Would you like to find a million dollar gemstone while on vacation in the
Western deserts? Well, then you may be interested in a colorful opal from Nevada
. Not many people know that northern Nevada is famous for its beautiful,
colorful black Opal. The state contains some very rich precious opal beds and
has produced some spectacular and extremely valuable specimens. The Virgin
Valley opal beds in northwest Humboldt County are perhaps the most famous
gemstone locality in Nevada , and Nevada has produced a large amount of gem
material. High quality precious opal emitting a multihued rainbow of color is
found replacing wood or other plant material in this remote location.
The Virgin Valley Opal field is in an isolated desert area south of
Highway 140 about 25 miles southwest of Denio. Precious opal was first
discovered here in 1905 and a number of claims were located at that time.
Exploration of these deposits has been continued intermittently by various
parties since that time. The opal field lies within an area approximately 5
miles wide and 10 miles long in certain beds outcropping along the walls and
slopes of Virgin Creek Valley .
There are no a free areas which are open
to precious opal prospecting and collecting by rock hounds that do not wish to
pay for access. Hundreds of active mining claims blanket the entire area and the
claim owners do not take kindly to trespassers. The pay to dig fees at Virgin
Valley are generally much higher than would be experienced and many other
pay-dig sites open to rockhounds. Productive mining in Virgin Valley requires
the removal of overlying barren sedimentary beds, which can be quite deep,
requiring the use of a bulldozer or other heavy equipment, and the operating
costs for this type of equipment is not cheap. On the other hand, there is also
the chance that you will strike a fantastic find and come up with a $50,000
precious opal log.
As I have noted, there are areas at Virgin Valley
which are open to rockhounds who would like to pay to dig for the fiery precious
black opal. You have a couple of different options, tailings diggings or bank
diggings. At one mine you may dig directly in the bank, while another they will
dig up a section of bank, and haul the freshly dug material in for you to search
through. You end up working through the opal bearing material in a safe
location, and this eliminates exposing the bigger to any dangers of caving at
the bank face.
At the time of this writing, the three areas open for
rock hounds are:
1. Rainbow Ridge Mine
2. Royal Peacock Opal
Mine
3. Bonanza Opal Mine
Each of these mines has their own
website (the websites are listed on my Nevada opal web page shown in the link
below).
The road into the opal area is not paved, and a high clearance
vehicle is needed to drive right into the opal mine areas themselves (however 4
wheel drive is not needed). There are few gas stations or other sources for
supplies in the general area – it is important to be self-sufficient in this
remote region of Nevada .
While there is no free digging in the opal
beds, there is a fair amount of free camping in the area. A nice free campground
with shower and pool is located at McGee hot springs . There are also plenty of
other things to do, and a number of recreational activities in the Virgin Valley
area. There are several stocked ponds in the Valley available for fishing. There
is sport hunting for Mule Deer and Antelope in their season. There is a
naturally heated swimming pool at McGee Hot Springs. There are also caves to
explore, fossil fields, and rock hunting for agates, petrified wood and other
gems (besides precious opal). A special wild life refuge is not far away. There
is no question that the Virgin Valley area is a very interesting one to visit
and explore.
To see color photos of Nevada ’s spectacular precious opal
and learn more, Check out the author’s web site at:
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
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