Our Mining History
The Collector’s Edge is first and foremost a mineral specimen and gemstone mining company. We specialize in locating, exploring and developing mining properties to their full potential. Our innovative mining team has developed special location and extraction techniques which dramatically improve the quality and quantity of the specimens and gems we recover. For more than 22 years, we have been having a “blast” mining in interesting, challenging, and often exotic localities. Our worldwide mining efforts have yielded a diverse array of colorful, spectacularly beautiful mineral specimens and gemstones. We are most excited to share the thrill of discovery with you.
Sweet Home Mine
Alma, Colorado
The Sweet Home Mine has produced many of the world’s best rhodochrosite specimens. The Collector’s Edge is famous for it’s Sweet Home mine rhodochrosites, as Collector’s Edge helped re-open this abandoned silver mine in 1991.
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Wutong Rhodochrosite Mine
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
In 2007, The Collector’s Edge embarked on a new treasure hunt in China, initiating a challenging mining venture in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, near the city of Wuzhou, to mine for a reported new occurrence of rhodochrosite.
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Benitoite Gem Mine
San Benito County, California
Benitoite is one of the world’s rarest gemstones and possesses many unique qualities compared to other gems. The Collector’s Edge conducted specimen mining and gemstone recovery during the period 2000 through 2004.
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The Kagem Emerald Mine
Kafubu Area, Zambia
The Kagem mine is thought to be the world’s largest open-pit mine for colored gemstones. In February 2009 Collector’s Edge helped the mine’s owner develop a plan to collect, prepare and market emerald specimens from the Kagem mine, and introduced advanced mineral specimen collecting tools and techniques.
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The Colorado Quartz Mine
Mariposa County, California
In January 1997, Collector’s Edge became an investor in the Colorado Quartz Gold Corporation. Utilizing Bryan Lee’s mining expertise and specialized specimen collecting procedures and equipment, the “Dragon” was discovered, arguably the most famous world-class crystallized gold specimen ever found.
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The Mockingbird Mine
Mariposa County, California
Collector’s Edge and Bryan Lees have had a long relationship with John and Lucretia Emmett beginning with their work together at the Colorado Quartz mine. The Emmett’s have a standing agreement with Bryan and Collector’s Edge for preparation and marketing of selected gold specimens found at the Mockingbird mine.
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Elk Creek Barite
Meade County, South Dakota
Collector’s Edge, through contractual agreements with one of the local ranchers, has been involved in the mining, collection and preparation of Elk Creek barite for several years, recovering some of the finest barite specimens that have entered the collecting market.
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Red Cloud Mine
La Paz County, Arizona, USA
In 2001 Colorado Calumet Co, Inc (CCCI) acquired the Red Cloud mine, a small silver-lead deposit located in the arid and desolate southwest corner of Arizona, and CCCI worked the claim for two years. The spectacular bright orange-red wulfenites from this mine that have been produced here since 1880 are world famous.
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Red Lead Mine
Dundas Region, Tasmania, Australia
Collector’s Edge, through a partnership agreement with the owner, reopened the Red Lead mine in the Dundas Region, Tasmania, Australia in October 2012 to mine high quality crocoite specimens.
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Two Point Amazonite Mine
Teller County, Colorado
Colorado is well known for its unique combination of amazonite and smoky quartz crystals, making these specimens highly prized among collectors. Collector’s Edge had the opportunity in 1996-1997 to mine in Teller County, under a lease agreement, using mechanized equipment.
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Maynard Topaz Claim
Thomas Range, Juab County, Utah
Topaz has been found around the world. However, the Maynard Claim in Utah is known for its imperial sherry color, though not all are of this color. It can range from deep sherry to colorless, from gem quality to those with sand inclusions. Collector’s Edge conducted specimen mining and recovery from 2009 to 2010.
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Stoneham Barite Locality
Stoneham, Colorado
Stoneham, Colorado is not famous for spectacular mountain scenery, but this small hamlet in northeastern Colorado is known throughout the mineral world for its occurrence of stunning blue barite crystals. In July 1989 Collectors Edge and Dennis Wilson leased an area and began excavation.
The Twin Creeks Mine
Humboldt County, Nevada
In early 1999 an extraordinary occurrence of beautifully crystallized orpiment was discovered during ongoing gold mining activities at Newmont Mining Corporation’s twin Creeks mine in Winnemucca, Nevada. Collector’s Edge was contacted by Newmont and a collecting contract was agreed to. By late May, 1999, collecting began.
