We have done a bit, so far have found heaps of saphires, garnets, emeralds a couple of diamonds, lots of opal and some gold. Just in jars and boxes, havnt done anything with them yet. My fav though is a bright yellow topaz that is as big as a thumb nail that i will have cut one day.
Happywanderer said
12:25 AM Sep 28, 2013
I intend getting out there and trying a bit of fossicking when I come back up this way next year.
A lovely old fossicker gave me a really nice piece of red jasper when I was at Lightening Ridge. Will get it put on a chain sometime soon.
jules47 said
04:25 AM Sep 28, 2013
Gem fossickers - join a gem club - get access to learning what to do with your finds - making cabochons - cutting, shaping, polishing. Then you can learn chain work at some clubs - make a chain for your cab, and do silverwork to learn how to set your find in silver - lots of fun!!!
We have an Excalibur detector but it has not had a good outing yet! And the times we have had it out was just to get used to it and the various types of signals it emitted. Thought we would give it a go along the beaches in southern NSW when we head in that direction in a couple of weeks, its a wet and dry one so good way to enjoy the summer and keep cool!
The publican at Middleton told us that people often find stuff over on the common .... I know they say it is a beer economy, but i doubt anyone would have accepted tinny tops as coin of the realm!
As we are are beginners we checked out some of the forums on line, but it was a bit heavy going trying to follow some of the posts as mainly aimed at experienced users.
cheers
neilnruth said
04:54 AM Sep 29, 2013
Lovely work Jules. My brother has done silverwork to set his finds but I've never tried it.
Any fossickers out there?
What do you do with your finds?
A lovely old fossicker gave me a really nice piece of red jasper when I was at Lightening Ridge. Will get it put on a chain sometime soon.
Gem fossickers - join a gem club - get access to learning what to do with your finds - making cabochons - cutting, shaping, polishing. Then you can learn chain work at some clubs - make a chain for your cab, and do silverwork to learn how to set your find in silver - lots of fun!!!
We have an Excalibur detector but it has not had a good outing yet! And the times we have had it out was just to get used to it and the various types of signals it emitted. Thought we would give it a go along the beaches in southern NSW when we head in that direction in a couple of weeks, its a wet and dry one so good way to enjoy the summer and keep cool!
The publican at Middleton told us that people often find stuff over on the common .... I know they say it is a beer economy, but i doubt anyone would have accepted tinny tops as coin of the realm!
As we are are beginners we checked out some of the forums on line, but it was a bit heavy going trying to follow some of the posts as mainly aimed at experienced users.
cheers