SWORDFISH MINING ACCEPTS MAJOR CREDIT CARDS.

Hiya from to the Virgin Valley Mining District in Humboldt County, Nevada. Home of Americas' precious opals. These deposits produce precious: Black opals, White opals, Crystal opals, Fire Opals, and Opals in Wood Matrix. Mined since 1905, the brilliance, size, and qualities of the opals play of color here are unique. I sell natural solid gemstones and specimens of opalized woods, limb casts, bark replacements, and pine cones along with all the various veins and nodules from here that offer collectors and cutters the large variety of specimens and cutting rough that opal as a mineral pseudomorph offers. There is not a big supply of solid cutting rough mined from the mines here and virtually no access for any wholesalers. The fee digs do not sell commercial accounts, so almost all opal is mined by the public. John Church (me), as Swordfish Mining, offers opal rough, gemstones, and specimens that I have mined from my many claims and at the 4 fee digs.

My opal seminar and claim sales tour is $200 and takes around 5 hours usually. This rate also applies to non-mining guiding for a day, but no additional per person charge as we are not talking mining here like a fee dig. There is an additional per person fee of $100 for larger groups more than a family. I'll guide you like a friend to show you specific places you are interested in; such as lakes, faults, playas, canyons, caves, and hot springs. I don't lead any "indian artifact" hunting expeditions, pictures only on the refuge. You're expected to obey the laws. I am not an guide in the sense that I provide all of your camp services. Airport pickup from Reno or Boise offered for a fee. Nine hour round trip drive to Reno, without pit stops. I'm honest, work hard, and can do "this" for a living by doing it better than most others could or would. Established in 1994, Swordfish Mining is the friendly source of Virgin Valley opals, specimens and information.

The fee digs here that were shown on the Travel Channel's "Americas' Best Places to Find Cash and Treasure" were; The Royal Peacock Opal Mine and then The Bonanza Opal Mine LLC. Rainbow Ridge Opal Mine and The Opal Queen were not shown. The owner of the Opal Queen was talking about the geology of the opal district in the first show. Leah and I were in the background digging in the opening on the first show and I held one of the black opals shown.. YOUR luck, skill, and effort are the factors of which mine to go to, and what you'll come away with. Sure, each mine has it's own nature and operators, but you will love one over the others if you are typical. I put up all the Fee Dig links to make it easier for you to contact them directly. I hands down prefer to dig buckets at Rainbow Ridge and the tailings at the Peacock. I will say you have to work hard for what you MAY find. Ask the actual owners your questions about their open times and costs. SEE MY LINKS PAGE TO GET TO THE MINES WEBSITES! More directions and equipment suggestions.

NOTE: HWY 140 is paved from Winnemucca and Lakeveiw. Do not cross the desert through Cedarville or Gerlach like Mapquest tells you to. The shortcut will take hours longer. Stick to the road through Winnemucca and Lakeveiw. Unless, you really want to take that desolate (The Stolpas were trapped on this road in a blizzard.) beautiful, longer, but shorter, gravel road drive through no mans land. Go with the heaviest traveled way at any forks, as evil vandals shoot and destroy signs when nobody is watching them.

I sell OPAL MINING CLAIMS too. These are not turnkey operating black opal mines yet. Opal comes in pockets and these claims are where the pockets are or may be found within the existing opalized wood deposits that ARE there. All are close to or are existing precious opal and opalized wood deposits. Black opal is the exception, not the rule, everywhere, with white and crystal opals being far more common. Precious opalized wood is even rarer than most opals unless you are in Virgin Valley. And to make it perfectly clear up front: The majority of wet "gem" rough mined is not suitable for gemstones, just as is found in all gem minerals, usually 95% is specimen grade only, not gem grade. Wet specimens that have never been dried are sold at big discounts to what the proven dry opal rough from overseas sells for.

The Swordfish Mining face in precious opal wood from Virgin Valley NV

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. 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 back which is even brighter than shown.

Leah Brashear, her family, and I have mined our claims and at the various fee digs: The Rainbow Ridge Mine, The Royal Peacock Opal Mine, The Opal Queen Mine, and as shareholders in the Bonanza Mine LLC, for decades. We had our own claims then and even more now. I control the largest collection of claims here lately. The Peacock used to have many more and sold many. The neighborhood here is families that own and operate as small miners who bought or made claims. They are willing to gamble time and sweat for the stellar opals we can find. Lots of cutters or jewelers that offer Virgin Valley cabachons and jewelry dig here in person for their supply. Some for weeks to get their own USA black opals. Do not come here thinking to get rich knowing nothing. Do not fall for the Cash and Treasures Hype on easy money. Easy opal yes, but retailing for cash is work. The mines DO NOT offer to buy your opal from you unless it is world class looking for pennies on the realistic dollar.

Getting to be a real neighborhood out here.

Moon rise over the mining district looking East toward the Purple Fire claim group (SOLD) and the Swordfish claims from the dam on one of the Dufferena ponds. You are looking out of the Refuge East by South toward Big Mountain, an old shield volcano.

20% MILITARY DISCOUNT. I need to know you are still enlisted and active or retired honorably. THANKS to our guardians even if you don't do anything here but enjoy my website. I discount $500 off any of the mining claims for you risking your life in the past for my freedom.

I accept checks, cash, and credit cards. I can use Paypal also. Wire transfers to my banks general ledger account for large amounts or possible spammers. Gold and silver always welcome at Kitco daily prices. Personal and business checks need to clear your bank before shipment.

My privacy policy is absolute for you. No SPAM or address re-selling. There are no ads on this site other than on the links page. As the sole proprietor owning and operating Swordfish Mining; I am the designated official for everything, including the Homeland Security Regulations contact. Federal government tax and cash transaction reporting laws apply to me. Nevada residents must pay our 6.85% sales tax unless a registered re-seller.

When e-mailing me: PLEASE USE A OPAL RELATED SUBJECT NOT A GREETING LIKE THE SPAMMERS.

Contact usopal at lycos.com or you can also call 1-866-698-5666 Please leave a message with a reason to call you back and I will.

Pacific Time Zone Toll Free.

A Gem Wood Opal Bead.

NO PHOTOS ON MY WEBSITE HAVE BEEN ENHANCED FOR COLOR. ALL OPALS WILL BE BRIGHTER THAN SEEN WITH A RANGE OF COLORS AND PATTERNS WHEN MOVED.

"The Earth is your Mother, She holds you.

The sky is your Father, He protects you.

The Rainbow is your Sister, She Loves you.

The Wind is your Brother, He sings to you.

Never a time this was not so.

Hoka-hey-ho" Native American Proverb

Note: All text and photograph copyrights reserved by John Church.

Re-publication not for gain is permitted with proper URL credit back to here given.