THOMAS NAGIN: THESE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HILLS HAVE PRODUCED SOME OF THE MOST VALUABLE MINERAL FINDS IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN MINING. STONES LIKE PINK TOURMALINE, SO FASHIONABLE IT FUELED THE DESIRE OF A FOREIGN DYNASTY. KUNZITE, A MINERAL SO DELICATE THE LIGHT OF DAY COULD MAKE IT FADE, BUT SO BEAUTIFUL IT WOULD TURN A JEWELRY COMPANY INTO AN ICON. AND ONE FIND THAT WOULD CHANGE THE MINERAL COLLECTION WORLD FOREVER. ♪ MUSIC THOMAS: I'M THOMAS NAGIN, AND I'M A MINERAL EXPLORER. I'M THE GUY THAT SUPPLIES MUSEUMS, GALLERIES, AND PRIVATE COLLECTORS WITH WORLD CLASS PIECES OF NATURE'S ART. COME ALONG WITH US AS WE TRAVEL THE GLOBE IN SEARCH OF RARE GEMS, CRYSTALS, AND OTHER FINE MINERALS. IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY, BUT IT'S ALWAYS AN ADVENTURE. THOMAS: LA JOLLA MEANS "JEWEL." AND THE SEVEN CAVES OF LA JOLLA ARE TOURIST HOT SPOTS FOR THE GEOLOGICALLY CURIOUS. CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CAVES HERE? JENN: THEY'RE KIND OF ERODED FROM A 75 MILLION YEAR OLD CRETACEOUS SEDIMENT. SO ABOUT THE TIME OF DINOSAURS. AND IN FACT THEY'VE FOUND DINOSAUR BONES THERE. THOMAS: SO THEY FOUND HYDRASAUR BONES IN ONE OF THE CAVES HERE? JENN: YEAH, STUCK IN THE SEDIMENT IN ONE OF THE CAVES. AND IT WAS JUST STARTING TO ERODE OUT AS THE CAVE WAS ERODED FROM A 75 MILLION YEAR OLD CRETACEOUS SEDIMENT. THOMAS: IT WAS LIKE A BIG DUCK-BILLED DINOSAUR; RIGHT? JENN: YEP, THERE WAS A WHOLE FAMILY OF HYDRASAURS. AND THIS WAS JUST ONE OF THEM. THOMAS: IT WASN'T LONG UNTIL WE SAW FIRSTHAND HOW POWERFUL THE SEA NEEDS TO BE TO CARVE STONE. AND WITH A LITTLE COURAGE I WAS REWARDED WITH AN EXHILARATING FEELING OF CONNECTING. JENN: WOO! THOMAS: BOTH WITH THE EARTH AND THE SEA. NATURE'S ART IS ALL AROUND US. SOMETIMES IN THE FORM OF A ROCK AND MANY TIMES IN THE FORM OF A PAINTED SKY. DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CRYSTALS OR MINERALS? >> CRYSTAL, MIN-- OH, SORRY. I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS. THOMAS: DO YOU KNO ANABYTOUHIT NGTHEM? >> UM, I MEAN, NOT TOO MUCH. >> I DON'T KNOW ANYT ABOUT MINERALS. >> VERY LITTLE. THOMAS: IT SEEMS LIKE HISTORY HAS FADED. EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE SIGNS ON EVERY CORNER. JUST UP THE COAST IN CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, IS A WORLD RENOWNED NONPROFIT, "THE GEMOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA," THE LONGEST ESTABLISHED EDUCATIONAL AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF GEMOLOGY IN THE WORLD. OVER THE LAST 85 YEARS THEY'VE EDUCATED 350,000 JEWELRY PROFESSIONALS. THEY SET THE STANDARD FOR DIAMOND GRADING AND ARE AN INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO EDUCATING THE PUBLIC AND TRADE ON ALL THINGS GEMS AND JEWELRY. DUNCAN: WE'RE ACTUALLY SITTING HERE WITH KYLA. KYLA IS A FORMER GIA STUDENT, A GIA GRADUATE. SO SHE CAN ACTUALLY TELL YOU FROM THE INSIDE WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO STUDY HERE. KYLA: EVERY SINGLE DAY YOU WERE HERE FOR SIX MONTHS. AND YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND GRADE AND LOOK THROUGH STONES WHILE YOU'RE HERE FROM 8:00 TO 3:00 EVERY DAY. SO YOU'RE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE IDENTIFYING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PROPERTIES OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GEMSTONES, REALLY LEARNING TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY HOW TO RULE OTHER STONES OUT, TO BE ABLE TO COME TO THE CONCLUSION OF WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT. THOMAS: THE FOUR C'S; IS THAT RIGHT? DUNCAN: YES. THOMAS: WHAT DOES ATSTAND FOR? DUNCAN: IT'S CUT, CLARITY, COLOR, AND CARAT WEIGHT. SO YOU'RE REALLY JUDGING THE DIMENSIONS OF THE GEM. YOUR JUDGING WHAT COLOR IT IS. FOR DIAMOND