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> <IMG SRC="257b98b0.jpg" border=0 width="185" height="139" ALT="A new clain for sale next to patented mine." ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Typical prospect.</div> <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 US">ABOUT US</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 of the largest American precious opals. These deposits have been producing precious: Black opals, White opals, Crystal opals, Fire Opals, and Opals in Wood Matrix since the valley was cut eons ago. Mined with small miner claims since the late 1800s. The brilliance, size, and quality of the opals play of color are unique among opals.</div> <bR> <div>       These gem Opalized woods, limb casts, bark replacements, and pine cones along with the various veins and nodules offer collectors and cutters the large variety of specimens and cutting rough that opal as a pseudomorph offers. There is not a huge supply of cutting rough mined from any mine here. It is usually mined in person. John Church (me), as Swordfish Mining, offers rough, gemstones, and specimens of opal.</div> <bR> <div>         My claim sales  tour and opal seminar is $200 for the most part of a day. There's additional per person fee of $100 for large groups not just a family.  The rate also applies to non-mining guiding for a day, but no additional people charge. 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" hunting expeditions and you are expected to obey the law.  Call to discuss your wishes,  1-866-698-5666. </div> <bR> <div> MINE RUN ROUGH:   I alone offer to mine for you here as your agent: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" > For me to do a "Mine Run Rough" Rainbow Ridge bucket (by myself with a skilled and trusted helper if needed as the clay can be hard that day) is $850 total.  This includes ALL the opal rough found in your load, the woods,  associated gypsum casts, and any other strange casts. The opals will be put in water to start their cleaning when found or just a sealed baggie if ok dry. If you want all the rough scrubbed of mud, semi sorted to bright, some color, potch and everything else, it will lower the weight some and most pieces will still be dirty where they are encased.  The common woods usually are fine dry and not many pounds usually.  If I find cones or any other strange rare fossils, they will go into separate baggies in the dirt clods if encased. Same for opalized lumps if we are lucky to get one. To break out the individual opals at the mine is too time consuming (rare). Everything I see which is not just dirt or rocks is sent to you to sort thru. There can be no promise of what the load contains to look through. I don't steal, so you will get all that's interesting there. I can't guarantee you anything more than pure "luck of the bank". We aren't always gifted something even when digging like badgers.  I'm honest, will work hard, and promise that I do this better than most others would or could, and then really send you everything found regardless of what it might be worth.  </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div>      THERE IS NO FEE  DIGGING OFFERED ON MY CLAIMS.   YOU DID NOT SEE MY CLAIMS BUSINESS ON TV.</div> <div>  ONLY THE OPAL QUEEN MINE IS OPEN OFF SEASON FOR DIGGERS. Call Jeff off season.</div> <div>     </div> <div>      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 The Bonanza Opal Mine LLC.  Rainbow Ridge and Opal Queen were not shown. The owner of the Opal Queen was talking about the geology of the opal in the show. Good opals can be found at ALL the fee digs. YOUR luck, skill, and effort are the factors of which mine to go to, and what you'll come away with.  I put up their links to make it easier for you to contact them.  Ask the owners your questions about open times and cost. Nobody knows what is really found everywhere.</div> <div>    </div> <div>        I sell OPAL CLAIMS. These are not yet operating black opal mines. Opal comes in pockets and these claims are where the pockets will be found. Close to the existing semi-precious opal and opalized wood deposits. Black opal is the exception, not the rule with white and crystal opals far more common. Quality precious opalized wood is even rarer than other opals. And to make it perfectly clear: The majority of "gem" rough mined is not suitable for gemstone production, just as in all gem minerals usually 95% is specimen not gem grade. Wet specimens that have never been dried are sold at big discounts to what the proven dry opal rough sells for.  If you want good to cut opal,  it should be bought dry.  Most miners here sell the opals wet because most will not dry intact. The gamble is in the price paid.  </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. 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, 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 of the  Bonanza, LLC,  for decades.  We had our own claims then and the largest collection of claims here now. We are hardscrabble small miners. The valley provides a modest living for me as much as I get to mine. It is not a force money out of it fast and leave existance. Most get and get gone people did just that or never came. Got a dose of hard work, then didn't appreciate how little they find, for what that little is worth and get gone. The neighbor hood here is families that own and small miners who claim that are willing to gamble time and sweat for the stellar opals we can find here.</div> <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 toward Big Mountain.</div> <bR> <div>      20% MILITARY DISCOUNT.  I need to know you are still enlisted and active or retired after a lifetime of service to Freedom. THANKS even if you don't do anything but enjoy my site. I give a discount of $500 off any of the mining claims.   </div> <bR> <div>      I accept checks, cash, and credit cards through Paypal.</div> <div>   </div> <div>  </div> <div>      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 6.5% sales tax.</div> <bR> <div> When e-mailing me:   PLEASE USE A OPAL RELATED SUBJECT. </div> <bR> <div>       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, I will.</div> <div>                  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> <div>        NO PHOTOS HAVE BEEN ENHANCED FOR COLOR AND ALL OPALS WILL BE BRIGHTER WITH A WIDE RANGE OF VARIATION IN COLORS WHEN MOVED.</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFF00" FACE="Arial" >PLEASE MAKE COMMENTS TO KEEP OUR MINING ALIVE IN THE NEW 15 YEAR PLAN BEING MADE.  BOOK MARK THIS LINK </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" >TELL THEM YOUR PLEASURES. </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> <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> <bR> <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>