Posting 1 of 6
Greetings from Auburn, Maine USA
My name is Andrew David Ferguson and I have a story to tell:
Let me start, by saying thank you to each and everyone of you that takes the time in
their busy lives to review and consider the material contained herein:
I would like to personally thank my Grandmother Dorethea Maria Gardella Mowder
(Na'ne) deceased,
Mr. Kurt Youland and his wife Karen from K&K Excavation of Turner, Maine,
MS Jane Perham G.G. of South Paris, Maine.
DR Woodrow Thompson State Geologist from the Maine Geological Survey Augusta,
Maine.
Mrs. Mcrillis of Mount Mica Rarities/Plumbego Mining of Roxbury and Greenwood,
Maine.
Mr. Dennis Durgin of Hebron, Maine / Mount Marie.
Mr. Dennis Creaser of Paris, Maine / Intergalactic Mining.
And my gem cutter Mr. Clifford Greene of Portland, Maine For taking the time to view
my material and giving guidance and encouragement to me throughout this process.
When I was very small, I remember my Grandmother Mowder (Nane') of
Jackman, Maine and Melrose, Massachusetts saying to me, "there are wonderful
garnets in Maine."
This conversation took place on Swans Island, just off the coast from the mainland
about 6 miles into the Atlantic out of Bass Harbor about 1966.
It stuck subconsciously for 40 years.
As a child, just as most of you will admit, I always had an intrigue and fascination
with rocks.
It is simply amazing to me how many people I meet that have simple specimens and
are always eager to show them.
It seems that no person escapes this phenomena one must concede.
My sister Brenda Chere' went to the Costa Rican rain forest and volcanic areas and
asked me what I wanted her to bring back for me? I asked for a rock.
This was long before I seriously looked for anything substantial.
The minerals and crystallizations found in this area of Maine are well known
and much has been discovered, recovered and documented in the past so I won't dwell
on the past too much.
Please do take time to read about the 1972 era discoveries in Newry, Maine as it is
simply a spellbinding read. Ref.; Maine's Treasure Chest by Jane C. Perham, G. G.
1987. Frank Perahm Is alive and well and relatively easy to approach to this day.
It is noteworthy that this is the way of Maine people.
A vivid illustration of this, can be transmitted in a simple waive from strangers as
you pass by. Many don't understand this but let me tell you,
"It's called being friendly and you will get used to it."
On September 4, 2004 My wife and youngest of 6 years (Morgane Elizabeth)
accompanied me to The Kennebec Rocks and Minerals Club show at the Armory in
Augusta, Maine.
My lovely wife is a very lucky person with door prizes and such and as usual I chose
the WRONG ticket upon entry and of course and as usual, she hit the number as
"expected" and won an interesting piece of agate in the shape of Maine, accented with
what was pronounced to be tourmaline (cab grade).
I promptly confiscated the winnings and proclaimed it to be mine.
That's how men are but I am now convinced it is beryl and it has since been returned
to it's rightful owner.
The very next day, within 12 hours, I found my first piece of beryl from "The
Ferguson Prospect."
As many people have asked me, "Why did you choose to dig here?"
I will respond:
The first specimen came from near what will forever be known as "THE CRACK."
This was what caught my eye and caused me to delve into that area in the first
place.
The entire area is virtually indistinguishable from the other areas and was sited
dead center, in the middle of the common pegmatite. I also had noted that the tree
line seemed to extend further towards the road cut than the existing tree line along
the cut. There was also a dip in the terrain. I have read somewhere in the past,
that tree lines can be an important feature in finding the coveted pockety/vuggy
areas that are often associated with gem bearing material but the rusty areas were
not present as described. until later in the excavations.
The rusty appearance is conducive to water percolation and is somtimes a good
indicator of possible voids within the rock matrix.
This is where my adventure begins:
The pegmatite is a bulge in the granitic schist (country rock) which is overlaying
the productive zone. The crack, to this day haunts me as it is still there and "hard
as nails." I was picking to the right of the crack which runs from top to bottom of
the productive zone but I was picking at a larger separation (a simple crevice in
the rock) and eureka!
This proved to be a magical time, as piece after piece of good quality
beryl/aquamarine was removed for a period of about 3 months.
Some crystals were removed from "float" i.e.; dirt within the crack, with no
matching pieces.
Other specimens came in the form of single crystals from "vuggy" (smaller than
football size areas). These quality vuggy areas did not and have not exceeded
approximately 2-4" in diameter. These vuggy pocket areas are filled with a black
mud/dirt material.
I then went into the lower area of matrix material, as that was the obvious thing to
do. I was encouraged as it had occurred to me that there had to be more there?
After all, Where were the matching pieces?
The better specimens to date have come from within a matrix (in the rock),
composed of smokey quartz and larger black tourmaline (schorl) crystals.
Also found within the matrix were large white feldspar crystals and what has proven
to be the essential crystallization known as "salmon spar" or "pink microcline" in
my opinion and to the best of my basic knowledge at this time?
Some confirmed albite has been removed also and is noteworthy.
Heavily altered Beryl and dark green fan tourmalines much like that described from
the Mount Apatite location have also been sited and removed too, from the rip rap
rock up and across the cut from the prospect.
Mount Apatite is within 5 miles from this location.
No lepidolite or other lithium bearing minerals have been sited to the best of my
limited knowledge to date.
Note:
Stay with the quartz, muscovite (mica), smokey quartz and large crystallization in
your hunting. One only has so much time on this earth when mining in areas without
the visible lithium bearing rock and luck must be with you.
Remember:
The beryl/aquamarine, just as the black tourmaline and other such mineralization and
crystals are typically not found in veins in the traditional sence unless, found in
pockets (holes or cave like formations), but rather should be expected to be evenly
dispersed throughout the pegmatite and productive area.
It good stuff is there, then gone. There again, and then gone. So you must keep
searching, breaking rock, be persistent and ultimately get lucky too to locate the
good ones!
Good luck and let me know when you hit that big "pocket."
Go to POSTING 2 OF 6 for more.
