Swordfish Mining: Virgin Valley Opal

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=80 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="1ac00500dvldtc.jpg"> <div> <B>Swordfish Mining:   Virgin Valley Opal</B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B> Claims Gemstones Specimens Jewelry  & More </B></FONT></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="045d2c00dvldtc.png"> <div> <IMG SRC="13fb2cc0.png" border=0 width="178" height="204" ALT="Evening Starfire" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> Black crystal opal </div> <div> Blazing Lemon opal</div> <div> <IMG SRC="2b4b9f60.jpg" border=0 width="185" height="246" ALT="Tops Virgin Valley Cut over 10 years. Other miners want this one 2.5 ct $3,600. " ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div>  <a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/verified/pal=usopal%40lycos%2ecom" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/icon/verification_seal.gif" border="0" alt="Official PayPal Seal"></A>  </div> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <div> <A HREF="black_precious_opal.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BLACK OPALS">BLACK OPALS</A>   |   <A HREF="id52.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="DOMES">DOMES</A>   |   <A HREF="virgin_valley_precious_opal_mining_claims_from_the_miners_for_sale.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CLAIMS">CLAIMS</A>   |   <A HREF="opal_from_nevada.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PRECIOUS OPAL">PRECIOUS OPAL</A>   |   <A HREF="what_we_do.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WIRE WRAPS, BEADS, JEWELRY">WIRE WRAPS, BEADS, & JEWELRY</A>   |   <A HREF="cut_stonestops_gemstones_cut_for_years__these_stones_have_all_been_displayed_in_.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="GEMSTONES">GEMSTONES</A>   |   <A HREF="opal_twigs.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LIMB CASTS">LIMB CASTS</A>   |   <A HREF="virgin_valley_wood_replacements.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PINE CONES BARK">PINE CONES & BARK</A>   |   <A HREF="precious_opal_snake_head_cast.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THE SNAKE HEAD">THE SNAKE HEAD</A>   |   <A HREF="id56.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="GOODS">GOODS</A>   |   <A HREF="zincite_and_vulgarities.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MINERALS">MINERALS</A>   |   <A HREF="quartz_and_other_mineral_crystals_for_sale.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CRYSTALS">CRYSTALS</A>   |   <A HREF="leah_and_john.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ABOUT ME">ABOUT ME</A>   |   <A HREF="picture_album.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="SWORDFISH PICS">SWORDFISH PICS</A>   |   <A HREF="the_sheldon.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CHARLES SHELDON NWR">CHARLES SHELDON NWR</A>   |   <A HREF="numbers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us">Contact Us</A>   |   <A HREF="map_to_virgin_valley_fee_digs.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Location">Location</A>   |   <A HREF="qa.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="QA">Q&A</A>   |   <A HREF="links_to_friendly_web_pages.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LINKS:">LINKS:</A> </div> <bR> <div>      Welcome to the Virgin Valley Mining District in Humboldt County, Nevada. Home to the biggest and only American black fire opal field. These deposits have been producing precious: Black opals, White opals, Crystal opals, Fire Opals, and Opals in Wood Matrix for over 110 years. The brilliance, size, and quality of the play of color are unique among opals. </div> <bR> <div>      NO PHOTOS HAVE BEEN ENHANCED FOR COLOR.  ALL OPALS WILL BE BRIGHTER WITH A WIDER RANGE OF VARIATION IN COLOR AND PATTERN IN PERSON.</div> <bR> <div>      These gem Opalized woods, limb casts, bark replacements, and pine cones, along with veins and nodules, offer collectors and cutters the large variety of specimens and cutting rough that opal as a pseudomorph can offer. There is no huge supply of cutting rough. John Church (me), as Swordfish Mining, offers rough, gemstones, and specimen opal here and at shows.</div> <bR> <div>      My claims tour and opal seminar is $200. There's additional per person fees of $100 each for larger groups. This rate also gets me for tour guiding. Yes, I'll guide you like a friend to show you about specific places such as lakes, faults, playas, canyons, caves, and hot springs. I do not lead  "artifact" expeditions and expect you to obey other relevant laws. 1-775-941-0725. </div> <bR> <div>      NO FEE  DIGGING  AT THE SWORDFISH. YOU DIDN'T SEE ME ON TV (talking anyway).  The fee digs that were shown on the Travel Channel's "Americas' Best Places to Find Cash and Treasure" were The Royal Peacock Opal Mine and second;The Bonanza Opal Mine LLC. Good opal can be found at ALL FOUR of the fee digs. YOUR luck, skill, and effort are the factors of which mine to go to, and what you'll come away with.  The mines differ, the operators differ, and most importantly the opal clay itself is not consistant so as to be able to be defined, Their links make it easy for you to contact them yourself. </div> <div>    </div> <div>        I sell OPAL CLAIMS. These aren't our operating black opal mines. Opal comes in pockets and these are where the pockets will be found close to the traces already found. Black opal is the exception, not the rule with white and crystal opal far more common. Quality precious opalized wood is rarer than other opals.</div> <div>  </div> <div>       Wet specimens that have never been dried are sold at big discounts compared to cut-able dry opal by each of the mines.  