Ural Expeditions &smp; Tours
Tours

“Sun Stone” area

This excursion takes place near the towns Kasli and Kyshtym (Southern Ural)
Duration: 2 days

Mineralogical objects:
   -  Quarry Potanikha (Potaniny Mountains), where vermiculite is explored. Picking up such minerals as vermiculite, calcite, sphene, “sun” stone and “moon” stone. Frequently you can find both “sun” and “moon” stones in one sample, that causes unusual light effect. This quarry is developed by artel and in time of visiting this place you can get acquainted with process of extraction and enrichment of vermiculite. Besides there is possibility to find out zircon, apatite and analcite.
   -  Mine of “sun” nepheline.
   -  Hyacinth mine – the place of extraction fine honey - brown zircons. These zircons are frequently transparent and excellent raw material for jeweler. You can pick up samples of zircons in paragenesis with feldspar and mica.  Besides you can take part in panning out of zircons.
   -  Mine of blue corundum. This mine is situated on the top of a ridge of Potaniny Mountains, from which the wonderful view towards mountains and lakes opens. Here it is possible to collect samples of corundum in feldspar. As a rule the crystals of corundum are of tabular shape and their color vary from grayish-blue to dark blue color. In this area you can find out zoning crystals of corundum and the crystals, which looks like hematite “an iron rose”.
   -  Visiting of Taiginskoe graphite deposit. In a quarry you can look at pegmatite veins, where fine samples golden heliodor, a transparent and blue topaz, columbite were mined. Picking up the samples of graphite, actinolite, feldspar, garnet.
   -  Visiting of deposits of granular quart near the settlement  Slyudorudnik, where is possible to collect fine samples of garnets, epidote, zousite, molybdenite, rutile, actinolite, micas, black tourmaline, paragonite, sphene, apatite etc.

Besides in time of excursion we’ll visit:
   -  The town Kasli and museum of art casting.
The gifted craftsmen have made their town world-famous. In the early 19th century the small Ural town had already turned into one of the world centres of iron art casting. Art castings produced in Kasli were awarded the gold medals at exhibitions in Paris, Vienna and Philadelphia. Kasli art castings used in the decoration of streets and squares give the town its unique look. While visiting the only museum of art castings in Russia, you will see the outstanding works of Kasli craftsmen.
   -  Sugomakskaya cave near the town Kyshtym.

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