How To Clean Corundum Ruby and Sapphire Propst Farm

This video is dedicated to techniques on how to clean corundum. It is one thing to be able dig and find them but the next step cleaning the crystal can be just as challenging. The corundum crystals in this video were found at Propst Farm and Lincoln County, North Carolina. Corundum is the mineral Sapphire and Ruby. cleaning a rough specimen is something that cannot be done overnight and requires months of dedication to retrieving the proper presentation. This is a reason why the value of these crystals are consistently exponentially growing. The inside of the crystal is what most people desire which is the undamaged core of the crystal. or section is mostly used for fastening and cabochons. I prefer seeing the specimen as it is when it came out of the earth. This video is explaining a few techniques that can help you achieve being able to cleaning the exterior of the crystal without using any mechanized equipment.
Make sure to check out my other videos to see the specimens unearthed.

[@hawksnestvision]

great info. the corundum is raw beauty! you're becoming a master... : ). i sure needed this.

[@HighCountryRocks]

I truly love corundum!!! I love geology because I learn something everyday. Thank you for the comment 😊

[@caveninit]

I'm definitely going to try that salt trick! Thanks!

[@HighCountryRocks]

It works !!! Just take your time going back and forth between that and soaking in soap.

[@marciageiser2823]

I did not know about using salt. Good video thanks

[@HighCountryRocks]

It's a nice little trick.

[@asokadezoysa3443]

Thank a lot for the details

[@HighCountryRocks]

I hope it helps.

[@danmillisor8084]

Helpful..thanks Graham.

[@HighCountryRocks]

Salt and soap does wonders!!! Hope all is well Dan!

[@danmillisor8084]

@@HighCountryRocks hope your muscle issue has healed.

[@HighCountryRocks]

This is the first week where I've started to use it again. So far so good but quite a scary experience. Let me know next time you come down.

[@danmillisor8084]

Graham...turns out I am going to be digging tomorrow Wednesday May 11.

[@valuablegem5307]

Great work bro

[@HighCountryRocks]

Thank you seriously there is a lot of blood sweat and sore arms being able too pull them out of the ground.

[@janefromthecountry1820]

Hey Graham! You are looking good at the beginning of your new video! That is one beautiful backdrop the flowered pink bush behind you. I like the detail you use in giving up the steps to cleaning corumdum crystals. Good luck to all the rock hounds watching this channel. Please like and share as Graham deserves more viewers! 😎Graham, thank you for putting the work into this video to educate us rock hounds. You really brighten my day! Stay curious. Have a fabulous weekend! See ya at the next one. 🎯😄💯

[@HighCountryRocks]

Thank you. The azaleas are beautiful this year. We went from snow two weeks ago to the mid 70s now and nature loves it. You are one of my top subscribers and I want to thank you for your support... Your kind gestures keep me going. I hope you have a wonderful May and please let me know if you make it to North Carolina.

[@janefromthecountry1820]

Yeah, thank you Graham! I am so glad I found your channel. Really, North Carolina is on my list of places to visit. I will certainly try to look you up. Appreciate your kindness. The world needs more folks like yourself. God bless. ❤

[@glynnphillips9703]

Awesome info

[@champalrathnapala8240]

Great video

[@HighCountryRocks]

Thanks I hope it helps.

[@matthewdistefano540]

Another great video thanks for sharing your knowledge are there any other places that are as good as propst farm to find corundum

[@HighCountryRocks]

There are a few places to find corundum in North Carolina . Size and numbers Propst is hard to beat. I am looking for that next spot but in my opinion Propst is Top-notch.

[@helenanilsson5666]

I only accidentally ended up here (I googled corundum to figure out what it was and this video was in the results) but despite having no connection to the actual topic I felt so relieved when you brought up the baking soda after that acid boil. I've worked in the cleaning business for years now and acid near stone materials stresses me out to no end. I agree that putting in the time and elbow grease with soap and a mild abrasive such as salt sounds much more sensible. I would probably use an electric toothbrush through, just to cut out some of that hard work. Btw, I'm not sure if this is useful for gem cleaning but there's a product called "stone soap" (direct translation of "stentvål", not the company that sells car cleaning products) that we use for cleaning stone floors. It works a treat for cleaning and protecting large surfaces of marble, granite etc. For most of the cleaning process regular dish soap would probably still be most cost effective but it might be worth giving it a final wash in a stone cleaner to give it a bit of a protective seal and colour boost. Thank you for the informative video :)

[@HighCountryRocks]

I love this comment! Thank you for your time. I honestly am going to experiment with your recommendation " Stone Soap " sounds like something that would do the trick. I will let you know how it turns out. Thanks for your time and thought. That's the reason I got involved with KZbin for people and comments like you. Have A Wonderful Day.

