On Wednesday, Feb 19, 2003, at 23:27 Europe/London, John Mason wrote:
> Hi Rory,
>
> Bernard's recollections are not dissimilar to mine and I agree with his
> conclusions. I met a farmer, a Gloucestershire man, in S Central Wales
> a
> few years ago who in his former career had worked at Yate and had a
> fair
> few celestine geodes decorating his house, both inside & outside.
From memory the geodes were known locally & thus are so described in
mineral collections, as 'potato stones'. Although I have seen examples
of these, and had one at one time but where it is now is anyone's
guess, they have invariably contained quartz crystals, 'Bristol
diamonds', but I've not seen Amethyst in them.
Perhaps of interest, apart from any other UK Amethyst localities a
well known site for good crystal specimens, although very rare, was
Calton Hill in Derbyshire, however in a totally different geological
environment than that of Yate.
Pete Challis
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