is a gemstone prospector/miner/collector and mining law historian.  He is one of the most "colorful" characters in the gem prospecting business.  His first collecting experience was panning for gold in the Truckee River of northern California on a family vacation (about 1977-78) when he was 4 years old.  Chris has been involved with rocks, minerals, lapidary, gems, prospecting, and mining ever since that early age.  Later developments brought him to study law and legal procedure, including civil and American mining law, which he has studied for nearly the past 20 years.  Chris’ primary specialties are in the precious opal deposits of Virgin Valley, Nevada, and the gem and lithium bearing pegmatites of southern California, (particularly the Pala District), USA and the Custer area of the Black Hills, South Dakota.  Chris also has a love of the history of the mines and miners of these regions.  Besides his family, his largest early influence in becoming a prospector and collector was the noted gem miner and lapidarist George Ashley, and another dear friend whom  advised Chris to “Always look deeper.”   In the early 1990's Chris became involved with Karl Morin and Byron Weege in the mining of the Katerina Mine at Pala, and even discovered the mineral Pseudomalachite there.  For a number of years Chris owned "Dominion Opal Mines & Exploration" and the famous WRT Opal claims in Virgin Valley, Nevada, but sold them to his father who bought them as an investment, so that Chris could return to his roots and interests in the San Diego County pegmatites as well as prospecting and mining in various other locations.  Chris currently lives in northeastern South Dakota part of the year and travels every week or two during the summer months to the Black Hills to prospect and collect, and also travels frequently for Dominion Gems' projects as well as other mining projects, collecting trips, trading, and to attend gem and mineral shows.  He is also Trustee of AGEM (The American Gem Exploration & Mining Company) with his friend and partner Ron Keller, which owned and operated a rose quartz mine in the Black Hills of South Dakota until 2013.  Having been wrongly imprisoned for over 15 years (1995-2010) for a crime he did not commit, Chris is passionate about and supports innocence projects as well as prison and legal reform as well as civil rights advocacy.  Chris was a member of the Coteau des Plaines Gem & Mineral Society (Midwest Federation of AFMS) and served as the editor of the club newsletter as well as on the Board of Directors through 2013.  In 2013 Chris joined up with Craig Boyce as Dominion Exploration.  Finally, in early 2015, Chris partnered up with longtime friend William Pinna as DOMINION GEMS.  In 2014 he reacquired one opal mining claim in Virgin Valley, Nevada, to work himself.  His present collecting interests are in (1) San Diego County pegmatite minerals, gems, and history; (2) minerals from the Homestake Gold Mine, (3) Howardite Rattlesnake Jasper from Nevada; (4) Virgin Valley Nevada & worldwide opals; other classics and pieces that catch his eye.  Chris also serves as the curator for the Wentzell Gem & Mineral Trust.  When not out prospecting/mining or buying/selling, he can normally be found at his family's Art Gallery (Birchtree Gallery & Northern Lights Stained Glass) in Watertown, South Dakota, soldering stained glass panels, or designing websites in his spare time.    Between 2020-2022 during Covid, Chris focused primarily on collecting in the Black Hills, including the Lithium pegmatites, with the occasional trip to California and surrounding states.  In  2022 Chris decided to focus his mining interests within his home states of South Dakota and California and sold off the family Dominion Opal holdings in Nevada. Chris acquired the rights to the Maple Lode Tourmaline Mine (BLM #CA105275076) in 2021 and the rights to the Cryogenie Tourmaline Mine (BLM#CA-105785144) in California in 2022.  Chris’ skills at mining claim validity research are regarded by many as being the best in the field.  Depending which side you are on, Chris is either praised by those he is working with, or on the other side of the fence, feared and often despised by adversaries or those with opposing interests to his involvement in a particular matter.  This reputation which precedes him is due to his knowledge, skill, and in-depth attention to crucial factors and mining laws which make or break a case.   Everyone knows that with Chris’ involvement comes strict scrutiny and results.  Experience counts in this regard and Chris brings plenty of it to Dominion Gems.  Additionally, Chris has been mentioned in the following publications:

• Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Special Publication MI-2004, "The Nevada Mineral Industry 2004," at page 53 under "Gemstones" (noting Wentzell trust as staking the largest 2004 mining claim group in Virgin Valley) (LINK HERE).  

• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Yearbook 2004, Volume 2, Area Reports-Domestic, at page 30.4 under "Gemstones" (same as above) (LINK HERE).

• Nevada — Jackpot! MINERAL Monograph No. 18, at page ___ (noting Wentzell Opal Mining Claims in Nevada's Virgin Valley).  Lithographie LLC, 2013, ISBN: 978-0-9836323-4-4.  (LINK HERE).

• Mineralogical Record Vol __ p. __ (____/202_)(Photo of Oceanview Mine Kunzite).

• United Lithium Corp. Received BLM Validation of 508 Claims staked at the Liberty Lithium Project, South Dakota (Sept. 28, 2022).  (photos of Spodumene in the Black Hills) https://unitedlithium.com/united-lithium-corp-receives-blm-validation-of-508-claims-staked-at-the-liberty-lithium-project-south-dakota/

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You can also see some more of Chris here:​