native gold – Oriental Mine, 16 to 1 Mine, Alleghany, Alleghany Mining District, Sierra County, California, USA

 Aesthetic collection piece of the sought-after precious metal from California. The gold stands out in a particularly pure golden yellow color from the white quartz matrix and forms very attractive shapes. This is a naturally free-growing gold that was not etched from the quartz matrix.
 Gold is a coveted treasure that has captivated people all over the world for thousands of years. This highly representative gold specimen has an interesting provenance... The Oriental Mine began producing gold in 1865, shortly after the famous California Gold Rush reached its peak (~1852) - After his mother continued operations after WWII, Don Dickey worked the Oriental Mine for over 50 years... Legend has it that Don kept the majority of his finds and they were "rediscovered" after his death in 2015... Throughout the mine office, Don had gold specimens "stored" in the floorboards and cabinets! Whether this is true or not, it is clear that this special collectible is part of a very unique California gold mining story!