PHOTO GALLERY - MINES & PROSPECTING | dominiongems

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Apache Flame Agates from Mexico in the Wentzell Trust Collection

Dominion Gems

Chris Wentzell William Pinna Dominion Gems

Watertown, South Dakota USA

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Dominion Gems: High-end Gold & Gemstone Mines & Mining Claims for sale; Gems, Fine Minerals & Crystal Specimens, Australian, Virgin Valley Nevada & worldwide Opals; Fine Agates & Jaspers; Lapidary Rough & Gemstones; Designer Cabochons. Gem & Mineral exploration & consulting related to mining claims. Assisting with building gem & mineral collections & acquiring fine specimens and stones. We are REAL life gold & gemstone prospectors, we mine/buy/sell/trade etc.

Website / Shop LAST UPDATED: 03/30/2025

Australian Opal Carving The Lions Head, Wentzell Trust Collection

Welcome to DOMINION GEMS Photo Gallery of Prospecting, Mining and Mine Adventures

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mines &prspectig adventures

Photo album of some old mines & prospecting adventures: UNDER CONSTRUCTION 2023 JULY:

click here for 1970s
click here for 1980s
click here for 1990s
click here for 2000s (we were out of commision)
click here for 2010s
click here for 2020s
click here for Virgin Valley Opal Mines Nevada
click here for Pala & San Diego Co California
click here for Black Hills of South Dakota
click here for various other digs & locations

Helen Beryl Mine Ore Bin, Custer South Dakota

Helen Beryl Mine Ore Bin, Custer South Dakota

Helen Beryl Pegmatite outcrop, near Custer, Black Hills South Dakota

Custer Mountain Pegmatite, Custer South Dakota

Overgrown tailings pile at Wonder Lode near Custer South Dakota

Pegmatite at Custer Mountain Lode, Custer Black Hills South Dakota

Pegmatite at Custer Mountain Lode, Custer Black Hills South Dakota

Elkhorn Pegmatite Mine near Custer South Dakota

old workings exposed in Elkhorn Mine pit near Custer South Dakota

Eruption-Volcano lode tailings near Custer South Dakota

Volcano-Eruption lode workings, near Custer South Dakota

Tourmaline in pegmatite at Eruption Mine near Custer South Dakota

Eruption-Volcano Lode tailings near Custer South Dakota

Eruption lode workings near Custer SD

Spodumene in place, Helen Beryl Mine near Custer South Dakota

Spodumene in place, Helen Beryl Mine near Custer South Dakota

Muscovite pegmatite at Helen Beryl Mine near Custer SD

Helen Beryl Mine Workings near Custer SD

old explosives bunker at Helen Beryl Mine near Custer South Dakota

Old explosives bunker at Helen Beryl Mine Lode near Custer SD

Shamrock Lode Mine pegmatite near Custer South Dakota

old explosives bunker at Helen Beryl Mine near Custer South Dakota

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Black Hills SDgallery

San Diego Pala

Chris Wentzell at Katerina Mine Pala CA 1990

Showing off a Tourmaline King crystal

Tourmaline King Mine Tourmaline, 1990

Wrapping Tourmaline crystals at the King Mine Pala

old gate in Underground lowest accessible workings Tourmaline King Mine at Pala

Tourmaline King Mine 1989

Slumped adit, Tourmaline King Mine

Underground in the Tourmaline King Mine

Old Sickler writing on Katerina Mine wall at Pala California

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Virgin Valley Opal

Wentzell party digging opals on Becky Mucket Mine Virgin Valley NV 1995

Chris Wentzell standing next to Stonetree petrified log in Virgin Valley Opal Mines Nevada

Ron Keller, Chris Wentzell and Craig Boyce digging at Dominion Opal Mine Virgin Valley Nevada

Dominion Opal Mine workings and camp, 2013

Opal Engineer Ron at the mine and camp

our "Opal Engineer" Ron at the Dominion Opal Mine in Virgin Valley

Craig handing Ron Opals just dug from Dominion Opal Mine Virgin Valley Nevada

New exposure dug with opals and wood, Dominion Mines Virgin Valley NV

Digging opals at Dominion Opal Mine Virgin Valley NV

Dominion Opal Mine workings Virgin Valley Nevada

Ron at the Stonetree Dominion Opal Mine Virgin Valley NV

Opal from dry bank at Dominion Opal Mines in Virgin Valley Nevada

Digging opals at Virgin Valley NV

Dominion Opal Mine Black Crystal Opal Virgin Valley NV

Dominion Opal Mine Black Opals Virgin Valley NV

Black Opal from Dominion Opal Mines in Virgin Valley Nevada

Small opals in wet domes from Dominion Opal Mines Virgin Valley Nevada

Mine owner Al Wentzell examining Black Opal at Dominion Opal Mine in Virgin Valley Nevada

At Dominion Opal Mine Virgin Valley- How we feel about the claimjumper & thief!

Published reference about Dominion Opal Mines

Double Rainbow at Dominion Opal Mines in Virgin Valley Nevada

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MISC DIGS MINES

agate nodules in situ at Teepee Canyon in South Dakota

Garnet Motherlode near Custer, South Dakota

Digging garnets near Custer South Dakota

Ron showing a blank concretion near Elk Creek, South Dakota (Barite/Calcite locality)

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