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Gems of Pala Inc
2 reviews
Pala, CA
Oceanview Mine
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
5 reviews for Oceanview Mine
Similar to the old fishing adage: There is no such thing as a bad day of gem hunting.
Sure, you may not find a treasure, but the fun is in the quest. And unlike fishing, you get to keep everything that you find. You may not find something in every bucket, but it's a numbers game, so the more buckets that you can sort through, the greater your odds. It's a dirty process, so definitely wear clothing and shoes that you don't mind if they get covered with dirt.
The staff here are friendly and informative, and the facilities are a lot less spartan than you would think. They have a covered eating area (with misters) and regular restrooms. And great view of the surrounding area.
I'd like to include the opinion of someone who didn't find a $200 gemstone.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy the the previous reviewers found precious gemstones but, being someone who didn't find a very expensive gemstone or specimen, I wanted to say that I still had a blast visiting the Oceanview Mine.
Our trek to the middle of nowhere started after turning onto a dirt road and being greeted by one of the many blue-shirted volunteers. After arriving at the digsite, we were greet by the sight of a big circle of sifting tables surround a 10-12 foot high mound of dirt in the center.
First I should mention that shoveling, sorting and lifting large amounts of dirt (and hopefully gemstones) is no easy task and if this is your first time you will be aching. After a brief how-to session led by Simon, you're cut loose and free to grab buckets of dirt from the center pile and bring it back to your sorting station. You'll proceed to sift your pile through two different sifting trays before dunking the tray in water, all while hoping to find something special. We found lots of pretty rocks and a few quartz crystals, but nothing of any worth.
The Oceanview experience still receives 5 stars due to the help given by the volunteers as well as the actual visit to the mine itself. It was fascinating to don a hard hat and go into an actual tourmaline mine.
If you do decide to go, make sure you bring dishwashing gloves or some other waterproof glove. My fiance and I brought workgloves, which really don't help when you're loosening dirt from rocks in really cold water. Plus my fingers pruned up by the end, much to my amusement. My back was sore the next day, but we had fun and we earned our Maggie Moos.
Come on - Who couldn't like digging for gems? I mean really.
This place is soooo cool - we took a friend of ours and all our kids (ages ranging from 5 to 14) and spent about 5 hours up at the Oceanview Gem Mine in Pala.
Between the six of us we found all sorts of cool stuff. I found a large watermelon tourmaline (green around the edges and pink in the middle) that is worth about $300 plus our friends six year old kid found a beautiful pink/red tourmaline that is apparently a very good 'specimen' and can be cut into at least a 3/4 carat gem. We also found about 4 aquamarines that are amazing. Can you say wow?? We found lots of other cool gems too but these were the most valuable finds... though each gem you find is pretty exciting.
We also got to take a tour in to the mine itself and saw huge crystals sitting in the rocks ready to be excavated for sending off to museums and stuff. The little boys especially thought the mine tour part was awesome. Us girls thought it was a little scary, it's dark in there but totally cool. The whole idea of being underground just sort of creeps me out but I did the whole tour and am glad I did.
The Oceanview Mine has a good sized covered and shady area for everyone to eat their lunches at...there isn't any food available to purchase so make sure to bring your own. Also there are real bathrooms with flushing toilets that are clean which I was glad to see!
I don't quite understand Mr Waffle's review of the mine. Yeah, the roads are bumpy - it's in the mountains and roads are not paved all the way up the hill but they are in fine condition. No one we met at the mine had any complaints about driving their cars on the road...you don't have to have an SUV to get there. We don't.
Anyway, I totally suggest you take a day and give the mine a try. Its super fun and a good bonding time with the kids. It's so great to see their faces light up when they have found a gem of any kind. My teenage daughter couldn't stop raving about it and wants to go back with her grand parents!
Need I say more??
Check it out for yourself!
Do you like a good treasure hunt? Are you easily distracted by shiny objects? Ever watch "Cash & Treasures" on the Travel Channel and thought about how much fun it would be to do something like that? Did you know you can do it right here in Southern California? Well, you can!
What would you say to getting your greedy paws on some precious gemstones? Shiny...sparkling...colorful...rare...all yours to touch, admire, and horde to your heart's content? What if those stones could be worth hundreds or perhaps even thousands of dollars? It has happened to me, and I've seen it happen to others. Are you willing to get a little dirty to get some booty? If so, this is the place for you.
The Oceanview is a pay-to-dig gem mine located in Pala, CA (near Temecula). For a flat fee, you can find your own gems. The primary target is facet-grade pink tourmaline (which also occurs in green, blue, and multi-colored crystals). Other gemstones: aquamarine, morganite, kunzite, spessartine garnet, and apatite. Beautiful quartz crystals are found in abundance too - along with purple lepidolite, green mica, and other interesting minerals.
The cost is $60 for adults and $50 for children, which may seem high at first...but this is for an entire day of fun...and you *keep* whatever you find! They also offer a family package. Included in the price are all the necessary tools, instruction, and even a tour of the mine. They also have real restrooms, a shaded area with tables, and a small gift shop.
Sundays only (they are blasting in the mine on Saturday). Check out the website for other details. Reservations are required.
Dig it!
Visiting the Oceanview Mine is a wonderful experience! First, visit their website at http://www.digforgems.com and go through it carefully. The web site allows you to pick a date for mining and learn how the overall experience works. Once you have your date set, you drive to the mine, which is located in beautiful Pala, California. It's on private land surrounded by tribal land (Pala Tribe) so you just can't go and "show up". Reservations only. We drove up in our minivan, following a Previa, so if WE can make it, anyone can! You don't need a Hummer. Once you arrive and get checked in, the owners provide an introduction on how to use screens to sift through mine slag for treasure. The actual professional mining happens on Saturdays (BLASTING!) so the slag is hauled out and the tourists get to sift through it. We got the "family four pack" and my two kids (4ys and 8ys), my husband, and I had a fun afternoon mining. The owners are OK with kids as long as they're monitored and not messing with other tourist's stuff/treasures. We found an aquamarine, some small tourmalines, and lots of beautiful crystals. Nothing really expensive, but the experience and the family togetherness was priceless. There are two REAL bathrooms at the mine area, which is key for me and the kids. There is also a covered picnic area with tables for you to eat at-- bring your own lunch. It was warm on the day we went, but we brought boonie hats with big brims and lots of sunblock as well as 2 gallons of water, so we were just fine. Bring rubber dishwashing gloves too, because after hours of dunking dusty rocks into water to see what they're made of, your hands get sensitive and ouchy. The rubber gloves will keep your hands from getting ripped up. The tour of the mine was fun, but it does mean that you have to hike down a steep trail and then back up again. The owner will haul the aged and infirm down to the mine in his ATV, but little kids might have a problem with it. (I did not take my kids on the tour of the mine-- they wanted to search for treasure!) Note: you don't get to mine for treasures IN the mine. You search through the slag heap outside at the campsite near the mine. The mine shaft is wide and tall so there isn't a claustrophobic feel. There is also an air bag going down into the mine, so lots of fresh air. Each person gets a hard hat and flashlight to go into the mine with, so you don't need to bring your own. This was a super fun day! It cost us $200 ("Family Four Pack" option) and we loved every minute of it. After we finished, we were exhausted, filthy, and supremely happy with ourselves and our treasures. A really unique experience that is so much more memorable than a trip to yet another amusement park. Go to Oceanview Mine and have fun! You'll be a rock hound in no time.