SEARCH
ADVANCED SEARCH
STORE AUCTIONS ALL SPECIMENS ON SALE
MINERALS ACCESSORIES BOOKSTORE
RULES REGISTER LOGIN
ABOUT US CONTACT US
MAILING

 

SPECIMENS
now available:

AUCTIONS STORE INSTA-shop
Rogerley mine, UK

 

 

 Because of many requests and some misunderstandings we inform that Rogerley mine is a commercial operation and visiting and collecting there is not possible because of many reasons. The Mine owners ask to accept and respect this fact.    


   The beginning of July was a busy time for us but fortunately we managed to find a few days to go to Rogerley mine in the UK between our trips, shows and Crystal Days. This time I was accompanied by Asia and our friend Mariusz. Our plan was to buy some specimens, see the mine progress and drink some beer. When we came we were very generously invited by Cal (one of the mine owners) to try our luck digging. We were very happy and of course we took the uncommon opportunity to work in the mine.
   This year all the workings are done at the area of Penny`s Pocket. It seems to be a really extended zone rich in fluorite. We also spent our time there.
   We spent the first hours cleaning some crystals which were exposed at the ceiling. After that, we extracted several specimens, but they were not of very high quality - too cloudy. Later we focused on the narrow zone filled with clay, located between big blocks forming breccia. At the beginning majority of crystals were coming as loose singles. But when we moved a little bit farther fluorite clusters started to be more solid. After three hours of digging and cleaning 40 cm long plate covered by big, lustrous and gemmy twinned crystals was ready to extract. During extraction it was divided into a few smaller specimens. The best of them had a huge twinned crystal about 4 cm at the edge, which is a really good size for Rogerley, especially for this quality.
   We spent the evening tasting all kinds of beer, which is really great in England. We also tried some local specialties, some of them looking quite peculiarly, but always very tasty.
   Next day we came back to the mine to continue working in the same zone. We didn`t have too much time this day but it turned out to be enough to dig three good specimens. Two of them were really nice, about 12-15 cm big, free of damage with sharp and well colored crystals. When we took them to the light and washed we were really excited!
   Beside of digging we spend some time making a tour to show to Mariusz some of the famous localities in the area. Unfortunately because of the heavy rain we didn`t take any photos this time.
   It was really short but fruitful visit. We spent great some time with Kerith, Cal and mud. It looks like this season is very good for the mine owners - number of good quality specimens has been collected.
   About 2 weeks after our visit Jesse with Ian exposed unique monstrous plate with huge crystals. After days of cleaning and digging they extracted specimen that weights about 300kg! This is the biggest one ever collected in the mine and also have really big crystals on it. Unfortunately they are very cloudy, but still specimen is impressive. You can read more about this specimen at Mindat.org.
     

Tomasz Praszkier

See Rogerley specimens in our store.

  

We came back to Rogerley mine again! J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Asia and Tom ready to go digging! M. Oleszczuk photo.

 

The weather wasn`t perfect this year. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

As always there is a lot of mud in the mine. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Mine tunnels. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Putting down the rail. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Galena at the mine walls. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Cross-section through fluorite coated by quartz and mud :-) J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Remains of the Blue Bell pocket - Jewell Box zone. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Not much left there... J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Small pocket. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Small pocket. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Black Sheep pocket still has a lot of fluorite in it, but the rock is very hard there. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Big block with fluorite on the floor of the Black Sheep pocket. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Black Sheep pocket. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Black Sheep pocket. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Black Sheep pocket. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Black Sheep pocket. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Black Sheep pocket. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Rat Tail pocket is almost gone. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Rat Tail pocket is almost gone. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Rat Tail pocket remains. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Rat Tail pocket remains. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Rat Tail pocket remains. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Rat Tail pocket remains. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Mine corridors. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Mine corridors. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Equipment. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

 

Mine tunnels. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Fluorite in the front part of the mine. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Rails prepaired to be used. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Mine corridors. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Mine corridors. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Clock :-) J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

We go to the Penny`s Pocket. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Inside Penny`s Pocket. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Fluorite! J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

As always pocket was full of mud and majority of speicmens fell apart. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

The famous Rogerley mud. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

First specimens. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Fluorite in situ. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Gemmy twin. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Gemmy twin. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