[@rhondajones1313]

I have a question about Corundum ruby and sapphires from the Propst farm. Is there any that come out o there that can be faceted or a cab made from? I am going in about a month to the farm. Thank you for your help. Keep up with the videos.

[@HighCountryRocks]

The cabs are amazing from the quality Propst material. You can dig some wonderful blue and pink and reds . None are going to be transparent they all have a silk that can even star with the right stone. I have seen faceted stones cut but they are not going to be clear but are still beautiful. I would not consider it facet material. You can facet anything though.

[@rhondajones1313]

Well thank you for that answer. We are going to go there sometime this coming month. Hell I was born in Ft. Bragg but the west end of NC suits me better. Take it easy and thank you@@HighCountryRocks

[@ashendorpeterkurcinka1051]

i hope i have seeing this video before i ve tried the acid technique and riuned my balcony. the containers i have them in cracked and acid eated up everything it touched. btw nice pieces that youve found. i have a good source that have more opaque and see thrue crystals but i ve never found clearly visible nice shaped piece. most of my rubies growed between rocks and was shatered. but i fond 2 semi-cubic pieces that looks amazing.... like bizmut but pink-purple..... i need a video showing the heat tretment. i want it just for my self. not for sale but it would be nice to get the colours really show off

[@HighCountryRocks]

Sometimes you have to learn the hard way. Like not leaving the crystals in the bottom of the acid or iron out and finding a way to suspend the crystals in the mix. That will mess them up too.

[@JoeLikesRocks]

Thanks for posting this! I just returned home to Texas with a good pile of corundum from the Mason Mine in Franklin, NC. Now I've got a plan of action for cleaning them. Have you ever tumbled pieces of corundum that weren't cab or facet grade just to see how they turned out?

[@HighCountryRocks]

Yes I have tumbled a batch of broken chips in my tumbler. They look awesome wet but I have trouble getting them to polish after stage three. I don't know what the issue is though. If you just do stage one for a night or two it will clean them up nicely allowing you to see what you got under that alluvial crusty outside.

[@JoeLikesRocks]

@@HighCountryRocks Awesome! Thanks again

[@isurulasantha]

Hi

[@isurulasantha]

Hi@@JoeLikesRocks

[@Anatoliys_Adventure]

Thanks for this video! Been looking for info on this topic for a while. Quick question too. At 3:00: could you use an ultrasonic cleaner to speed up the process?

[@HighCountryRocks]

It helps but doesn't cut it unfortunately.

[@asgharkhan8445]

Nice video

[@HighCountryRocks]

Always learning.

[@noone-yq4rg]

What about sandblasting with salt or baking powder?

[@VikatoZhimomi-mi2ub]

Bro wher can I sell my stones please suggest me I hv been collecting for over ten year .. I hv lots

[@gabekirkpatrick3473]

I have a huge blue sapphire from western nc I would like a way to show you and get your input

[@NewVegasMPx]

Some of the (very) rough sapphire rock/crystal that I’ve bought are flaky. Is this just on the outside or could the whole piece possibly crumble? These were dirt cheap off eBay so I only have a few bucks invested.

[@HighCountryRocks]

They shouldn't be flaky. Corundum is the second hardest mineral. It is a 9 on the mohs scale. Hopefully it is just something attached to the corundum.

[@KDAirman]

Do I use hammer to get the corundum out of the rock itself? I currently soak a variety rocks in water with disinfectant all purposes cleaner

[@HighCountryRocks]

I haven't had any experience with corundum in the host. I would think it would be easy to break out of the host rock due to it being a 9 on mohs scale. You could also cut it with a tile saw with a diamond blade to make sure you don't break it. Sometimes it is better left in the host rock for collectors.

[@ROCKINWHEELERS]

HAVE YOU CLEANED THEM USING A VIBRATORY AND OR ROTARY TUMBLER???

[@ethanholshouser5648]

Have you tried putting these in an ultrasonic cleaner?

[@HighCountryRocks]

Yes it still takes forever and you still have to scrub them. It does help the process.

[@wednesday567]

for the big pieces, can you cut/polish them? or will that lessen their value?

[@HighCountryRocks]

It all depends on the formation of the crystal for specimen value. Less damage more faces.

[@HighCountryRocks]

Color makes all the difference in value sometimes you can't tell it because they're so dirty and it takes a polishing to understand what the stone actually is inside. The bigger ones.tend to lose the quality of color seems to decrease unless it is extremely special. I don't have any of my large specimens cut I have had a few sent to Tucson to be carved into figurines. Every stone is unique that's what's so awesome about corundum.

