Montana El Dorado Bar Sapphires

[sapphire miner]

Montana Treasure, the new diamond, sapphire.

 

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[pepperj]

I see it but tell us about them a little more. Display, your finds, rock show?

 

[sapphire miner]

Sapphire and other color-varieties of corundum have been known since 1865 to occur in the neighborhood of Helena on the upper reaches of the Missouri river, in the State of Montana, being first discovered during the process of gold-washing. Again the true nature of the stones was not at first recognized, and they were sold at much below their actual value. Since 1891 these deposits have been systematically worked for gold, and at the same time large numbers of the precious stones have been collected. They are found in masses of glacial debris known as" bars", which are laid down on the sides of the valleys parallel to the river-courses and at a height of 300 feet above the present high-water level of the upper Missouri. These glacial sands and gravels containing gold overlie black shales, probably of Lower Silurian age, which are associated with limestones, quartzite, and rocks of igneous origin. It is in the lowest layer of these sands and gravels, with a thickness of only a few inches, that the sapphire is principally found. The sapphires ware most abundant at Eldorado Bar, Spokane Bar, French Bar, and Ruby Bar, and these deposits ware being worked. Spokane Bar near Stubb's Ferry, twelve miles to the east of Helena, was approximately the central point of this district, which extends along the Missouri for at least fifteen miles and embraces an area of certainly no less than eleven and a half square miles.
The sapphires frequently occurred as well-developed crystals, having the form of a short hexagonal prism with basal planes, an unusual type for this gem. Irregular grains ware also found, which like the crystals, are more or less rounded. Neither crystals nor grains attain to any considerable size, measuring at the most from 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter and rarely exceeding 9 carats in weight. Though small in size the stones ware abundant in number, as evidenced by the fact that an acre of the deposit at Eldorado Bar yielded no less than 2,000 ounces of sapphire. Many of these stones, however, were unsuitable for cutting, since the predominant tints of the sapphires of this locality are all pale.
The colors, though almost always pale in shade, show great variety of tint, red, violet, yellow, blue, green, bluish-green, and all possible intermediate colors being met with. Bluish-green and green corundum is especially abundant, while the pure blue and the red varieties are absent. Occasionally a stone with it red nucleus and a border of another color is met with. Some green and blue stones appear red by artificial light. Almost all the color-varieties of corundum from this region, which are suitable for cutting, have a peculiar metallic sheen, which is very characteristic and is not seen in stones from any other locality. They are remarkable also for the brilliancy of their luster, and, according to the statements of lapidaries, are especially hard.
Corundum is associated in these glacial sands with many other minerals, among which are crystals of white topaz not exceeding 1/4 inch in length, fine ruby-red garnets the size of a pea (which have often been mistaken for true rubies), kyanite, cassiterite in small, rounded grains (stream-tin), iron-pyrites altered to limonite, chalcedony, and small rounded fragments of calcite.

 

[sapphire miner]

all in good fun

 

[dneyedli@res1.mts.net]

Hi I'm David's wife and I had to respond to your post! Fabulous!! I'm a gem stone lover and jewelry designer and appreciate learning about the qualities and gathering practices of these beauties!
I have not worked with gem grade sapphires as I primarily use semi-precious stone beads.
Is it true that the majority of sapphires on the market are colour enhanced (heat treated, dyed, irradiated)?
Are you a dealer of your gemstones? I maybe interested in buying from you.
I really loved your post and thanks for all the info.
Sarah.

 

[sapphire miner]

Sarah,

It is true that the majority of sapphires on the market are colour enhanced (heat treated, dyed, irradiated, beryllium diffusion, glass filled)
I am no expert on treatments, however many countries require cutting before export, and treatment of many kinds happen, even laminating glass or other material together. I am a gem dealer, miner ect...it comes with many hats.
Thanks for your questions
Neal

 

[strickman]

wow! beautiful stones -and au to boot!!!!!!!!!! nice find

 

[Nozzelnut]

That's a lot of saphires!