Rough Montana Sapphire

[RevolutionGems]

With all the talk of fine sapphires lately, I thought it might be interesting to show some of the finer material that is produced in the US. These are heated roughs from Rock Creek, Montana that are between 3 and 4 carats each.

In my opinion, the color on these is just as good as any other source. As mentioned, these are from Rock Creek and are heated. However, sapphires from Yogo Gulch are this color with out heating. (See next post)

Rock Creek rough, heated

 

[RevolutionGems]

A cut, (unheated) Yogo Sapphire

 

[Barrett]

Very nice..i have seen the before heating and after heating of some montana sapphires and it''s like night and day..color is so much better..very nice stones there

 

[RevolutionGems]

Agreed. Though they are still quite beautiful when unheated (I wear a little stud earring that is an unheated blue-green that is just gorgeous) this is one material that definitely benefits greatly from a little cooking.

 

[Largosmom]

I''m gonna have a Montana sapphire one day! Nice photos.

Laura

 

[loriken214]

Where is the best place to find a Yogo sapphire? I just love these colors!

Lori

 

[chrono]

That Yogo is pretty for something unheated; too bad about the window though unless it was deliberate.

 

[RevolutionGems]

The biggest problem with Yogos is that the crystals tend to be pretty flat. You will never see large Montanas of any kind, but Yogos in particular. Sad but true.

The best place to find a Yogo sapphire? Yogo Gulch, Montana!

 

[Jim Rentfrow]

I plan on digging in Montana this summer and then heading out to Oregon for some sunstone mining as well. I have seen rough Montana up to 8 carats in rough but that is extremely rare, a typical rough sapphire from Montana is anywhere from .25 carats up to 1.5 carats in rough form. The Yogo mine is producing again but I am sure the prices for Yogo will not be going down anytime soon!

 

[RevolutionGems]

One of the mine owner in Rock Creek found a 16 carat rough once, but if I remember right, it was pretty included and not worth anything except as a specimen.

I want to go to Montana SOOOOOOO bad! I have gotten a couple of buckets of gravel and it is such a kick to dig through it and find those little beauties. Maybe I will be able to get out there this summer.

 

[innerkitten]

I''ve always wanted to dig for sapphires. Have a fun time!

Diamond Crater Park or whatever it''s called sounds fun too.

 

[Jim Rentfrow]

My parents might hit Diamond Crater on their way back from Texas this year. They wanted to go last year but they came back during the ice storm down there so they didnt feel like digging in that. Of course my family is from the tundra of Minnesota so knowing them, they probably would have been out in the ice storm in shorts and short sleeves!

I know one of the mine owners in Montana and I know her and her son had found some large stones in the past that were cut. Plus you can see some large cut stones on ebay somedays as well from some of the mine owners on there. I saw an 8 carat untreated sapphire on there about a month ago.

 

[The Joker]

Date: 3/3/2010 9:56:19 AM
Author: innerkitten
I''ve always wanted to dig for sapphires. Have a fun time!

Diamond Crater Park or whatever it''s called sounds fun too.

Everyone who likes to hunt for treasure should try their luck at the Crater of Diamonds (Murfreesboro, Arkansas) at least once.
My avatar is a picture of one of the diamonds I found there.
http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com/ is the link to the Arkansas State Park''s website.

 

[marcy]

very pretty yogo sapphire

 

[Arkteia]

Date: 3/6/2010 10:28:32 AM
Author: The Joker

Date: 3/3/2010 9:56:19 AM
Author: innerkitten
I''ve always wanted to dig for sapphires. Have a fun time!

Diamond Crater Park or whatever it''s called sounds fun too.

Everyone who likes to hunt for treasure should try their luck at the Crater of Diamonds (Murfreesboro, Arkansas) at least once.
My avatar is a picture of one of the diamonds I found there.
http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com/ is the link to the Arkansas State Park''s website.

And who cut this diamond?

 

[The Joker]

Date: 3/6/2010 12:39:46 PM
Author: crasru

Date: 3/6/2010 10:28:32 AM
Author: The Joker

Date: 3/3/2010 9:56:19 AM
Author: innerkitten
I''ve always wanted to dig for sapphires. Have a fun time!

Diamond Crater Park or whatever it''s called sounds fun too.

Everyone who likes to hunt for treasure should try their luck at the Crater of Diamonds (Murfreesboro, Arkansas) at least once.
My avatar is a picture of one of the diamonds I found there.
http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com/ is the link to the Arkansas State Park''s website.

And who cut this diamond?

I have also had a great time mining for sapphires at the Spokane Bar Sapphire Mine near Helena, Montana, and I don''t want to high-jack Revolution''s (rough Montana sapphire) thread with talk about the Crater. So, I''ll start a new thread about the Crater of Diamonds and answer the diamond cutting question there.

 

[oddoneout]

Interesting to see the rough.