Amazing Tales of Geology - Episode 2: The Black Star of Queensland

Could it be true that one of the most valuable and beautiful gems in all of human history was once considered a worthless rock and used as a simple doorstop in Australia? The shocking answer is YES. Watch this short video about the amazing history of The Black Star of Queensland:

In 1938, an excited 12-yr-old boy found a palm-sized, dark rock on a hillside in Queensland, Australia. Little Roy proudly showed the stone to his family, but his father, Harry, was so unimpressed that he used it as a doorstop in the back of their tiny shack. But Harry Spencer, (himself a miner in the central Queensland gem fields), should have known better. The rejected rock sat on his dusty floor, forgotten for almost ten years.

But then, Harry learned that sapphires could be almost any color. He finally realized that the stone that his son had found was likely a black sapphire, and quickly put out the word that he had a valuable gemstone for sale. The news of this find garnered the attention of the famous jeweler Harry Kazanjian, who journeyed from southern California in 1947 to Queensland to purchase the one-of-a-kind treasure. Kazanjian paid the Spencer family $18,000 for the gem, which translates to approximately $200,000 in today’s dollars.

Kazanjian spent nearly two months studying the enormous stone, planning his cuts and facets with the hopes of revealing the highly-prized asterism that might be hiding deep within. His patience and planning paid off handsomely, and after removing over 400 carats of surrounding material, a six-pointed star appeared in the center of the 733-carat masterpiece.

Dubbed “The Black Star of Queensland,” the spectacular gemstone was appraised as being worth over $1 million dollars in 1949. Now surrounded by a ring of 35 diamonds, the Black Star of Queensland is currently valued at close to $100 million dollars and sits in the private collection of an anonymous European gem collector. From worthless doorstop to priceless treasure, now you know the amazing tale of the Black Star of Queensland.

Mineral Minute - Episode 2: Amazonite

Watch our latest episode of Mineral Minute for a quick look at Amazonite, that bluish-green to rich green variety of the feldspar family (most famously found around the Pikes Peak, Colorado area)

Today's mineral: Amazonite.

Amazonite is a pale greenish-blue to deep blue-green variety of microcline Feldspar. Amazonite has a hardness of 6-6.5, cleavage is perfect in one direction and good in a another, a white streak, and a glassy luster. The origin of this mineral's color is debated, but it has been attributed to lead and water in the crystal lattice.

It is probably named after the Amazon River, even though large deposits have never been found near there. Amazonite is commonly found as large crystals with white streaks and is often associated with smoky quartz, especially in the U.S.

There are large deposits in Russia, Burma, India, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Brazil, and the United States. Here in the U.S., Amazonite can be collected at the: Morefield and Rutherford mines in Amelia county, Virginia. Along Gold Camp Road, near Colorado Springs, Colorado. At Crystal Park, near Manitou Springs, Colorado. Along Barr Trail, on Pikes Peak, Colorado. And in Devils Head, south of Denver, Colorado.

Here is a paper which seeks to confirm that it is LEAD that is responsible for the bluish-green hue of Amazonite: http://www.minsocam.org/ammin/AM70/AM...

Mineral Minute - Episode 1: Amethyst

Watch this short video as we spend 60-seconds exploring everyone's favorite purple variety of quartz: Amethyst, right here on Mineral Minute:

Today’s Mineral: Amethyst

Amethyst is a colorful variety of the quartz family, often noted for its pale to deep shades of purple. Amethyst has a hardness of 7, no cleavage, a white streak, and a glassy luster. The famous hue of this mineral is caused by trace amounts of iron that are trapped inside the quartz lattice.

This iron is then further modified through different levels of radiation deep within the earth, producing a wide range of colors from reds to deep purple.

Amethyst is often found as large crystals, or in clusters, or within geodes at many famous deposits in Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, Russia, Canada, and South Africa. Here in the United States, Amethyst can be collected at the: Emerald Hollow Mine in Hiddenite, North Carolina Diamond Hill Mine near Abbeville, South Carolina Amethyst Queen Mine near Nancy Hanks Gulch, Colorado Amos Cunningham Farm near Due West, South Carolina. and Jackson’s Crossroads Amethyst Mine near Jackson Crossroads, Georgia.

Note: All of these locations require permission and most require a fee for collecting.