Kimberlite pipes |
Kimberlite pipes |
Feb 28 2012, 10:41 AM
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#1
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Rock Bar! Group: Members Posts: 426 Joined: 6-February 04 Member No.: 84 |
Here's a little item I found on another forum.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id...onds_to_surface This thin slice of a kimberlite rock from northern Canada, seen through a microscope and in polarized light, shows colorful minerals caught up in magma that rose from deep within the Earth. Leonard |
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Feb 28 2012, 06:02 PM
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#2
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Rock Bar! Group: Members Posts: 613 Joined: 16-October 08 From: Central Colorado Member No.: 6,813 |
I use thin sections frequently but I thought it would be nice to add a "hand specimen" in here to help those prospecting for pipes to ID kimberlite in the field. Here's a pic of a kimberlite sample from my private collection. It came from a diamond bearing pipe in northwest Canada;
The interesting thing I've discovered is that some kimberlite thin sections look very much like meteorite thin sections, in a general way. Kimberlite grains are often rounded much like chondrules that are seen in meteorites. Here is a pic I just took of a thin section I have from a kimberlite pipe in Fayette County Pennsylvania; Now compare that kimberlite thin section to a meteorite I found last summer; You can see the rounded grains that I think are the result of high speed erosion, in the pipe on the way up, or in space when the dust grains accumulate at cosmic velocitiy. Of course this is only my opinion but it is rather interesting, don't ya think? ASTROBLEME -------------------- Annual Dues Paying Member Since 2008
Tonko Mining Company "Some day this crater is going to be a greatly talked about place, and if the above credit is due, as is certainly the case, I would like to have it generally known for the sake of the children." Daniel Moreau Barringer 2/1/1912 in a letter about the Barringer Meteorite Crater, Arizona USA |
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Feb 28 2012, 07:03 PM
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#3
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Rock Bar! Group: Members Posts: 426 Joined: 6-February 04 Member No.: 84 |
I use thin sections frequently but I thought it would be nice to add a "hand specimen" in here to help those prospecting for pipes to ID kimberlite in the field. Here's a pic of a kimberlite sample from my private collection. It came from a diamond bearing pipe in northwest Canada; The interesting thing I've discovered is that some kimberlite thin sections look very much like meteorite thin sections, in a general way. Kimberlite grains are often rounded much like chondrules that are seen in meteorites. Here is a pic I just took of a thin section I have from a kimberlite pipe in Fayette County Pennsylvania; Now compare that kimberlite thin section to a meteorite I found last summer; You can see the rounded grains that I think are the result of high speed erosion, in the pipe on the way up, or in space when the dust grains accumulate at cosmic velocitiy. Of course this is only my opinion but it is rather interesting, don't ya think? ASTROBLEME I'm ready for a trip to northern colorado whenever anyone that knows what they are doin wants an assistant. Leonard |
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Feb 28 2012, 11:40 PM
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#4
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Rock Bar! Group: Members Posts: 613 Joined: 16-October 08 From: Central Colorado Member No.: 6,813 |
Leonard,
If you are going to northern Colorado, rather than northern Canada, then this is the type of kimberlite you'd want to find... ASTROBLEME -------------------- Annual Dues Paying Member Since 2008
Tonko Mining Company "Some day this crater is going to be a greatly talked about place, and if the above credit is due, as is certainly the case, I would like to have it generally known for the sake of the children." Daniel Moreau Barringer 2/1/1912 in a letter about the Barringer Meteorite Crater, Arizona USA |
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Jun 10 2012, 03:48 AM
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#5
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Shovel Buster! Group: Members Posts: 118 Joined: 22-December 10 From: USA Member No.: 7,480 |
Hi,
Pictures of the land on top of a Kimberlite Pipe (Yellow ground) in Africa. Years ago I found the pipe by accident had it tested and was pleasantly surprised. The room was 14c the electron microscope showed the tiny diamonds and all the important indicators. I was smiling from ear to ear and the Geologist was sweating! He asked several times where I found the sample and was pretty upset when I refused to say! Now if only I had the money to start the mine! Have fun DD |
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Jun 10 2012, 06:18 AM
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#6
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russau Group: Members Posts: 2,841 Joined: 4-December 03 From: st.louis missouri Member No.: 43 |
haha, DD, even a fish wouldnt get caught if he kept his mouth shut! goodluck on your find!
