If you have time, you can pay a fee ($10 for adults) and get the
experience of sifting through a stockpile of gravel for garnets.
Check out their website at: www.fs.fed.us/ipnf/rec/activities.html
for more information. The actual dig site is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday through Tuesday from Memorial Day thru Labor Day. They are
closed Wednesday and Thursday. You can still reach the area of the
coords on those days since you do not have to mine for garnets to
get this earthcache.Check out some pictures I took while we dug for
garnets.
This earth cache is a tribute to quality star garnets. Although
internet resources vary, it is reported that there are only two
places in our whole world where star garnets are found - Idaho and
India. Both locations produce 4 ray star garnets, but only Idaho
has been known to produce 6 ray stars. Six ray star garnets are
rare. For about every four ray garnets found, only one six ray is
found. In Idaho, garnets are found adjacent to metamorphic rocks
that make up the western Clearwater Range. They are mined from
alluvial deposits that formed from weathering of amphibolite, mica
schist, gneiss, or granite.
First let's look at garnets in general for a little background
information.
DEFINITION of a garnet: Latin word meaning like a grain. It
refers to the occurrence where crystals resemble grains or seeds
embedded in the mix. The name garnet is thought to have come from
the word, pomegranate. Garnets come from the family of minerals
having similar physical and crystalline properties. The star is
caused by intrusions of the mineral rutile, a composition of
titanium oxide. The rutile is sometimes referred as the silk in the
stone.
Garnets are known by a number of trade and variety names, most
of which refer to the particular color of the garnet. Example of
names includes, hessonite (a fine orange, cinnamon brown or pink),
tsavorite (trade name for a fine dark green), melanite (black
titanium variety of a rich green). Sound confusing yet?
Garnets can display a wide variety of colors and some garnets
can exhibit color-changing qualities. Colors range from
yellow-green, green, purplish red, orangey red, red, reddish
orange, orange, yellow-brown, reddish brown, blackish brown,
grayish black, deep red.
Garnets can be traced back to prehistoric times. Industrial use
of garnets first appeared in 1878 when Henry Hudson Barton created
garnet-coated sandpaper. Since then industrial purposes use more
than 110,000 tons per year.
Now for the Star in a Star Garnet:
The best light to view the star formation is bright sunlight at
high noon. The second best is a halogen spotlight shown one to four
feet above the stones. It should be straight above the center to
reflect the star. To tell a good cut of stone from a poor one,
shine the light a little off center. The star will appear to be off
center too.
Gems can be graded on their gem quality, star quality and
color.
Gem Quality
AA....Eye clean, no fractures or blemishes, well cut.
A.....Eye clean, may have small hidden inclusions, well cut.
B.....Clean, may have inclusions or slight undercutting which do
not detract from the gems overall appearance. Base may have a small
wedge missing due to orienting of star.(Most Star Garnets are of
this quality)
C.....Small flaws are evident. Good to begin with. Sometimes a
killer star will balance out the Gem grade.
D.....Fractures and inclusions...Mainly specimen.
Star Quality
1.....All rays on star are very strong.
2.....One ray on star is slightly weaker than the others.(most are
like this)
3.....One ray on star is very weak.(6-Ray only)
4.....Star is visible but is weak overall.
Color
All Garnets are a dark Purplish-Red in body color.
L.....Light color, almost Red in appearance.
M.....Medium color, Purple wine, dark in appearance.
D.....Dark color, almost Black in appearance.
Grading Example:
AA1L......Eye clean, no fractures or blemishes, well cut, All rays
on star are very strong, Light color, almost Red in appearance.(the
best of the best)
B2M......Clean, may have inclusions, One ray on star is slightly
weaker than the others, Medium color, Purple wine, dark in
appearance. (an average good quality Star Garnet)
Garnets in the rough look like this if you are lucky to find
them this size.
Please respect our natural forest. Do not take any gems without
paying for a permit and remember to leave the area cleaner than you
found it.
To log this cache:
- Posting a picture is no longer allowed as a requirement as of
1/1/11 but would be appreciated. If you choose to post a picture,
include some of the garnets you found or use the sign in the
background.
- Using one of the posted pictures of star garnets, grade the
garnet using the grading system above. Send it in an email to me.
Don't forget to tell me which garnet you are grading. Do not post
it.
- Name a type of rock found at the site other than garnets.
- And most of all - enjoy yourself and share about your trip in
your log.
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