Kgizo and whitewave's crater of diamonds adventure

[whitewave]

That looks like fun? Do they say what the chances are of actually finding anything good?

I never answered your question lol. I think the average is 2 a day are found. That depends, though, on how many people are there.

I have also heard you find 1 diamond for every 15 five gallon buckets processed.

 

[whitewave]

Oh how fun!! 24-30 degrees is a little cold....lemme know when it it hits 45-50 and I'll come join you!

P.S. Pictures please of the little yellow, and any cool rocks you find. Soooo exciting.

I'm waiting for Larry to send a pic of the 7 point yellow, or it will come through the crater facebook page soon...

 

[whitewave]

I don't know who the 16 point belongs to, but look how pretty:

The regulars say there are small ones right now because of the drought.

 

[MarionC]

Loving your adventure!
AND your philosophy.

 

[metall]

I don't know who the 16 point belongs to, but look how pretty:

The regulars say there are small ones right now because of the drought.

How cute! 7pts....I would have NEVER seen it!

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

Whitewave,

I have enjoyed reading your thread. I have a friend who was in Brasil some years ago and going to visit a tourmaline mine. There had been torrential rains for two days before her visit and while looking out the passenger side window she saw something sparkle as they drove buy. She asked the driver to pull over and ran back to where she had seen the sparkle. It was a very large tourmaline specimen with some gem grade material.

When she got to the mine she proudly showed it to her host who asked her where she found it. When she asked the driver, it was determined that she was already on the mine property. She promptly turned it over to her host. She was then treated like royalty by her host.

I suspect that going after a large or long rain would indeed multiply your chances of finding a treasure.

Wink

Great story! Very cool.

 

[WinkHPD]

I have been living an incredible life, the stories are sort of like desert! (Only not as fattening!)

Thank you my friend.

Wink

 

[Karl_K]

I have been living an incredible life, the stories are sort of like desert! (Only not as fattening!)

Thank you my friend.

Wink

Write a book!!!!!!!!
Sir John will help ya!!!

 

[WinkHPD]

LOL, Thank you Karl.

Maybe when I get older and have retired, I will have the time.

Oh, wait, I am not planning to retire until they carry me out of the office feet first.

In any case, Sir John is way too busy to help me write a book. He is far too busy helping new retailers become advocates for the best cut diamonds in the known Universe. I suspect that he is working at least 18 hours per day as it is, I will not purposefully add more to his load.

Besides, it is my interaction here that brings episodes and stories to my mind. If I sat down to write a book I would never ever remember even a tenth of the wonderful events in my life.

Wink

 

[metall]

LOL, Thank you Karl.

Maybe when I get older and have retired, I will have the time.

Oh, wait, I am not planning to retire until they carry me out of the office feet first.

In any case, Sir John is way too busy to help me write a book. He is far too busy helping new retailers become advocates for the best cut diamonds in the known Universe. I suspect that he is working at least 18 hours per day as it is, I will not purposefully add more to his load.

Besides, it is my interaction here that brings episodes and stories to my mind. If I sat down to write a book I would never ever remember even a tenth of the wonderful events in my life.

Wink

We should start a thread and everytime a new story crops up post it on the thread...it would be entertaining AND educational.

 

[whitewave]

Ok, so I am back at the crater (by myself) and am leaving to go home in a little while. Kgizo and I had learned from the pros and although I have been a bunch of times, apparently my strategy and technique needed finessing....

Some pics. What I learned from Larry is to go scope your area and put out your buckets:


Fill buckets then haul them to the wash station:

They had just cleaned the water so I got a good pic of my stuff soaking:

This is all the muck at the bottom when they drain it:

 

[whitewave]

And with some help from Randy on finessing my technique with the saruca, I have graduated from novice.

That is the center you scoop and take home to go through later.

 

[whitewave]

This made my day. See the M&Ms on my windshield?

You have the best conversations at the washing station. I met a father/son team from Kansas. He works for M&M and had so much vacation time that they made him take a vacation so they were doing a loop and were headed to Avery Island (tobasco) next. He and his 18 year old son were estranged for years and the son seemed low energy sort of depressed (typical milennial probably allergic to outside, not to make light of things). The kid graduated high school and seems a little directionless. Anyway, (former high school teacher here and current mom to teens) he and I got to talking and I found out he loves photography. So we had some good talks and I lent them some of my buckets and helped them
With how to find a diamond, etc.

They left before me.

When I got to my truck; it took a minute for me to realize I had a bag of M&Ms from them on my windshield

 

[elle_71125]

I've always wanted to do this! I wish you luck in finding your diamond soon.

 

[Gussie]

Looks like so much fun!!! My family is going Sunday-Tuesday next week! Wish us luck!!!

 

[whitewave]

@elle_71125 thanks!!

@ceg contact me through loupe troop

 

[whitewave]

I have been twice this fall season and have found nothing, but young Oakley was playing around in the dirt today and found a 96 point brown

 

[metall]

I have been twice this fall season and have found nothing, but young Oakley was playing around in the dirt today and found a 96 point brown

 

[whitewave]

My calendar is so full in the next few weeks, but I hope to get to the crater at least once more before it gets hot.

Sad news... one of the old timers who I met at the wash station who was super nice and helpful..... died at the crater about a month ago. I'm not sure of the details... I will get them eventually. He kept a storage unit there at the crater and it was jammed full of stuff and equipment. His wife said he found his retirement goals there and it made him so happy.

If I dropped dead one day there I would want no one to feel sorry for me. I belong there. I can't think of a better place where to die if it was my time.

RIP Mr.Dennis. You were a kind a gentle soul.

 

[WinkHPD]

Thank you for your kind thoughts and cor sharing them with us.

Wink

 

[partgypsy]

yes, thank you for sharing your report from the crater!