Royal Peacock Opal Mine
The Royal Peacock Opal Mine is a renowned opal mine located in Nevada, USA. It's situated in the Virgin Valley, which is famous for its precious opals. The mine offers visitors the opportunity to dig for their own opals, providing an authentic and exciting experience for gemstone enthusiasts and tourists alike.
The Royal Peacock Opal is a truly mesmerizing gemstone, named after the Royal Peacock Opal Mine in Virgin Valley, Nevada. They're unlike any other opal you've seen, boasting a vibrant play of color that rivals a peacock's feathers.
About the Mine
Since 1981, the Royal Peacock Opal Mine has been open to the public as a pay-to-dig mine. It has yielded countless world-class precious opal specimens during that time.
The unique and magnificent Royal Peacock Opal gems were produced nearly 14 million years ago, when volcanic activity was high in the region. An ancient lake covered most of the area, which was filled by a tremendous amount of volcanic ash, which covered an abundance of limbs, twigs, and other rotting woods. Heat and pressure then formed a silica gel that percolated through the ash and filled various cavities, which over time, eventually hardened into a spectacular variety of opals.
Formation Hydrothermal: Millions of years ago, hot, silica-rich water flowed through volcanic rock fractures in Virgin Valley. As the water cooled, it deposited silica in cracks and cavities, eventually solidifying into opal.
Unique volcanic environment: The specific volcanic environment in Virgin Valley played a crucial role in creating these opals. The presence of certain minerals and the unique chemical composition of the water contributed to their vibrant colors and patterns.
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| Royal Peacock Opal. Photo: Travel Nevada |
The amount of opals mined in the Virgin Valley is enough to impress, but the size of these opals uncovered in the region is what’s truly extraordinary. More than a quarter million carats of precious fire opals have been extracted from the Royal Peacock mines over the last 25 years, and 130-pound opals—the size of actual logs—have been extracted from the mine.
Royal Peacock Opal Appearance
Color: Forget the typical black or white opal! Royal Peacock Opals showcase a kaleidoscope of hues, flashing with blues, greens, oranges, reds, and yellows. This breathtaking effect comes from light interacting with the silica spheres within the opal's structure.
Pattern: The color play often forms mesmerizing patterns, resembling peacock feathers, hence the name. Some opals have a "flashlight" pattern, where the color concentrates in streaks, while others display a more random and mesmerizing dance of hues.
Bodytone: The base color, or the color behind the play of color, can vary from milky white to a deep, rich black.
Visiting The Royal Peacock Opal Mine
Visitors to the Royal Peacock Opal Mine can experience the excitement of digging for their own opals. The mine offers two different digging options: bank digging and wall digging. Bank digging is a more difficult option, but it can also be more rewarding. Wall digging is a good option for beginners, as it is less physically demanding.
Open time: The Royal Peacock Opal Mine is open seasonally from May 15 thru October 15, weather permitting. Reservations are not required.
Fees: Bank digging typically runs $190 per person for day, where raking the tailings is $75 per person, per day. Rockhounding tools are also available for rent, including picks, shovels, rakes, screens, hard hats, gloves, and more.
Contact Information:
- Website: Here
- Email: Opals@RoyalPeacock.com
- Mail: PO BOX 150
Orovada, NV 89425
Address: The Royal Peacock Opal Mine is located in North Western Nevada, near the end of Virgin Valley Rd., 35 miles from Denio, NV.
GPS grid is: 41.7860519, -119.1002313
Facilities and Amenities
The Royal Peacock Opal Mine offers a variety of amenities to visitors, including camping facilities, restrooms, and a gift shop. The gift shop sells a variety of opal jewelry, rough opals, and other souvenirs. The mine also offers guided tours for visitors who want to learn more about opals and the opal digging process.
These include:
- A gift shop selling drinks, snacks, opal buckets, tools, and other opal-digging essentials
- Restrooms
- Camping facilities (with reservations)
- RV spaces (with reservations)
- Cabins (with reservations)
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| Photo: Julie Wilson |
Royal Peacock Opal Uses
Jewelry: Royal Peacock Opals are highly sought-after for their dazzling beauty and rarity. They are crafted into stunning rings, pendants, earrings, and other jewelry pieces, often showcased as cabochons to preserve their play of color.
Collectibles: Opals like these are also coveted by mineral collectors and gem enthusiasts who appreciate their unique geological history and mesmerizing appearance.