If you want opal to cut,  you are better served selecting your opal from dried material.   </div> <div> <IMG SRC="07b17410.jpg" border=0 width="535" height="321" ALT="The Swordfish Mining face in precious opal wood from Virgin Valley NV " ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> This face is a great example of  the picture opals rarely found inside of what appears to be ordinary wood with just a little opal showing.  Scale is in mm. Not for Sale.</div> <bR> <div>      It shows how Black Opal can be surrounded by White Opal and encased in wood. It shows a little crystal conk around the edges.  A note; the crack in the black opal has not changed all these years and still does not go through to the white which is even brighter than shown.</div> <bR> <div>      Leah Brashear RIP, her children Crystal Krol and Richard Carlyle,  her mother Marie Brashear, and I; have all mined our claims and also at the various fee digs: The Rainbow Ridge Opal Mine, The Royal Peacock Opal Mine,  The Opal Queen Mine, and as shareholders of the  Bonanza, LLC,  for decades.  We each have our own claims in the largest collection of opal mining properties here.  Crystal will be opening her art glass and Virgin Valley opal specialty shop on the web this year. Stay tuned for an address.</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFF00" FACE="Arial" >PLEASE MAKE COMMENTS TO KEEP OUR OPAL MINING ALIVE IN THE NEW 15 YEAR PLAN BEING MADE BY THE GOVERNMENT. FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.   </FONT><A HREF="http://sheldon-hartmtn.fws.gov/index.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://sheldon-hartmtn.fws.gov/index.htm">http://Sheldon-hartmtn.fws.gov/index.html</A> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFF00" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div>     <IMG SRC="270d05c0.jpg" border=0 width="464" height="348" ALT="Getting to be a real neighborhood out here." ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>       Moon rise over the mining district looking East toward the Purple Fire and Swordfish claims from the dam on one of the Dufferena ponds. You are looking out of the Refuge East by South towards Big Mountain.</div> <bR> <div>      25% MILITARY DISCOUNT.  I want to know you are still enlisted and active, or if retired, a lifer/disability out. THANKS for helping me limit the discount to truely deserving folks. I'll also give a flat discount of $500 off any of the mining claims I have for sale. </div> <div>                                                                                   <IMG SRC="2b722500.gif" border=0 width="290" height="80" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> </div> <bR> <div>      I accept checks, cash, money orders, and all credit cards through Paypal upon clearance of funds.</div> <bR> <div>      My  privacy policy is absolute for you.  No SPAM or address re-selling.  There are no ads on this site.  As sole proprietor owning and operating Swordfish Mining;  I am the designated official for everything, including the Homeland Security Regulations contact. Federal government tax and reporting laws apply to me.  Nevada residents must pay our states 6.5% sales tax.</div> <bR> <div> When e-mailing me:   Please use an opal related subject and do expect a reply. </div> <bR> <div>       Contact  usopal@lycos.com  or you can also call 1-866-698-5666        Pacific Time Zone Toll Free.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="1b8a3070.jpg" border=0 width="163" height="263" ALT="Gem Precious Opalized Wood Bead " ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="1b7a8ee0.jpg" border=0 width="168" height="238" ALT="Gem Precious Opalized Wood Bead. " ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFF00" FACE="Arial" >A Gem Wood Opal Bead.</FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div>  "The Earth is your Mother, She holds you. </div> <div>        The sky is your Father, He protects you.</div> <div>            The Rainbow is your Sister, She Loves you.</div> <div>                The Wind is your Brother, He sings to you.</div> <div>                     Never a time this was not so.</div> <div>                                                                         Hoka-hey-ho." <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> *  The fine print:  The majority of "gem rough" from anywhere is not suitable for cutting gemstones like you see in malls and catalogs. That material is the usually less than 10% of all the "gems" mined (no source just guessing).  Virgin Valley material is mined from damp banks. If properly dried it can be over 95% stable (Slowly and evenly dried over 60 months. No, I can't tell you how, as I settle for the tough ones that can be dried fast and cut.) When treated by the experts secret formula...It is all stable.</div> <bR> <div>  </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Note: All text and photograph copyrights reserved by John Church.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> Re-publication not for gain is permitted with proper URL credit given. </div> <div>  <script type="text/javascript" charset="UTF-8" language="JavaScript1.2" src="http://uk.babelfish.yahoo.com/free_trans_service/babelfish2.js?from_lang=en&region=us"></script>  </div> <div>  <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript1.2" src="http://www.altavista.com/help/free/inc_translate"></script> <noscript><a href="http://www.altavista.com/babelfish/tr"></noscript>  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFF00" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div>    <img align=bottom src="http://www.thebook.com/cgi-bin/thebook/Counter1/Count.cgi?ft=0|tr=0|prgb=0;255;0|md=7|dd=B|st=333332|sh=1|df=virginvalleyopal_1_own.dat">  </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>