I'm happy to write here that the Opal Butte Mine in Oregon is again producing beautiful opals! From the source: "after a long awaited 25 years the Opal Butte Mine out of Oregon has now officially reopened! It is currently being mined on a daily basis and we are pulling high quality pieces off of the mountain every day! We will be available to answer questions and take custom orders via social media, phone, or email! Looking for a specific price range, size, or colors? J

In Myanmar, several rare and precious giant rubies have been discovered over the years, including the 99.25-gramme SLORC ruby found in 1990, a massive 4,290-gramme ruby unearthed in 1996, and the 557.85-gramme NaSaKa ruby discovered in 2022; although the 1996 ruby remains the largest by weight, the recently discovered ruby is regarded as more valuable due to its superior colour, clarity, and overall quality. After the democratic government elected by the people through free a

What are Bluecap Tourmalines from the famous 1972 find at the Tourmaline Queen Mine at Pala California worth today

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart to announce the passing of H. Marie Brashear on 12/10/2018, who was well-known and loved by all in Virgin Valley. Marie and her family had been coming to the valley since the 1970s and had numerous claims and a millsite here. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Leah Brashear, of Denio/Virgin Valley (2005). Marie is survived by her grandchildren Richard and Crystal, and now watches over them from above. Marie was also heavily i

The well-known Mintabie (aka "Mintubi") Opal Field in South Australia has been shut down by the Australian Government. Mintabie has...

John Church is a highgrader, claimjumper and thief, beware all in Virgin Valley Nevada Opal Mines!

I've just learned that the very famous and productive Rogerley Mine, in Durham, England,known for it's daylight fluorescent Fluorite, has...

GIA reported in late 2014 that a new deposit of naturally occurring black opal has been found at the Stayish Mine near Gashena, south of...

THIS POST UPDATED FEBRUARY 2015. By now you have all seen the beautiful opals coming out of the Welo ("Wollo") Province in Ethiopia:...

Ed Swoboda On January 5, 2013, the jewelry, gem and mineral world lost a great person, and giant legend, Edward Swoboda. Ed was a...

Today is the birthday of an old friend who was one of the main influences in my early years and my becoming a gem prospector/miner: ...

One of my greatest joys when I was younger and living in Southern California was visiting my friends at an opal mine near Red Rock...

UPDATED 2019. All content copyright by Christopher Wentzell. NO REPORODUCTION ALLOWED. Virgin Valley lies in the northwestern corner of Nevada, southwest of Denio. Opals were first discovered here as float material, and claims were staked beginning in 1905. The original claims were for the surface float (alluvial) opal which had weathered out of the in-place deposits. Between 1918 to 1940, the surface float was exhausted, leaving only the in-place opal bearing