DOMES
     Opal fresh from the ground. Unpolished natural pristine gemstones. These exceptional stones each deserve their own display dome. Wet specimens are raw opals freshly washed, but never dried. Black Crystal Opal Specimen
The surface wrinkles are not cracks penetrating the opal and they look waxy.
Skin to skin play of color, a true rainbow multicolor. Measures 1 1/2 " x 1 1/2" x 1 " over an ounce.

This opal is one of 4 pieces of a crystal branch that has a ghost, or white inclusion down the center. This has it's own broad flash winking play of color. It is Green multi color showing some harlequin from one angle. Barely root beer crystal virgin valley opal with ghost
These two remaining sections are priced at $800 each.

There are many domes or parcels of smaller pieces in a wide variety.    Nevada black opal rough parcelSold
Nevada Black Fire Opal ROUGH PARCEL
A nice parcel of dense dark opal; similar pieces from this same opal have been cut into stable gemstones.  SOLD
Fossil opalized wood 
Truely
Black opal in wood
closeup detail
Fossiliferous opals from our digging on the Bonanza Mine.  2 pcs   $325

     These next opals are light in body tone and come from any of the valley mines.  A well cast twig with inclusion (a root)  running from one end to the other. Along with an assortment of gem bright pieces representing the state gemstone well.   Bright contra Luz wet chunks with root casts start at $25.
Crystal twig with inclusion with assortment of virgin valley opals Nevada state opals
Raw opals including gem bright material$336

      This next long (over 3") Specimen was mined at The Royal Peacock Opal Mine  fee dig.  Leah found this Black Precious Opal the same day the Travel Channel filmed "The Best Places in America to Find Cash and Treasure 1." We're in part 2 that aired in 2004. The segment with us shows her picking at the bank as the show starts. Our interviews were edited out along with every mention of Opaholism. I think the producers wanted to downplay the addictive and obsessive nature (like gold fever) of any sort of treasure hunters.

Royal Peacock Mine Opal Specimen
Royal Peacock Mine Nevada State Gemstone Specimen.  (Krol's)$840
      Very bright opal on a off green base with some wood structure. The outside has been polished to display the extent of color play. The opal fills an undulating layer around the limbcast.  This came from the mines clay bank with the outside layer crazing off. Most opals that will craze usually start immediately. The core appears more solid so far. Some opals are just that way. The insides and the outsides are of different compositions of opal.  Wet specimens won't change when kept wet. Most will clean up brighter. A dental pick or Dremmel tool is usually used to follow the contours of the fire layers when carving baroques.

       We don't always find something, but we usually do quite well.  But alas, we were edited out in favor of even nicer opals that were found by some folks from Washington on vacation. They also edited out most of Lenny Markey's (owner of The Opal Queen Mine) explanation of the local geology forming opals and the Opalholics as return visitors.

     As a side note no one else has told you...When the Travel Channel was at the Bonanza (second show on Virgin Valley); My friend Steve mined out a nice black and showed it to us all through the TV.  Well, last week he asked me if I'd like to see it again. It looked better than Becky saw. It was DRY and looking real good.

      This little twig could really make a wood collectors day. Great outside surface features reproduction with a gem bright center that faces out well.  
Gemstonefossil; twig replacemnt.
Gemstone Fossil



        STOLEN FROM OUR DISPLAY AT QUARTZSITEOPAL STOLEN Don't they understand the effects of Karma? It's like not beleiveing in bullets.

Note: all text and photographs copyrights reserved by John Church.
Re-publication not for gain is permitted with proper URL credit given.