The Rockshop at Harties

See how the amethyst came out after being boiled in Oxalic acid for a day, before the big rain strikes. We unpack our first drum and we just love the quartz and amethyst that we bought from this trip. But the work is not yet done. They have to be trimmed. Remember that we bought mine run and some that are slightly better. Now we need to trim away the damage. Some pieces will loose half their weight and we will then be left with a fine specimen. We do a bit of unpacking washing and cutting in this video. I get a chance to edit this video while it is raining outside. Let me know in the comments below if you like this style of video. No music or too much talking. Please subscribe to the channel. It helps the algorithm. And like the video also please.

From dirty to clean, watch and believe. I do a test run with oxalic acid and was surprised by this great result. I loaded the pot with the dirtiest quartz I had and cooked the quartz for a couple of hours. I could not wait to open the pot. This is what I saw.

We fire up the first load of the 500 kg amethyst. Today is quartz cleaning day and we load up the drum. The drum takes 90 to 100 kg of quartz. When it is full we add water and oxalic acid. When you heat up this mix it will remove some of the coatings on the quartz. We make sure that we heat up the water to boiling temperature and then keep it there for several hours. It definitely did its work and you will see this in our next video. This is Africa style. A sawed off drum and an open fire does the trick.

Now where do we put all this quartz. Our wash-bay is quite far from this area and I am already thinking I am going to change my strategy next time we buy so much quartz. I did not count the boxes, I just know there are many boxes. We have a great variety this time. There are single points, and small purple clusters and drusy amethyst plates. I can't wait to see how these are going to clean up. They attempted to clean some of the quartz and we will wash these first. I like the quartz to be super clean and trimmed of all the damage. So what is the next step. It will be washing off the loose soil from the crystals and then cleaning them with oxalic acid to remove the surface coatings. Then the next step will be sorting these into different price categories.

Join us on our road trip from Hartbeespoort to Boekenhouthoek, Mpumalanga, as we restock our unique cactus quartz supply! After months without a visit, our stock was running low, and it was time to buy in bulk. The journey took about two hours, with plenty of speed cameras and roadworks along the way. When we arrived, we were met by a row of eager miners ready to sell. This time, we were more organized, controlling the flow of sellers to ensure a smoother buying process. Negotiating prices is always a challenge, as everyone wants top dollar for their finds. We prefer to buy in bulk at a box price, getting the best deals on high-quality quartz and amethyst. In the end, we loaded up about 500kg of stunning cactus quartz and amethyst ! Unfortunately, my camera battery ran out midway, so the video cuts off a bit abruptly—but don’t worry! In the next video, we’ll be unpacking our haul, and you’ll get a closer look at exactly how much we brought back. 🔔 Subscribe and stay tuned for the nex...

Join us as we dive into another exciting day of sorting rocks at The Rockshop at Harties ! This time, I unpack a dusty, unseen batch of rocks, and the surprises are endless. My granddaughter Tiane, the delight of my life, is here to help, making the process even more enjoyable. Here’s what we found: 🔹 Aquamarine: A striking blue beryl that stood out among the lot. Its even colors and pegmatite origins make it a true gem. 🔹 Sunstone: A first for us in South Africa! This unique find, mixed with mica and feldspar, is an absolute treasure. 🔹 Rose Quartz: Gem-quality pieces that are simply stunning. 🔹 Blue Agate from Malawi: Vibrant hues that captivate the eye. 🔹 Black Tourmaline: Tiane took the lead on these beauties, uncovering their deep, striking tones. 🔹 Botswana Agate: Renowned for its intricate fine lines, these are truly collector’s pieces. We also showcase a large quantity of black tourmaline imported from Namibia, proving the effort was well worth it. The video captur...

2 Billion years old, is it true? Depends who tell the story. Stuart Clague is the expert on the story of the mountains underneath our feet. Like the brow of a sinking titanic the mountains at Harties juts up at an angle and this is how it happened. Wait for it, not just 2 000 000 000 but 3 000 000 000 billion years of earth history lies bare before our eyes. A fascinating story worth recording and telling to all. Quartzsite, shale, dolomite, chert and yes GOLD and more GOLD. this is our story. Do not forget to leave your comments below and to subscribe to the channel to keep updated on the history of all that is around us. The Rockshop@Harties