Prospecting for Diamonds in a river, Finding diamonds is not that difficult! Options

[sunnymoedawg]

Hey Astrobleme...I am introducing myself on the forum by adding in some info from Dan Hausel link you posted earlier. Wyoming is a gemstone state. There is a great deal of gemstone quality olivine (Peridot) in the Rock Springs Uplift. This is the Leucite Hills volcanic field. There are 22 known lamproite flows, dikes, necks, plugs, cinder cones, and pumice cones lying along the northern flank of the uplift (Hausel, 1998). The magical rock here is not kimberlite, but what was once known as Wyomingite. Petrographic studies show Leucite Hills lamproites contain diopside, phlogopite, titanian-potassium-richterite, leucite along with several other indicators and/or olivine, with minor apatite, perovskite, ilmenite, armalcolite and spinel.

These Leucite Hills volcanoes are similar to leucite lamproites and olivine lamproites in Western Australia and Murfreesburo, Arkansa (Carmicchael, 1967). In particular, Carmichael noted similarities with the Arkansas olivine lamproites and L.H. madupites. This similarity makes the potential diamond exploration target.

Of known lamproites in the world, olivine lamproites offer the greatest potential for signifigant diamond mineralization. In other words where there is olivine gemstones, there is diamonds.

Search Black Rock, sweetwater co., Wyoming to view a classical example of the Leucite Hills. Hausel collected gemstone quality olivine within anthills that were digging up the gemstones near the localizations. Unfortunately, Black Rock is mostly owned by the Union Pacific, with a small sliver of access to the area. Check for claims.

I have a small library of old, rare and current mineral publications released by the WGS and especially Dan Hausel, the gemhunter himself. I currently am working on access to a state land claim surrounded by private land. With luck, I can gain permission and will post any success of gemstones I find. I am after corrundum and garnets at the moment. I really wish to find some diamonds, but need to research a bit more, which leads my next question to diamond digger....

I have the location of "large quantity of garnets in alluvial bottom gravels of xxxx River, 10 miles upstream from "xxxx Ranch" where the old road crosses the river"
other locations include 1/4" garnets just off a mica mine; a scheelite (tungsten), ziosite, epidote, garnet matrix, a site that yields perfect garnets; placer deposit with bright red > 1" in diameter deep red-purple red sapphires

am I correct to assume that where there is large kimberlitic and lamproities and areas with high concentrations of garnets, one should check the areas a bit more closely? I also have found a correlation between vermiculite and corrundum in Wyoming. Hausel indicates that between 10-20% of all vermiculite deposits contain corrundum. How many attics are insulated with red rubies?

Thanks for allowing a introduction HiJack....

If anyone is interested in exploring the Wyo/Colorado diamond gemstone areas or needs a hand to shovel those boulders I am fair game! I live up in Wyoming, near Cheyenne, but have lived/explored the entire Front Range from New Mexico up to Montana. Thank you for the great website and posts!!!

[Diamond Digger]

So then lads!
Anyone tried and found a diamond?
Remember a diamond has an oily outside and does not get wet, easy way to spot them!
Have fun!
DD

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[rrtdave]

Dave any luck in finding a sieve?
DD

DD,
Really sorry for the late post!! I found a sieve and used it for Montana sapphires and garnets. I am still planning a trip to Colorado again, specifically looking for diamonds this time. I did find an ounce of gold last time, but want to concentrate on the diamond areas.

Thanks and sorry for the delay,
Dave

[Diamond Digger]

No worries Dave have a good hunt and put some pictures on if you find any!
DD

[Diamond Digger]

Hi
Just a few pictures to wet the appetite..
Have fun out there.
DD

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[fenixsmom]

Holy crap! I admit I was a skeptic, but now.... the proof is in the pudding! Great finds!!!!

[rrhobdy]

Hi Just a few pictures to wet the appetite.. Have fun out there. DD

Here's a picture of a little one... .15ct, note the cleavage plane on left side. Found it while vacuuming out my car. Must have spilled out of the 3 buckets of sand I brought home from the state line district of CO. See my post under Diamond Cleaning.

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