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Jun 10 2012, 06:43 AM
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#7
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Rock Bar! Group: Members Posts: 613 Joined: 16-October 08 From: Central Colorado Member No.: 6,813 |
DD,
Having the pipe so close to a water source should cut mine development expenses significantly. ASTROBLEME -------------------- Annual Dues Paying Member Since 2008
Tonko Mining Company "Some day this crater is going to be a greatly talked about place, and if the above credit is due, as is certainly the case, I would like to have it generally known for the sake of the children." Daniel Moreau Barringer 2/1/1912 in a letter about the Barringer Meteorite Crater, Arizona USA |
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Jun 29 2012, 04:14 PM
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#8
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Shovel Buster! Group: Members Posts: 118 Joined: 22-December 10 From: USA Member No.: 7,480 |
Astrobleme
Yeah very true and there is about 100 000 tons of alluvial material right on top of the pipe so one can start mining as soon as the Washing pans are set up. Takes about three days to set up.. Then once the loose gravel has been removed you step in with brooms and brush the rock clean this is where you find almost all the diamonds that was released out of the Kimberlite.. big paydays hahaha Then you start blasting and crushing.... I can smell the diesel fumes already The area is well known for the large stones, if you hear of a 200 ct stone found in Africa this is the area... Greetings. DD |
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Apr 16 2014, 08:09 AM
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#9
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Shovel Buster! Group: Members Posts: 118 Joined: 22-December 10 From: USA Member No.: 7,480 |
BTW,
Thought I would mention it. Diamond mining does not use a lot of water at all! I used to run two pans with about 500 liters of water per day. So water is not such an issue you can fill up a 600 gallon tank at home and tow it into wherever you are working every day! Have fun! DD |
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Apr 16 2014, 12:32 PM
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#10
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Master Mucker! Group: Members Posts: 1,301 Joined: 17-February 12 From: Central CO Member No.: 41,357 |
DD, how is the location you found in Africa doing? Very well, good, or not developed yet? I'm wishing you the best of luck there!
-------------------- Caveman
Aulus Livius Maximus World Traveler, 7 Continent Walker LEVEL 3 LIFETIME MEMBER Referral Code: SE2104 |
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May 19 2014, 05:00 AM
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#11
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Shovel Buster! Group: Members Posts: 118 Joined: 22-December 10 From: USA Member No.: 7,480 |
DD, how is the location you found in Africa doing? Very well, good, or not developed yet? I'm wishing you the best of luck there! Caveman: Not mining it, since the ANC took over South Africa, they have brought in laws that allows them to take your mine away from you and pay what they see fit. So there are 2 very rich Kimberlite pipes in Africa that will not be developed and the locations will probably die with me, that is if I die have no intentions too hahaha. But I am meeting with a group of Investors this week after long negotiations and if all goes well I will be opening a diamond mine soon. But not in South Africa, since 1994 70 000 white Farmers and their families have been murdered there under the ANC rule I do not aim to become a statistic.. Check Farm murders on Youtube if you have a strong stomach. DD |
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May 19 2014, 06:39 AM
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#12
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russau Group: Members Posts: 2,841 Joined: 4-December 03 From: st.louis missouri Member No.: 43 |
well you could always sell the info to the location to the highest bidder with a confidentiality contract not to divulge any info to anyone. a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!
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Aug 30 2014, 07:41 AM
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#13
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Shovel Buster! Group: Members Posts: 118 Joined: 22-December 10 From: USA Member No.: 7,480 |
Hi,
SA just passed a new law so that they can take any mine they want. So that makes the pipes worthless. DD |
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Jul 6 2015, 02:21 AM
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#14
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Shovel Buster! Group: Members Posts: 118 Joined: 22-December 10 From: USA Member No.: 7,480 |
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Jul 6 2015, 08:03 AM
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#15
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Rock Bar! Group: Members Posts: 613 Joined: 16-October 08 From: Central Colorado Member No.: 6,813 |
It is not all Doom and Gloom, A few pictures of one of my recent prospecting trips... Enjoy! Pic 1, core sample from the bottom of the pit of pic 2. Pic 2, Kimberlite with the green lava ash, mostly weathered. DD DD, Looks like you are onto a deposit with characteristics of the State Line Mining District. As far as I know, all kimberlite pipes in the district carry diamonds. Now you just have to wash the gems out of the sticky blue-green mud. If you are in a crater lake setting, then the diamonds and garnets will be highly concentrated over the eons of wave action as they cannot wash out away from the pipe diatreme that is surrounded by granite walls. If you are in a stream setting that is cutting across the pipe, then the diamonds will concentrate as other heavy minerals do. They are just harder to collect the further away from the pipe that the stream travels. I've attached a photo of a stream that is developing a placer containing the blue-green clay that I discovered 10 or 11 years ago. You can see the close resemblance to what you've found. I certainly am excited by the looks of your pit photos. Congratulations! -------------------- Annual Dues Paying Member Since 2008
Tonko Mining Company "Some day this crater is going to be a greatly talked about place, and if the above credit is due, as is certainly the case, I would like to have it generally known for the sake of the children." Daniel Moreau Barringer 2/1/1912 in a letter about the Barringer Meteorite Crater, Arizona USA |
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