| Have you ever imagined finding precious | | | | arrived at my destination. |
| gemstones or treasure? Do you have an interest | | | | What I found was not all that impressive at first |
| in Gemology? I recently watched a program called | | | | blush. There were a number of troughs |
| "Cash and Treasures" on the Travel Channel. | | | | surrounding what looked to be a shallow lawyer |
| Basically, the hostess goes around to different | | | | of rocks in the dirt. I was greeted by a young |
| locations in search of treasure. The episode that | | | | man in charge of the operations. He informed me |
| sparked my interest was when the hostess when | | | | that they had not yet received their tailings for |
| to the Himalaya Mine to look for precious | | | | the day and that the tailings should be along |
| gemstones. With a name like Himalaya Mine, I | | | | shortly. I was there bright and early not wanting |
| expected it to be in some remote location in Asia. | | | | to miss any moment of my gem hunting |
| Instead, I learned the Himalaya Mine is right in my | | | | adventure and the new tailings showed up within |
| backyard. I live in San Diego County and as it | | | | and hour or so after my arrival. The price for |
| turns out the Himalaya Mine is just a short drive | | | | trying your luck was $75. I did not remember to |
| from my house. The mine has an interesting | | | | bring any cash with me but was able to pay with |
| history that is a bit too long to go into much detail | | | | a charge card. |
| here but it's claim to fame is that is was the | | | | All the necessary gem hunting equipment was |
| largest producer of pink tourmalines for the last | | | | provided on location. After a short education on |
| empress of China. | | | | how to sift through the material I was on my |
| What I learned from the show was that for a | | | | way hunting for gems. First you start out by |
| small fee you could go and dig through the | | | | using a shovel to place the tailings into a large |
| "tailings" from the mine. Tailings are more or less | | | | painters bucket. You then take that bucket to |
| what is left over when they blast or dig in a mine. | | | | your trough. Shovel a bit of the tailings into a |
| The mine owner(s) typically look through the | | | | square box screen, give it a few shakes to get |
| material they blast or dig out of the mine once or | | | | the loose dirt off and then place the screen into |
| twice to find any obvious gemstones, then they | | | | the trough to get the remaining dirt off the |
| put everything else into a big pile. That big pile or | | | | stones. After a few shakes in the water trough |
| piles is what is known as the tailings. The hostess | | | | you lift your screen to look for your gemstones. |
| of the "Cash and Treasures" show was lucky | | | | If anything is there you will probably see it quickly. |
| enough to find a large pink tourmaline while digging | | | | The tourmalines really stand out from everything |
| through some of those tailings. She later had that | | | | else. Mostly I found pink tourmaline, but also green |
| pink tourmaline cut into a very nice gemstone and | | | | and occasionally blue tourmalines. Along with the |
| set in a piece of jewelry. The finished product | | | | tourmalines I found plenty of quartz crystals, |
| appraised for thousands of dollars according to | | | | many with small tourmalines embedded in them. |
| the show. | | | | We wrapped up sometime around three of four |
| I have been around long enough to know you | | | | in the afternoon. By that time I was ready to call |
| don't get something for nothing but I love | | | | it a day. Hunting for gemstones is a lot of fun but |
| Gemology and the thought of digging through a | | | | definitely hard work. In the end I did not find a |
| bit of dirt to find a gemstone sounded like a lot of | | | | priceless stone or even a pricey one but I did find |
| fun to me. So, I did a little Google search to get | | | | a number of less valuable stones. I could probably |
| the details for the Himalaya Mine and headed off | | | | sell them for the amount or a bit more than it |
| to try my luck. I drove up to Lake Henshaw | | | | cost to find them. I've decided to keep them |
| located in North San Diego County. They bring the | | | | however. My next step is to learn how to cut |
| tailings down from the mine and deposit them in a | | | | stones. I am fortunate enough to have a willing |
| campground behind a little country store by the | | | | tutor. So with any luck I will soon have some |
| lake. I asked for directions from the girl behind | | | | nicely cut gemstones that I found myself! Not bad |
| the counter at the country store and after | | | | for $75 and a little hard work. |
| following a small road into the campground I | | | | |