[Rockhounds] AD: Jeffrey Solution Quartz & Wavellite

[Lawrence Rush]

It's gratifying that Stu is going to mine this area! Many collectors 
remember the super Wavellite from the Avant and Mauldin area from years ago. 
I recall the swap sessions at the State Park in North Little Rock in years 
past, when pick-up loads of the world's best Wavellite were displayed for 
sale and swap. Large cabinet pieces with Wavellite balls the size of 
quarters were common! (And at prices that seem cheap in today's dollars!)

(And for those who are unfamiliar with the Jeffrey quartz, this too, could 
be a collector's last chance to have some of these beautiful fine, clear, 
doubly terminated and clustered solution quartz pieces from a permanently 
closed location)

Kudos to Stu and let's all hope that he has the same kind of luck in his 
efforts on Avant mountain! The collecting community will indeed appreciate 
his contributions!

Larry Rush




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stu Schmitt" <stu at arcrystalmine.com>
To: "Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors" 
<rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2007 12:22 PM
Subject: [Rockhounds] AD: Jeffrey Solution Quartz & Wavellite


>I recently acquired what might be the last of the Jeffrey Quarry Solution 
>Quartz from Charles Steuart (CTS Rock Shop in Hot Springs, AR).  Charles 
>has closed his shop and will be selling out.  I have about 500 pounds of 
>the Jeffrey material including needle points, haystacks and clusters/points 
>peppered with cookeite.  I have sent some of this quartz with Ray McGrew 
>and Judy Morton (Judy's Crystals) to be sold at Quartzsite and Tucson. 
>Judy will be set up in Quartzsite at the Desert Gardens (A-B 15-16) Dec 
>27 - Jan 28 and in Tucson at The Electric Park Jan 31-Feb17.  They will 
>also have around 500 pounds of our Mauldin Mtn wavellite.
>
> We recently acquirred the old BLM 80 acre Avant wavellite and variscite 
> lease from Henry deLinde.  Henry dug the area for about one week in the 
> early 1970s and it hasn't been touched since.  We plan to start digging at 
> Avant in late Feb or early March when Ray gets back from Tucson.  The 
> Avant lease is known for its large wavellite balls (up to 2" diameter) and 
> drusy green variscite crystals.  We hope to have the material available in 
> March or April along with more Mauldin Mtn wavellite.
>
> Here is a link to a web page with photos of Avant when I first visited the 
> area with Mr. deLinde on Dec 6, 2006: 
> http://www.arcrystalmine.com/avantweb/avant.html
>
> Here is a link to a web page of our Plan of Operation we submitted to BLM 
> for approval:
> http://www.arcrystalmine.com/POA/POA.html  I think this was the first POA 
> submitted to BLM via a webpage and approved by BLM and the Forest Service.
>
> I found the recent discussion about sharing collecting localities 
> interesting and it helped me decide what to do with the Avant lease.  I've 
> debated about putting up "Keep Out - Private Lease" signs or welcoming 
> rockhouds to the area.  The signs would probably anoy the locals who ride 
> their 4 wheelers along the top of the ridge and it would be impossible to 
> restrict access to the area.  There should be a lot of wavellite and 
> variscite in the tailings for rockhounds to pick up and they might want to 
> see and buy some of our better specimins.  As of now, rockhouds will be 
> welcome.
>
> If any of you would like more information, please contact me off list.
>
> With appreciation & gratitude,
> Stuart Schmitt
> Clear Creek Crystal Mine
> www.arcrystalmine.com
> 60 Mary's Eagle Trail
> Mount Ida, AR 71957
> (870) 867-2443
> -- 
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