[@Nervii_Champion]

Do any of these have asterism? Like a star on the top and bottom of the crystals, due to titanium oxide or hematite

[@HighCountryRocks]

Yes but only the higher quality ones and not that often.

[@saumur69ify]

One thing you didn't mentioned, if you do want to sell them to a jeweller for an example to make money , because you discovered some really rare gemstone do you clean them the way you do and sell them like that or do you extract each individual out of that rock ?

[@HighCountryRocks]

I clean them for the specimen value. I do have others that I attend to cut or sell as lapidary rough. I prefer the perfect shape hexagonal crystals with the good color and most collectors can't stay away from them. I am still in the digging mode instead of the selling mode. I love the hunt. They are very challenging to find and it takes a ton of work to find the good ones. So at this point in my life I am focusing on the hard work digging them for as long as my body can hold up. Planning on selling more when I cannot do the hard labor as much.

[@saumur69ify]

@HighCountryRocks thanks so much foyo7r reply.

[@gordanhiggins9047]

Cool 😎 maybe I can get out and find something to clean 🧼 one of these days great 👍 video

[@HighCountryRocks]

You better let me know when you want to go or find time. I will make sure it is a good experience. It is getting too dry and warm down there now. The clay becomes rock hard and won't separate from crystals. The spring and fall is glory. I hope to see you at Grassy Creek this year.

[@janefromthecountry1820]

Hi..hope you are well. Are you making a new video soon? I am requesting one. 👍🏻😊

[@HighCountryRocks]

I know it's been way too long. $5 a gallon put a hamper on my exploration. Exciting things to come in the beginning of August.

[@user-xp2pf2jx9w]

Can I buy some of your corrundum?

[@mfaraztroutfarm7055]

I think I have the same stone you are working with. Would you be kind enough to confirm that through pic, if I sent you the one??

[@andnowi]

I owe you

[@aarollason]

Hey, Graham! You mentioned that IF we use the chemical techniques, that we should start with a very weak solution. What is the strength/ratio that you use for Iron Out and/or Oxalic acid? Do you put them together?

[@HighCountryRocks]

I never mix them. let me link you up with a very descriptive link that I use that breaks it down really clear.

[@HighCountryRocks]

www.johnbetts-fineminerals.com/jhbnyc/articles/minclean.htm This is a great break down . I would start about half of all break downs listed on this report and work your way up.

[@ashendorpeterkurcinka1051]

never mix chemiclas! if u dont know what will haepen..... j

[@HighCountryRocks]

Don't inhale the fumes also.

[@dabneegxavtxawj1957]

Good job from lao

[@HighCountryRocks]

Thank you for watching!

[@paigey1995-]

So.... This is similar too what I managed too acquire it was a small bag with quite a few of these red/pink hexagonal prism shaped stones not as big as you showed and they flores/fluorescent is this what I have sapphire? Ruby? Corundum? A little help if any possible 😊

[@HighCountryRocks]

It's all corundum when referring to the hexagonal crystal. Color is what distinguishes if it's Ruby or Sapphire. If it isn't ruby red it's pretty much called a sapphire. The ones I show are not facet grade which is a clear corundum and that is when most people call it a Ruby or Sapphire. Now a lot of sapphires are also not fluorescent so most of the time from my experience the ruby is going to fluorescent more.

[@paigey1995-]

@@HighCountryRocks wish I could post an image 😔 they're super fluorescent they like no tomorrow ✨✨ but when ever i get shown a rough "ruby" they don't look like mine they look like the smaller version of what you showed also same colour just way more red/pink, thank you for the info and reply 😊😊

[@paigey1995-]

@@HighCountryRocks also sounds crazy but they look like mini super red sweet potatoes 😹 I know they're from Sri Lanka as well 😊

[@HighCountryRocks]

That's the best sweet potatoes on earth in my eyes. Corundum is special. It makes beautiful jewelry also.

[@HighCountryRocks]

It sounds like you got that fire. When they fluoresce bright it's another level.

[@Mimundo-pf7rh]

Saludo

[@DreidMusicalX]

What about using a Vibratory tumbler?

[@HighCountryRocks]

It will work for broken pieces. If you're just looking to figure out what kind of lapidary grade it is or give you a better idea. With the hexagonal shaped ones I am trying to keep the sharp edges and the crystal structure intact.

[@Sean-EmeraldImportco]

Have you heated them in a kiln, that how they get jewelry grade.

[@HighCountryRocks]

I have not tried it.. I have been too busy digging them. It would be interesting how they turn out.

[@HighCountryRocks]

I have not tried it.. I have been too busy digging them. It would be interesting how they turn out.

