First specimen

[starsapphire78]

Who can remember finding their first specimen ? , and what it was ? . Mine was quartz

[pc bowe]

I can't remember my own first.
 However one of my family members first stones was a kangaroo agate, which was popped in to her mouth to give it a clean.
With predictable results.

[Agate Head]

I did the same trick with the kangaroo agate to my wife out noodling one day but just ask her to pick it up not pop it in her mouth, she is now my EX wife, she dident see the funny side of it, No sense of humour.

[MakkyBrown]

Lune River agate on a school trip.

[Lapis Lupinus]

I was about 12 years old, and on a trip to western QLD where (on a school trip) we were taken to a rocky outcrop full of ironstone. Blue potch opal could be found here and there. After I found my 1st specimen which was laced with thin lines of precious opal I was hooked. 

[Bucket]

a small agate from a place that you can no longer go to - Cardinia Creek! It was slightly blue grey and I thought I had a sapphire. Also got some zircons on the same trip.

[Rusted]

I grew up in the Victorian Goldfields, mucked about on mullock heaps all the time, you cant help noticing the shiny cubes of Pyrite in the shale.

I did find a stick of sweaty unexploded Dynamite one time, was most intrigued when the mines dept came out looked at it from a distance then poured petrol on it and burnt it. I was expecting a nice explosion but all I got was a bit of a flare up.

[colza]

Ah, those childhood memories.
My first specimen was a fossil found on my uncle and aunt's farm at Glendonbrook. After a painstaking cleanup I had a mate's mum take it to Prof Beryl Nassar who ran the Geology department of Newcastle uni in the 60s - she use to work for her. It turned out to be an impressive specimen of a Spirifer Permian shellfish which was photographed and put into her book The Geology of the Hunter Valley. Memorable.
Cheers,
colza

[darttrev68]

My first specimen was given to me buy my father. He gave me a few different samples from the North Mine, where he worked. The best piece in this small collection was a rhodonite and 40 years later I still have it.

[starsapphire78]

 Amazing memories

[Jamo]

My first specimen was a piece of petrified wood that was replaced with ironstone. Still have it in my collection. Found in an area that normally didn't have petrified wood ... but I was very keen at 'looking for stones', so turned it up anyway

[col]

The first specimen I found was a thunder egg at Thunder Bird park where my Dad took me when I was about 6 years old (1985). He had it cut in half. I'm not sure what ever happened to it, but my mother said she probably threw it out (jeez thanks!). I'm pretty sure the old man still has a photo of me with the thunder egg in a photo album at his place.

[Mouse]

Dad took me to Andamooka in the mid 60's. Went down a friends working mine. Can't recall whether we saw anything down there but I remember it was fun going down the shaft. Noodled some potch and a few specs of colour on the surface. Haven't seen them for a while but I was told they are still in the family home back in Whyalla.

[birman]

my first stone was a14ct blue sapphire bomb iwear today that was 10 years ago and i am still hooked

[starsapphire78]

nice , my biggest , is 7.8 ct