Rockhound from the age of 4, turned gemstone prospector/miner and mineral collector, now in my late 40's. As of 2023, my collecting interests are primarily focused on:

1. San Diego County California pegmatites (emphasis on Pala and Hiriart Mtn.) / gem crystals / minerals / area mining history;
2. Old, "El Apache" Agates from Chihuahua Mexico;
3. Black Hills South Dakota Gold specimens and mining history, incl: Homestake Mine @ Lead; Holy Terror Mine @ Keystone; & Custer SD Gold Specimens;
4. American Mining Law / history / caselaw;
5. Rattlesnake Jasper (incorrectly called "Howardite") lapidary material from Nevada USA;
6. American / United States Gemstone deposits (and historical info);
7. Custer County, South Dakota, pegmatites & minerals;
8. Anything else that perks my interest...

I try to stay inside the above categories or else my collection will go wild. I grew up in southern California and have dug in most of the gem pegmatite areas and mines. My first trip to Pala was in 1986 or 1987 with my Dad to the Stewart Mine which had tailings digging at the time. From there I met a couple individuals who lived with George Ashley and started digging with them on Hiriart Mountain and other local areas. As to my collection, I like to trade but also buy/sell/dig etc, and am always looking for quality San Diego County specimens for my collection. Many thanks to all the wonderful people whom I have met and/or whom have helped or joined in along the way!

I currently reside in South Dakota, USA, and frequently collect in the Black Hills, with occasional trips to other areas in the western USA. Our family sold our Virgin Valley Nevada Opal Mines ("Dominion Opal Mines") in late 2022 so that I could focus on Southern California & South Dakota mining and collecting. I relocated the Cryogenie Tourmaline Mine in 2022 but sold it in 2023 and currently (Feb. 2024) have mining claims on the following deposits/sites:

Maple Lode Mine, Aguanga Mtn, San Diego Co., California (BLM#CA-105275076) https://www.dominiongems.com/maple-lode

A few other claims here and there in the western USA

If you contact me via the Mindat message system I might not see it until I log in, which is sporadic and there can be long periods of time in between. You can always contact me at my email:

dominiongemsandgold@gmail.com

For anyone that is interested, I do business as "Dominion Gems" with my partner William Pinna, and our website is:

https://www.dominiongems.com/

I am really excited to get back to my roots in San Diego County with the acquisition of a couple of gem mines there over the last couple of years. I am always happy to discuss minerals with others! Happy collecting and prospecting!

Last updated: April-16-2024 by Christopher Wentzell.