"Great info. Thanks. If you had to pick just one place to go search for opals from the list above, where would you go? "

"I just got back from a trip to the VV Opal area at the beginning of the month....there are several options depending on what is comfortable for you.

We stayed at The Royal Peacock's camp ground area. They have an area for tent camping with tables and fire rings. There is an area for RV's and Campers with hookups available. The really nice thing about this site is the hot shower and bathrooms. The prices are reasonable (see their website the exact amount).

Just as you turn off to the mines there is a free campsite - toilets only and I am not sure they allow tents - I mostly saw RVs.

If you are not the camping type youcan stay at the little hotel/diner/general store Denio Junction - the folks that run it are really fun - but - it is at least a half hour drive to the opal mines.

If you stay at the Royal Peacock Campgrounds you can go to any of the mines and you are literally in the middle of all four of them!

You should try to plan a side trip to the Spectrum Sunstone Mine right over the border in Oregon while you are in the area!! LOL!

Hope that helps...

Robyn Hawk"

"Nope - I haven't really posted a trip report - did great with the Sunstone - Jessica, Gary (?) and Mikey at the Spectrum couldn't have been nicer. We did a conveyor belt run and came home with at least a 5 lb bucket of sunstone each!

The problem was it really spoiled us for the hard work at the opal mines! LOL! Rainbow Ridge we did well at a couple good sized (walnut) pieces with fire lots of tiny pieces. We picked up a bunch of what looked like clear glassy opal (like jelly opal) that turned out to be contra luz.

We weren't impressed with the new wall at Royal Peacock but we will return there next year - hopefully they will figure out a way to open the great tailings in the old area. The thing with Royal Peacock is that I really like the Flourescent Opal and Moss Opal in that area...in fact you can find chips of the Flourescent Opal all over the RP camp grounds. Our friend went to the Bonanza - tailings only - you have to be a share holder to work the wall here. He found a couple small really firey pieces.

Just as we were leaving we stopped into Denio Junction for Brunch before the 12 hour drive home and noticed a flyer for the Opal Queen - maybe a future option.

Robyn Hawk
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"Hi Robyn, even thought I facet, I am thinking of sending the reds out as well. I am too nervous to facet the good ones. lol Any other colors don't bother me.

Are you sending them to a commerical facetor or a friend? Just curious, as on the resource page there are a couple of commerical facetors listed, but we are always looking for more to put up on the page.

Paul"

"Boy, turn your back for a minute. On OPALS. VIRGIN VALLEY OPALS. Maybe the rain has stopped. Set records back almost a hundred years. Let me catch up from earlier questions.

The Opal Queen is Open. 150 a day for bank digging. New banks have been opened. He was charging 50 for tailings. Jeffs a great guy and it does have opals.

The Peacock tailings are 75 and bank 180 this year. They do have 3 rentals. You can tent in any of the designated campgrounds or in peace on your own claim. The peacock is the resort with washing machines and hookups. The CCC camp just has the hot springs showerhouse and several pit toilets. Rainbow Ridge is only a mine and they went to 70 for tailings this year.. "