 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |
gravel bags, crystal type sets, and other items.
have switched to
shipping it in small ziploc
bags but will send a vial
and cork with each order
if requested
despite the old prospectors' warnings to never sell gem rough. Their reasoning is
simple: it's worth so much more when it's faceted or cabbed! This is true, but I'd go
crazy just grading and evaluating each gemstone, not to mention preforming,
packeting, labeling, weighing, shipping, waiting and waiting, and then, when finally
back from the facetors, to do much of such and more again.
I can tell you that mining it can be hard work, and extracting benitoite from matrix can
be time-consuming and hazardous. That's OK by me, but to do it all is just too much.
Our benitoite rough is graded by me to be gem grade, meaning it can be faceted, fancy
cut, or cabbed. Some of it is flawless, more of it has flawless sections, some of it is
zoned(color gradations), a lot of it has inclusions. Some pieces(not many) may even
have a bit of matrix rock still attached.
I sell it by the gram(5 carats per) in glass vials in water. A typical gram of rough has
about 12 stones with the largest weighing in at about 1.5 carats and smallest about .20
carat. Average stone about a half carat. Current price is $38/gram($7.60/carat) with $5
shipping and handling(regardless of gram wt. ofcourse). This is one item I can't accept
returns on. So while I can't guarantee your satisfaction I will guarantee my gem rough
to be 100% benitoite(not including inclusions and a wee bit of matrix!).
gravel bags are back by popular demand. We've managed to bring back 23 so far
this season out of 6 daytime excursions. Each one pound bag is hand troweled from 7(of 9
this year) different gravel bars at depths of 6" to 30". They are washed once, unsorted, and ,
aside from what's obvious in the trowel, unpickedover. Site # and description, date, depth, site
history, weight, and remarks(sans expletives), are logged and labeled.
Just follow instruction sheet provided. It's easy and even thrilling.
In essence you: dry sift thru half and quarter inch and for sure 1/8" screens, then wet screen
the same, then spread it out in the sun and pick out gemmy benstones and crystals, gleaming
neptunite, whimsy balls (botryoidal crossite/natrolite) and an occassional scorpion fragment.
No matter how meticulous you think you are at it, the final step of illumination with short-wave
blacklight always shows more gems and crystals. I've sold close to a hundred bags and have
never heard of anyone getting "skunked". Every bag seems a veritable cornucopia of all
that's ben and nep--gem cutters, cabbers, crystals, mini-specimens, up to 2 and 3" ben/nep
specimens. If you find that 7 carat flawless cutter--please let me know.
This is another item I can't take returns on. Spring 2007 ben bag pounder price: $40 +
$10(shipping and handling). You can save money buying more gravel bags.
Two 1# bags for $80 shipping and handling included.
Three 1# bags for $110 S + H included
Four 1# bags for $135 S + H included
For more than four bags please inquire
sister Kate and I put together a couple hundred
of these about a decade ago. I have a few
dozen left but could be persuaded to make
more if folks take to them. We made a few
different types of type sets---The small ones
have: Type A: includes gem grade ben rough,
ben crystal, and nep crystal. $11. Type B: gem
grade ben rough and a ben crystal. $9. Pictures
to be posted. Large Type sets awaiting
production run.
Behind the type sets you can see an authenic
New Idria Mining and Chemical
Company stock certificate dated 1936 .
We have a fair stock of these venerable old
certificates. Price: $10 each. $70/ ten.
