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Virgin Valley, NV Opals It was mid June at 4am in
the morning and we were on our way to meet another couple in Benson, AZ
. From there we were heading to Virgin Valley, NV to look for Black and
Fire Opal. We had been planning this trip together ever since we saw the
show, "Best Places To Find Cash and Treasure", on the Travel Channel with
host Becky Worley. It was a Friday morning and
the reason for leaving so early was that we wanted to get through Phoenix
before rush hour traffic. We did manage to get through without too much
traffic and were looking forward to stopping in Wickenburg for a late
breakfast. We got to the local BK in Wickenburg in time to still get breakfast.
Even the dog, our friends' Australian Sheepdog, better know as "Rusty
the Rockhound", enjoyed breakfast.
We got there about 2 or 3 in the afternoon. We had made about a 350 mile trip that day, which was more than we would probably do any other day on this trip. We got all set up and settled in and went to check out the restaurant and gift shop. We bought some souveniers and headed back to our RV's. We spent several hours just relaxing and reflecting on the days events and what we expected to do the next day as far as distance. By 9pm we decided to turn in so we could get an early start. Did I mention even though it was 9pm, it was still 105 degrees out.
Our next scheduled stop for the day was to be Battle Mountain, NV. This would put us about 3 hours or so from our final destination. In the meantime, we stopped in a few places along the way. One of them was historic Goldfield, NV. We did some buying at the local rock shop.
Of course we didn't make it to Battle MT without further problems. At one of our rest stops Bob noticed he had a flat on the trailer he was towing, loaded with his jeep. We both towed jeeps on this trip. It was just a minor interruption and Bob had it replaced in a short time.
We finally pulled into Battle MT and after a night of a little casino
fun and a good meal we were ready for our arrival at the Royal Peacock
Mine the next day. We got there about 6pm on Sunday night. They have their
own RV park and we were assured after calling them on the phone that there
would be spaces for us to set up. Not exactly so. They only had one spot
left with hookups. Fortunately it was wide enough for Bob to park next
to us and tap into our electric for the night.
That evening we met several
people who had been to the mine and paid the fee to dig. Let me add that's
it's not cheap. $145 per person to dig in virgin bank material and $45 a
person to sift through the tailings, which basicaly had been high graded(most
good material taken out).
We didn't find much. I dug in the bank and so did my friend Bob. From what I remember he didn't find anything and all I found was bits and pieces and I mean bits, smaller than a couple mm wide. My wife Julie didn't have any luck whatsoever in the tailings. There were many things about this mine that tells us we won't do it again. I may be a little harsh in my judgement as I know there has to be luck involved also. I just feel the mine manager could have done more to promote the success of the paying customers.
We did have more luck at the Bonanza Mine which we went to the next day. Even the people there were more than anxious for you the customer to have good fortune. The fee there was $45 to dig in the tailings which were dug out off the banks years ago and the opal in them was naturally dried over a long period of time which now makes them stable enough to cut and polish.
The picture above is a piece that I found at the Bonanza Mine. It's about 1 and a half inches long and 3/8 of an inch in diameter. It's a nice blue/green with fire through out. The fire does not show in the picture.
We found other small pieces and were very satisfied with our day. We do plan to go back soon.
All the people who care for the mine and greet and help the public are Shareholders. The work and time they put in is all voluntary. Thanks to all at the Bonanza. We recommend this mine to all who would like a less expensive and rewarding day of digging.
My next page will be up soon. We are off to Plush Oregon to look for Sunstones at the Spectrum Mine. I update frequently with new articles. Information contained in these is from reliable sources and personal experiences with a little humor thrown into the mix from time to time. So come back and visit often! NEW Rockhounds Store
Agate 2006 Baker Lode Mine, New Mexico Deming, New Mexico Oregon Sunstones The Big Luna Total Wreck Mine Virgin Valley, NV Opals Washington Camp Kids Corner:
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