NEW GEMSTONE DISCOVERIES

A 368-page book published in 2014 with color photos, provides insight into the physical characteristics of raw gemstones, listing dozens of GPS coordinates for gemstone deposits in Wyoming, with a few in Colorado and Montana. The book will improve your gem- and rock-hunting skills and take you - 'where no book has taken its readers before'. It provides hints on where gemstones are likely be found and will lead some readers to make discoveries! There is more than enough evidence, that the author did not find everything, and more than enough evidence that many similar deposits remain to be discovered.

As an example, one prospector recovered several diamonds in a gold pan (including one weighing nearly 6 carats) from a creek in Colorado after reading this book (Hausel, 2014). Diamonds were later found by the same prospector in a creek in North Carolina based on the author's work (Hausel, 1998). The diamonds were verified at the University of NC.

There are likely hundreds of deposits yet to be found in Wyoming, Colorado and Montana and Utah. For example, the author describes a potentially large opal, agate and jasper deposit likely located east of Casper, Wyoming (remains unexplored), hundreds of possible diamond deposits based on mineral anomalies in southeastern and southwestern Wyoming extending into Colorado and Utah, dozens of ruby and sapphire deposits based on the presence of mineral anomalies in the Laramie and Wind River mountains, the likelihood of more incredible iolite deposits in the central Laramie Mountains, extensive labradorite (spectrolite) deposits in the Laramie Mountains, many more gold deposits in Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming, the possibility of diamond deposits in Kansas, and much more!

These, and many other gems, are described in the book that will likely lead to more headaches for the BLM (Bureau of Land Management, not the other group of thugs). Those who obtain copies of the book, have a big lead in finding gemstones, minerals and gold! 

The book was released through Amazon and other outlets on October 20th, 2014. As of February 2015, prospectors were making finds in spite of global warming (with temperatures plummeting considerably below zero). Listen to what some and rock hounds reported.

Faceted Wyoming pyrope garnet

(1) One prospector reported recovering 30 diamonds in a creek recommended in the book along with one flawless diamond of 5.92 carats, making it the largest known diamond to have been recovered in this particular drainage basin. The diamonds were verified by a university in North Carolina. Before all is said and done, it is likely tens of thousands of diamonds will be recovered from this region.

(2) Another prospector found several lamprophyres (potential diamond-bearing rocks).

Look at this rounded cobble - how many of these have you walked
over? This one is mostly serpentine, but filled with excellent rounded gem
pyrope garnet and green chrome diopside. It could have diamond. We
found dozens of these south of Laramie Wyoming and north of Ft. Collins,
Colorado sitting on the ground. The rock is garnet peridotite.

(3) Another found rubies, sapphires and gold.

(4) Another reported finding a half-gallon of peridot gemstones!

(5) And yet another prospector found several colored (fire) opals with several precious opals.

(6) And still another (with his daughter), continues finding some of the highest quality labradorite as well as many fabulous pyropes, chromium diopsides, and peridots. 

What are you waiting for, you will never have such a great opportunity again?

You can find more about gemstone hunting searching for the GemHunter's many blogspots and other publications. And if you are interested in prospecting for gold, another book by the author focuses on  gold in Wyoming. Then there are many rich gold deposits in Arizona examined by the GemHunter and published as a book and for Kindle. Then there is gold in Colorado and Montana. 

The cost of the books is relatively high due to the use of color illustrations, but all it takes is one weekend of searching for gold and gemstones using the books with GPS coordinates, and you will be richer by spending time in the outdoors. And if you are lucky enough, you may also find some gems and gold. And the six discoveries mentioned above were made during the winter of 2014 to 2015 after the book was released, so, just imagine the discoveries that will be made in the upcoming seasons.  

Gemstones in the rough found in Colorado by the author. These include 'Cape Ruby' (pyrope garnet)
spessartine garnet, almandine garnet, 'Cape Emerald' (chromian diopside), picroilmenite and chromite.

