anyone collect their heavy garnets while gold panning?

Sure, there's even places online that will buy rough garnets in bulk to use as blasting media. Or if you have some of the clear pretty ones, collectors might like them. I used to go to this one spot that the bedrock was garnet schist and I would set up the sluice there. The concentrates would be solid red garnet sand, with occasionally some nice unbroken clear garnets (1/4 inch only though). The clear/red ones look great in a gold vial when its full. Also I know of a spot that has some pretty pink ones, but they are real small (1/8 inch). I will see if I can find some pics of my best finds on garnets, I have a few.
 

Good to know, ill check them out on google. Thanks astro!:occasion14:
 

I used to get loads of small purple garnets when sluicing in Colorado. I did not save but a couple of them. Here in Arizona, I have not run into any garnets.
 

Good to know about some parts of arizona not having garnets. Garnets are a great abrasive.
 

IMG_4176248431573.jpeg
 

I get them in the pan now and then here in AZ. I don't save them. Same with the copper I see.
 

I would if we had any of size here in Indiana there so tiny from being ground by the glaciers I guess but they do glow nice in the sluice when the sun is shining on the sluice and I always seem to find gold when I'm in the garnets here. Maybe I'll get lucky one day and find a nice size one, because I've only seen little bity chip size pieces so far.
 

Ahh , garnet, the rootbeer colored jem. I havent run across many this year so far, but gold is close by when I find them in my pan.
 

I always know that when I see them in my sluice, I've run a lot of material through, they never sit in my black mat. I always find them in my green carpet... :pot-of-gold:
 

Down by Coarsegold there are canyons full of many colors. I used to buy the fill'm-up style gold lockets and mix nuggets with many colored garnets and WOW dazzling for sure-John
 

Sadly most of Coarsegold creek and Finegold is all private property and hard to gain access to... John do you remember the Broken Bit back in tis hey day, good food, good drink and good times.
 

I save mine if they are large or really nice bright red clearIMG_0001.jpg
 

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You could always give them away to some kid starting to make jewelry; that's better than pitching them.
 

Many good times at places long gone or rebuilt-pizza joint in Mariposa. Time and tide changes all. Back in mid 80s got permission from many to rock hunt their property as traded panning,sluicing detecting lessons for access and a win win win for all. Such a much more "relaxed" world then. Spent a couple a days in Mariposa and Coarsegold 2 mays ago,what a changeMining museum was CLOSED and robbed afterwards but nice museum in town now. Sent artifacts ,pics and old 50s movies I transfered to dvd for their archives. ...John-
 

wingmaster said:
I would if we had any of size here in Indiana there so tiny from being ground by the glaciers I guess but they do glow nice in the sluice when the sun is shining on the sluice and I always seem to find gold when I'm in the garnets here. Maybe I'll get lucky one day and find a nice size one, because I've only seen little bity chip size pieces so far.
Click to expand...

I have found some the size of dimes last summer in indiana in the redish clay layer so there are some bigger ones but not many
 

Guess we'll save some of these for "muzzle loading season".....
This one is a cannon ball, but many are about 1/2 to 3/4" round.
We usually get 100's per run of the small ones.

photo (9).JPG
 

I would think something that big would have value Doc, no?
 

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