Kapunda quartz

[scratchie]

Sometime ago I saw a mention of Kapunda Quartz . Can anyone advise a possible source of this for faceting?
I recall there were quarries outside Kapunda for marble or granite. I believe this stone was used to face Parliament House in Adelaide, but i have never seen Kapunda quartz.
Happy faceting
John

[dughug]

The Kapunda Quartz is one of the best Quartz for faceting that you can find in Australia. This is due to a degree of lead in with the silica which gives a brilliance unsurpassed by any other local clear quartz. This location has been mined since the 1940's where it was mined for radios. It was a location where many local clubs made regular field trips over the years and over time a welded steel gate was placed over the entrance of the dig. The mine was on private land and for many years we had a good relationship with the land owner.

The quarry that the marble for the Parliament House is still in operation and have welcomed field trips by local Clubs. I have some lovely pink and green marble from this location collected on a club trip.

About 7 years ago some collectors damaged the access gate and fencing to the paddock which let the stock loose. They were there without permission or the knowledge of the land owner. They then levered off the steel gate which covered the entrance.

The end result was that the farmer levelled & bull-dosed the site and denied access to everybody.
Any one seeking entry gets a deserved earful - and rightly so, all due to the greed, ignorance and theft by a few people that have no place in the lapidary fraternity.
In the opal fields there is a strong sense of bush justice that is handed out to ratters perhaps it should have been applied here and the bodies left to rot in the bottom of a shaft somewhere.

I am glad I was fortunate enough to get some beautiful crystals that I have kept intact and lots of damaged crystals to keep me in faceting rough for many years.

Jimnyjerry the link / photo's you put up are not those of the Kapunda Quartz Crystal mine.

[Jimnyjerry]

thanks for the info Dughug  I will remove the info

Sadly the history of the mine has been repeated in other parts of the country when mine robbers strike