(no subject)

[felicula]

There was a time when I only thought garnet was a relatively soft but pretty red stone. Twice this summer I've been sluicing and digging around at the Barton Mine. I doubt anyone seriously into stones could dig around in there and not come out of it with an appreciation for New York garnet. Their garnet is harder than most (if not all) other garnet, and though a lot of it is "commercial grade", there is still some gemmy stuff to be found. Granted, out of over 7 pounds of garnet that we brought home, only about a pound of it is potentially gemmy. Only about 2 - 2 1/2 pounds of the rest of it have that translucent deep red glow to them. Regardless of the quality of what we grab, I think it's a neat feeling to watch the water wash away the dirt and push aside the stones to reveal the glittery, angular pieces of red stone.

Of the five huge chunks that we found, the smallest is my favorite. It is almost rectangular, and if you shine a light just right, the red glows through the edges. It is too large to carry the light through the whole piece. The cracks obscure the light. Even so, there are parts of it that might just be gemmy if I wanted to bust it apart to find out. I don't want to know. It's a quarter pound of naturally beautiful blood-red stone.

I've read that folks us it for strength and vitality. Some use it for healing, especially problems dealing with the blood. I can't think of a better time to develop an affinity for garnet, with all my menstrual issues going on. And it does feel like I have a rapport with the stone. It only takes me about 20 minutes of looking for my eyes to hone in on elusive pieces. The deeper I'd go with the water, my hands, and occasionally a trowel, the more pieces would seem to pop out at me. Even the tour guide said that she hadn't seen anyone take home that much garnet in a long time.

I didn't think much of it to begin with, but the Barton Mine definitely sold me on garnet.

Comments

[phoenixsong]

*good-natured jealous*

Pictures?

[blackfelicula.livejournal.com]

No pics of the stones yet.

[dawnstar.livejournal.com]

And it even goes through the washing machine unscathed! :)

[blackfelicula.livejournal.com]

At least some chunks do. There are some that are "flakier" and are prone to chips. They're still pretty though. :)