First we worked at the ceiling. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Crystals sticking out from the mud at the ceiling. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Crystals sticking out from the mud at the ceiling. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Tom with Mariusz and a fluorite above their heads. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Tom with fluorite above his head. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Partly cleaned fluorite. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Partly cleaned fluorite. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Later we started digging in the brecciated zone. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Cleaning specimen. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

At the begining a small group of crystals appeared. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

After some time and work it turned out to be quite big and very good quality cluster. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Fluorite in situ. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Fluorite in situ. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Fluorite in situ. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Dirty Tom with fluorite in the background. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

time to take the prize. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

We collected quite big specimen too. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Fresh fluorite. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

You said dirty? J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Washing what we collected that day. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

The best one of the day. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Really big twin and very good quality too. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Mariusz and Tom happy with what they collected. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Mariusz and Tom happy with what they collected. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Tom with the best piece. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Asia wasn`t that dirty, note necklace and earings - new underground fashion :-) J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Mariusz neads some cleaning. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Packing specimens... J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

... and sending them down. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Washing again. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Prizes. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Mariusz and Tom with what they collected. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Not too bad as for the first day. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Another specimen. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Another specimen. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Big twin. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Gemmy twin. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

After a hard work we deserved for this... strangly looking snack :-) J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Next day we came back to the mine... J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

... to meet the mud again. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

In the mine. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Mud. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

And digging again in the same zone. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

 

   

And again fluorite in the mud. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

That day we collected only a few specimens but two of them where really good. M. Oleszczuk photo.

 

Two best specimens of this trip J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Perfect specimen with big gemmy twins. M. Oleszczuk photo.

 

Perfect specimen with big gemmy twins. J. Gajowniczek photo.

 

Here are some of the finds by Jesse and Cal. J. Fisher photo.

 

Here are some of the finds by Jesse and Cal. J. Fisher photo.

 

And this ones were collected by Jurgen and Robert who visited the mine soon after we left. J. Ralph photo.

 

And around two weeks later the Rogerley team discovered a huge plate in situ. J. Fisher photo.

 

That became even bigger after cleaning. J. Fisher photo.

 

It was the biggest specimen from the mine ever. J. Fisher photo.

 

The big one. J. Fisher photo.

 

Quality isn`t great (a lot of inclusions) but size of specimen and crystals is really impressive. J. Ralph photo.

 

Cal trying to make the big one lighter. J. Fisher photo.



  Comments

Great photo story of your collecting adventures.
Hopefully you have an affordable small cabinet size fluorite for sale.
Calguy
2012-08-05 15:36:02
Great photo story of your collecting adventures.

The only problem with the fluorites is the degree of damage, and yes this occurs due to geological factors, but if I am going to spend a 1000 euro or more on a fluorite I want it to be damage free. After all you would not buy a work of art that was vandalized even if it was due to non human factors?
ASHBEE
2012-08-08 05:25:31
As usual this is a great story documented with good photos. You guys exceed expectations every time. Cal could have used some of these photos when he talked about the mine at this year`s Houston Fine Mineral Show! I can understand why some people are thinking they can also go there and collect. I have friends who know Cal and Kerith well and were invited to go underground on their trip to England. They collected a few superb specimens, but they had to PAY the mine owners for what they collected. This is a commercial operation. They don`t give away anything for free. I`m sure you had to pay them for what you collected. You make it seem like they let you collect these and walk away with them. NOT! Be honest here.
stonesinger
2012-08-08 19:16:07
Thank you all for the nice words about our reports, we are happy you like them!
Ashbee - of course damages are a very big problems of Rogerley fluorites, we do not like them either :) Unfortunately the prices are just what they have to be to make it possible to operate the mine only for specimens which is really expensive, and as you noticed specimens are mostly damged due to the geological factors so we can not do anything with that. Unfortunately when the good undamaged specimens appear they are really expensive, but as I said this is how it has to be to make it possible to run the mine.
Stonesinger - you are right, this is a commercial and expensive operation and we do pay for the specimens we collect, we never said we don`t, we did not omit this information deliberately.
All the best to everybody! Tom
tomek (admin)
2012-08-09 23:54:03
What an awesome experience it would have been. Thanks for sharing the photos, they are great
bondjj49
2013-10-19 06:17:47


Your name
Your comment

Creative Commons by SpiriferMinerals.com
Created by: ewipo.pl