[@Sean-EmeraldImportco]

500° for 3 hrs, they have videos on KZbin in case you want to see exactly how, I've been getting into cutting gems would you be willing to sell some roughr corundum to me? I want to cut some rubies, also heating them removes the blue so purple ends up red js...

[@KDAirman]

How do I reqionize an highly weathered corundum rock exterior

[@HighCountryRocks]

First I would check it with a black light. If it fluorescence you probably have something. Not all corundum is fluorescent though. It will be heavier than quartz or other rocks of the same size. You should be able to see a growth pattern within the stone which is called silk. You can always get a jewelry gem detector and it can narrow it down also. We sometimes describe the outside of the Propst Farm corundum alligator skin.

[@KDAirman]

@HighCountryRocks I found some heavy rocks in the rio grande River bed in nm today one had red bright reflected of surface by sun light it's been under about 1 foot of sand

[@GASTONMPANDE]

J'ai des corrindon besoin d'un acheteur

[@WavyOnMobile]

This doesn't include Star variations with rutile inclusions, does it?

[@HighCountryRocks]

Some do star. Rutile is also found at this location.

[@WavyOnMobile]

@@HighCountryRocks I meant the cleaning

[@HighCountryRocks]

They all clean the same way. You have to Polish it to get the star.

[@WavyOnMobile]

@@HighCountryRocks I know, just wondering I'd it would dissolve the rutile

[@HighCountryRocks]

@@WavyOnMobile It would not. Good question.

[@canadiangemstones7636]

Best to hammer them real small and add them to a tumbler full of nice agates, to speed up the coarse grind.

[@HighCountryRocks]

That would be the biggest waist on money time and effort I have ever heard. That is a sin.

[@HighCountryRocks]

If you're ever lucky enough to find yourself in that position please make sure to message me first and I will take your material off you before you destroy some valuable stuff.

[@canadiangemstones7636]

Tumbled agates are awesome, but they take forever to tumble, busted lumps of corundum speed it up.

[@ishakolcak]

There is red ruby, but it is very difficult to find the color scale in the middle of pink and red, but there is no clear ruby ​​like glass, I found sapphire and emerald, but it is very difficult to find transparent rubies like glass in Turkey, we are not suitable for red stone

[@HighCountryRocks]

We are always looking for that transparent ones. The solid colors do make beautiful gemstones with the proper cutting.

[@raje279]

Transparent rubies price my god

[@metinuysal3775]

Türkiye dünyada en fazla zımpara taşı rezervi olan ülkedir

[@jasonmartin2103]

I live in lincoln county

[@ethanrichardson126]

is it fair to say ? if the material you pocess in your hand needs weeks, days, hours of serious cleaning, different kinds of acids, hot water, a lot of brushing sessions, then certainly it ain't a corundom material in first place !

[@HighCountryRocks]

No it is Beautiful from the ground. To make it a museum-worthy piece it takes cleaning and preparation for any mineral. Most people just cut it to make it beautiful rather than take it from the ground and show its beauty.

[@georgefazah6113]

I have almost 300kg of kurandun can you advice what to do with that??????

[@HighCountryRocks]

I am not the person with the answer for that one.

[@gemfinding8133]

Interested in cleaning a bunch of propst material 4 me?

[@HighCountryRocks]

I can barely handle what I have collected. With that being said it is still a art I have not mastered and is way to time consuming at the moment. I know you know!!

[@GermainWilliams-ev2gp]

I have a lot of stones I need to sell them

[@HighCountryRocks]

I can relate. I enjoy the digging part.

[@cihancizmeci3425]

Wash with water and after Use Hidrocloric acit with water wait 2 hours

[@HighCountryRocks]

That will work also...I just like to keep things as natural as possible. Some people really frown on the acid cleanings.

[@1972wesley]

Hydrochloric acid is the way. It will not harm corundum.

[@raje279]

@@HighCountryRocks does it has value I have 5000 carats .can you cut and polish for final outlook

[@ishakolcak]

I have a pink rubi☺💎11 carats

[@HighCountryRocks]

My favorite mineral!!!!

[@shruthibhatshruthibhat5361]

I have good quality ruby's

[@HighCountryRocks]

They are out there. I just love the big specimens and the luster that it has. Hang on to them Ruby's.

[@HighCountryRocks]

The good ones don't take much cleaning.

[@douglasdobson8110]

I just ordered a dental water jet to try . . .

[@HighCountryRocks]

Your going to love it. Watch your fingers. It bites.

[@justin-ki3tf]

Scrub scrub scrubbb xd

[@HighCountryRocks]

Lol so much scrubbing!

[@electricalgarage]

Plz wearing gloves

[@funnymammals]

Nice video

[@HighCountryRocks]

Thank you for the comment. I love the user name!!