THE BUCKNER PEGMATITE: PART III
Below the goethite zone and extending downward to a depth of 60 feet below grade, several other pegmatites were encountered. These all had miarolitic cavities containing smoky quartz and amazonite. A few contained minor purple fluorite cubes. The amazonite frequently shows white caps and white striping and are deep blue green. These pegmatites did contain pockets that showed high levels of corrosion and that were filled with clay, making them difficult to clean. The deepest pegmatites encountered had been followed from downslope into the hill where they eventually intersected the Buckner pegmatite. From the surface, where these pegmatites were first found downhill of the Buckner pegmatite, these pegmatites varied from an inch in thickness to three or four inches. As they approached to within 20 feet of the Buckner pegmatite, they swelled to a thickness of 1 to 3 feet, some of the thickest pegmatites yet encountered. The pockets did not necessarily increase in size with the pegmatite thickness, however. The outlying pockets did tend to have less clay and oxide content and generally formed better quality pockets. Those closest to the Buckner pegmatite tended to be "crushed" or "cooked," whether from the effects of the larger pegmatite or increase in fluids, is not known.
Mineralization closer to the Buckner pegmatite also differs. The amazonites from the lowest pockets exhibit two distinct colors of blue green. The outer surfaces are greener than that typically found in amazonite. The inner cores are vivid, robin-egg blue. Some of these crystals were three inches in length by two inches in diameter, relatively large. The deep pockets also contained a high amount of cleavelandite feldspar in large rosettes. Some unusual mineral associations, including xenotime and phenakite were also encountered. The largest xenotime yet recovered (three eighths inch) and the first gem-quality phenakites (seven eights inch) were recovered.
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| The lower pockets are more crushed and clay filled. | The heavy coatings are very difficult to clean. | The red oxides from the Buckner pegmatite make it easy to trace the peg. | ||||
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| A deep pocket badly decomposed. | Albite (cleavelandite) rosette. | Green amazonite with minor cleavelanite and double terminated smoky. | ||||
A large pocket was found at one of the deepest points on one of the horizontal pegmatites, which turned out to be very high quality. It contained a number of intact amazonite and smoky quartz specimens of large-size amazonite and smoky quartz crystals.
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| Hallelujah! The largest combination pocket from 2009. | Great form on the crystals and great size. | Tim working the back of the pocket. | ||||
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| Intact one and one. | Two superb amazonites with smoky quartz. | The pocket continues but there is lots of contact with the ceiling. | ||||
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| Another great amazonite with smoky. | The only good piece in another nearby pocket. | The heavy red from the Buckner peg makes cleaning difficult. Note the manebach twin. | ||||
OTHER SPECIMENS FROM PEGMATITES RELATED TO THE BUCKNER PEGMATITE
You will find an absence of amazonite with smoky quartz combination specimens in the following photographs. A good example of amazonite and smoky combos from these pegmatites found during 2009 can be seen on the pages for the New Crystal Hunters and the Smithsonian Pocket. Otherwise, enjoy a look at some of the more unusual specimens we have found.
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| Goethite with onegite showing three generations. | Delicate goethite with blades to 2 inches with amethystine onegite. | A cavity filled with goethite, lined with onegite. | ||||
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| A very nice floater goethite group. | "Drippings" of goethite and limonite from ceiling of pocket. | Nice lustrous fluorite showing twinning. | ||||
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| One of two specimens found with nice fluorite on amazonite. | Largest xenotime (about 1/3 inch) ever found. It has some columbite on left side and is on smoky quartz. | Twinned cassiterite on cleavelandite. Plastic stand is 1" diameter. | ||||
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| A phenakite in prismatic habit. | Monazite. Lucite is 1 inch across. | Gem quality phenakite. Twelve pieces and/or crystals were found. | ||||
FUTURE OUTLOOK FOR THE BUCKNER PEGMATITE
Although we have not mined past the Buckner pegmatite, we suspect it ends at a fault or other interruption in the granite and this season will see the completion of mining on this series of related pegmatites. It is hoped we will encounter several more large pockets, based on the amount of material we have remaining to mine.
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| End of season. The Buckner peg continues. | For your safety, please stay out . Buckner peg is clearly visible near boulder. | Smoky Hawk Mine from Cedar Mountain road. | ||||