Diamonds? Options

[Frenchman]

So I finally got around to looking more closely at the heavies from last years panning season. I was originally panning for gold but later discovered after some research that there's almost no gold in the area where I live. However, after even more research I discovered there are numerous known kimberlite and lamproite intrusions in the crust in my area. So I went to one of these locations with my gold pan and shovel and started digging and panning in a creek downstream. I should note that my panning skills aren't the best and I might have been too careful and leaving quartz in the pan.









Pictures taken with a samsung s6 through a 15x loupe.
Thoughts and feedback are greatly appreciated!

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[ASTROBLEME]

Hello Frenchman:

Your pics show good indicator minerals...you're in the right spot for sure. What you're showing here is spot on for what you'd expect to see when prospecting near an eroded kimberlite pipe. A couple of the clear grains might be tiny diamonds but there is also some quartz in the pics. Don't get too hung up on clearing out all the quartz from your pan as you might very well discard a diamond or two in the process.

I'd keep collecting the heavies and run them at home, just like you're doing. From the coloration of the garnets, I'd say it is just a matter of time until you collect an unmistakable diamond crystal!

ASTROBLEME