurk in the minds of Treaure Hunters
Peg Leg

 

[ScubaFinder]

Cappy, I'm sure that Backhoe is there for jetty maintenance, not treasure hunting...but I sure do wish I could "borrow" it for a few hours.

 

[Peg Leg]

This is no different that CLEANING BEACHES except I cannot dig any holes using equipment.
Did anyone go to the Jupiter Inlet camera site and take a look at this Jetty Work site. Go there are take a CLOSER LOOK and tell me what you see.
Peg leg

 

[Peg Leg]

And it gets deeper and deeper but I believe there may be some truth to all the stories but the one about a ship being found 12 miles off the Cape is I think 100% BS. As far as there being emearlds near Jupiter I believe this is a possible and do not be surprised in a few are not recovered this coming season .
OK
That said I have another question that I have asked several times before.
Where can I find information concerning lost ships in the Gulf of Mexico from the 1600's to the 1800's? Believe it or not this is not about my Ghost Ship
Thanks
PEGLEG

It would appear that I was correct in my prodictions about emeralds being found THIS season near Jupiter inlet but they werwe not found in the water but under the sand. I do not think that there has been any serious searching of the area north of the inlet but I believe this will be done whent the ocean calms down.
THERE IS A WRECK HERE.
Peg leg

 

[SEAHUNTER]

Hi Cappy
There was another San Miguel that possibly went down on the treasure coast. That may be the one you are referring to.
Seahunter

 

[Rusty Sailor]

shipwrecks of the gulf coast (listed) don't know the years

http://www.thiswaytothe.net/tides/opengulfwrecks.shtml

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Amelia Research Recovers 40.2-Carat Emerald


Huge emerald also historically valuable
Company says it tells ship's tales
By Jessie-Lynne Kerr
Times-Union staff writer

The historical value of a 40-carat emerald found near the wreckage of a 17th century Spanish galleon off Key West is far more important than its monetary value, says the president of a Fernandina Beach underwater research and recovery firm.

"It tells us that the ship, the Santa Margarita, and its sister ship were smuggling emeralds because they were not listed on the manifests," said Doug Pope, president of Amelia Research and Recovery of Fernandina Beach.

The green rock was inside a queen conch shell one of Pope's part-time divers recovered from the site Sept. 4. But Pope would only identify the finder of the gem as a part-time diver and investor in the firm who works as an elementary school teacher in Nassau County.

"He wants to remain anonymous, and I have to respect that," Pope said.

Pope explained that his company, which owns a unique treasure-hunting vessel, the Polly-L, has a contract with a company founded by the late treasure hunter Mel Fisher to salvage the wreckage. Fisher and his crew found the Santa Margarita's hull timbers in 1980 and since then have collected $35 million in gold and silver bullion from the site.

"We are pretty excited about this find," said Pope, adding that the stone has been identified as a Brazilian emerald.

The stone now is in the custody of another Fisher firm for safekeeping, Pope said. The two firms split the treasure 50-50 each year after going before a federal maritime judge, who must approve their release back to the two firms.

"This find tells us there's a lot more of this on the wreck," Pope said.

It is too early to say how the emerald will be disposed of or its dollar value, Pope said.

Ed Gavron, owner of the Aqua Explorers dive shop in Fernandina Beach and a vice president of Pope's firm, said the queen conch shell in which the emerald rested on the ocean floor is on display in his shop.

 

[starsplitter]

I am going to have to pay more attention to conch shells.

 

[Panfilo]

Bigcypresshunter:
I find it very interesting that the 40.2 carat emerald found has been identified as Brazilian and not Colombian as one would imagine. I helped coauthor a paper that was published in Science Magazine basically explaining a method that we devised to identify the origin of an emerald as they can now be pinpointed exactly as to their geologic an geographic origin. The Atocha emerald that is mentioned in the article proved to be from the Muzo area and we now know specifically from which mine it came from which checks historically. An abstract of our paper can be seen at: http://www.cnrs.fr/cw/en/pres/compress/emeralds.html
It's very curious but today I had lunch with a visiting professor from William an Mary University who came to visit the Chivor mine here in Colombia and it so happens he is writing a book on "Colonial Emeralds" that will be in print soon. I will certainly ask him when he returns what the status of the Brazilian emeralds were in 1622 as I find it fascinating that they would be aboard the Margarita.
Panfilo

 

[Peg Leg]

Do not be surprised if there are some Emaralds recovered from the BEACH this year.
Think about this Emerlds are lighter than gold or silver so they will not be on bed rock.
Peg Leg

 

[Peg Leg]

Dell, I fully expect you to recovery a few stones when you go.
Peg Leg

 

[Donovan]

I worked on both the 1622 sites, and I find it very curious that a Brazilian stone would be found on the Margarita. I suggest that the stone may be an intrusion, rather than part of the shipwreck materials.
In other words..... it is possible that it came from another source.
Donovan

 

[Peg Leg]

Donovan,
Could it be possible that some of these stones were used as a replacement for Colombian Emeralds without anyone knowing the difference except the shipper.
Emeralds from Brazil are cheaper that those from Colombia.
Peg leg

 

[Donovan]

Peg,
I suppose that it's possible but I find it unlikely since Brazil was Portugese and not a friend of Spains. There wasn't much trade between the countries.
If memory serves, I don't think the Brazilian emerald mines had been discovered yet. ( by 1622 that is. )
And give me a break...... an emerald found in a conch shell ? The kind you can buy for a few bucks in any rock shop. Hog wash. I have a bridge for sale too.
Donovan

 

[Peg Leg]

HAHAHA,
It is a little hard to accept isn't it.
Does this mean that I can claim a few Cobs that I have came from a Conch shell as well.
Of course it came from the beach
Peg Leg

 

[Panfilo]

Just as I suspected, the Brazilian emerald mines were not discovered by 1622 as was confirmed by Prof. Kris Lane, an authority on "colonial emeralds". That leaves the only possibilities that: 1) the emerald is Colombian and was misidentified. 2) indeed it's Brazilian but not from 1622, from a much later date 3) it's green Tourmaline, from Brazil, 1622. Not very likely from the picture as emeralds (all beryllium crystals) are hexagonal in system and tourmaline is trigonal.Also striations of the prism faces can not be identified.