Did you know that pink diamonds were described in the
Colorado-Wyoming state line district? Some pink diamonds
from Australia have sold for more than $1 million/carat
making them the most valuable commodity on
earth based on weight (photo of fancy colored diamonds
at the Argyle Mine in Australia. Photo by
the Gemhunter)

Can you believe it - someone just found a gold nugget in California that sold for more
than $400,000.  Think there are some in Wyoming?  Most likely.

Iolite cross with white diamonds. The largest iolite
deposits and gemstones in the world were recently
discovered in the central Laramie Mountains north of
Laramie. Both iolite and diamonds were discovered in
Wyoming and there is plenty of evidence that many
more iolite (water sapphire) and diamonds will be found
in Wyoming.

Chromian diopside with topaz cross. Yes, topaz was discovered
in Colorado and beautiful chromian diopside was found at several
locations in Colorado and Wyoming and even in California. Other
deposits will likely be found in Montana and Kansas.

My good friend, the late Dr. J. Dave Love sits on large jade boulders stored in garage.

Billions of carats of labradorite (spectrolite) are likely sitting along Highway 34 in the Laramie anorthosite complex
in the Sybille Canyon area of the Laramie Mountains between Wheatland and Laramie. Yet, few are looking for the gem.

Faceted pyrope garnets in necklace

PERIDOT

In 1997, I decided to search the Leucite Hills in western Wyoming for diamonds (see photo at left). I didn't find diamonds, but mark my words - "DIAMONDS WILL BE FOUND HERE". This is an easy prediction to make based on geology.

The Leucite Hills consist of several lamproite volcanoes & flows that erupted 900,000 to 3.1 million years ago. They started their journey under one of the thickest parts of the Wyoming Craton. Cratons are very old, cool, continental cores necessary to have melting deep within the earth's upper mantle (where diamonds are formed). While exploring this region, I collected grab samples from lamproite in the northeastern part of the field & two yielded chromites with similar geochemistry to chromites found as mineral inclusions in diamond - thus this tells me some of the volcanoes began their journey at 90 to 120 miles beneath the surface where diamonds are common.

Diamondiferous lamproites are found at Murfreesburo, Arkansas; Argyle & Ellendale, Australia; Majhgwan-Chelima, India; Kapamba, Zambia; Aldan, Russia & Bobi, Ivory Coast. The richest deposits are typically found in olivine lamproites which often alter to serpentinite (a very soft material) that erodes quickly, thus such deposits are usually hidden within a field of leucite lamproites (which are much harder rock). Thus, this all suggests a few diamonds are likely to occur in the lamproites with diamond-stability chromites, but the locations for rich diamond deposits are hidden. Along the northern edge of this field, a large sand dune field that marks the location of a major continental shear - a favorable structure for hidden lamproites. One can almost guarantee there are diamondiferous olivine lamproites in this area hidden under a few feet of sand. Lamproites are also well known for colored stones - brown, yellow & the beautiful, extremely rare Argyle 'Pinks'. Some have sold for >$US1 million/carat!

While searching for diamonds, I started looking for olivine. In 1997, I came across two green anthills at Black Rock - the ants had collected all of the available olivine in the immediate area & decorated their hills. So I collected the hills & processed them for diamonds - but all we found were 13,000 carats of flawless peridot (gem-quality olivine). Some were 12 millimeters in length. I also found peridot in place that were nearly 0.5 inch across.
Even though olivine had been recognized in this area >100 years ago, no one had ever looked at the quality of the olivine. Later, I mapped the Leucite Hills and identified all of the olivine bearing volcanoes.

GEMSTONES & GEOLOGY

A good understanding of geology, persistence, & luck can lead to incredible treasures. In 1977, I started work as a research geologist at the Wyoming Geological Survey in Laramie. Next to nothing was known about gemstones in the state, but over the years, I tracked down many mineral deposits & found some of the largest gemstone deposits ever found on earth. Anyone can do it. 

My story is found in many publications and blogspots, the most recent available at Amazon, the Wyoming Geological Survey publications office and the University of Wyoming bookstore in Laramie, as well as at your local bookstore.

Some of the many gemstones discovered in Wyoming since 1977.