IT'S TYPICALLY THE LESS COLOR IS THE BETTER AND THE NUMBER OF INCLUSIONS YOU CAN SEE AT 10X. KYLA: YOU CAN ACTUALLY IDENTIFY STONES WITH THE INCLUSIONS. DUNCAN: THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT FOR US, BECAUSE WHEN A GEMSTONE GROWS INSIDE THE EARTH, IT CAPTURES OTHER MINERALS INSIDE IT. IT CAPTURES LITTLE PIECES OF LIQUID FROM THE GROWTH ENVIRONMENT. AND THOSE CAN TELL US SO MUCH ABOUT HOW THE STONE GREW, EVEN HOW OLD IT IS. EVERY DIAMOND, EVERY NATURAL DIAMOND NO MATTER HOW MODEST, IT CAN BE A TENTH OF A CARAT OR 20-CARATS, IT'S A PRODUCT OF THE EARTH. IT'S PROBABLY UP TO A BILLION OR OLDER IN TERMS OF YEARS. AND IT GREW IN UNIMAGINABLE DEPTHS DEEP BELOW OUR FEET. THOMAS: CAN YOU TELL US WHAT MAKES A GOOD TOURMALINE? DUNCAN: TOURMALINE IS GROWN IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF LIQUID SURROUND. THEY GROW IN ROCKS CALLED PEGMATITES. THOMAS: PEGMATITE, A ROCK MADE UP OF SEVERAL MINERALS: QUARTZ, FELDSPAR, AND SOMETIMES MICA. IT'S THE PRIMARY INDICATOR THAT OTHER VALUABLE COLLECTOR SPECIMENS COULD BE PRESENT OR NEARBY. SUCH AS AQUAMARINE, TOURMALINE OR KUNZITE. DUNCAN: IT'S VERY HARD TO PREDICT WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO FORM. SO THE MINERS ARE KIND OF SPINNING A ROULETTE WHEEL ALL OF THE TIME. WILL THEY HIT A BIG POCKET? WILL IT BE BARREN? IN RARE CIRCUMSTANCES, YOU KNOW, YOU GET FANTASTIC, ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE PIECES. ALL THESE MINERALS, THEY'RE UNIQUE. THEY'RE RARE. THEY CONNECT US WITH THE EARTH. THEY CONNECT US WITH THE HISTORY OF THE PLANET. THEY ARE TRULY THE TREASURES OF THE EARTH. THOMAS: WE ARE HEADED TO SEE JEFF SWANGER, WHO KNOWS FIRSTHAND THE RICHES THIS REGION CAN GIVE THE PATIENT MINER. JEFF SWANGER: I LIVE IN PALA, CALIFORNIA, RIGHT IN MIDDLE OF PEGMATITE DISTRICT. TO THE WEST OF US WE HAVE THE STEWART; THE TOURMALINE QUEEN; PALA CHIEF, WHICH IS RIGHT BELOW THIS DECK. THOMAS: THE PALA CHIEF IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF A MINERAL NAMED AFTER DR. KUNZ OF THE FAMED TIFFANY'S JEWELRY STORE. AND THIS RARE AMERICAN GEM WOULD BECOME THE CENTERPIECE OF A SIGNATURE RING SOLD EXCLUSIVELY BY THIS NOW ICONIC AMERICAN BRAND. JEFF: THIS IS A GEM CALLED KUNZITE, AND WE'RE THE ONLY PRODUCER IN THE UNITED STATES OF THIS GEM. AND SO WE GET A NUMBER OF OTHER TOURMALINES AND BARRELS AND QUARTZES AND THINGS, BUT THIS IS QUITE SPECIAL, THIS THING HERE. THOMAS: THE EMPRESS DOWAGER OF CHINA HAD AN AFFINITY FOR PINK. SO MUCH SO THAT SHE WAS THE MAIN CUSTOMER FOR PINK TOURMALINE. IT'S REPORTED THAT HER PURCHASES ACCOUNTED FOR 120-TONS OF GEM-GRADE MATERIAL BEING MINED BETWEEN 1902 AND 1910. JEFF: THEY STARTED R HTAT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, 1900, 1901, 1902. THE EARLY MINERS THEY LITERALLY SET THE PLACE ON FIRE, AND THEY WENT OUT AND STAKED EVERY SQUARE INCH OF PALA. THOMAS: THE EMPRESS WOULD USE THE PINK TOURMALINE FOR INTRICATE CARVINGS, FINE JEWELRY, AND BUTTONS FOR JACKETS WORN BY HER ROYAL COURT. JEFF: YEAH, THIS IS KNOWN AS THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GEM BELT. AND PALA IS KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. THE PEGMATITES POP UP IN PALA. THERE'S AN EIGHT-SQUARE MILE AREA HERE CONSISTING OF ABOUT 400 PEGMATITE DIKES. AND THAT'S THE TOURMALINE QUEEN MINE RIGHT THERE. ARGUABLY SOME OF THE MOST VALUABLE MINERAL SPECIMENS EVER FOUND IN THE WORLD WERE FOUND THERE IN 1972 WHEN THEY STRUCK IT RICH. THOMAS: THE FIND, BLUE-CAPPED TOURMALINES. BILL LARSON AND BRYAN SWOBODA WOULD ADD A CHAPTER TO THE MINERAL LEGACY OF THIS REGION. JEFF: IT'S LOST TO HISTORY, BUT SAN DIEGO WAS A MAJOR GEM-CUTTING CENTER AND IT WAS ONCE A BIG PART OF OUR HISTORY OUT HERE. A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST DON'T -- IT WAS LAST CENTURY, YOU KNOW? THOMAS: HOWEVER, YOU CAN STILL FIND YOUR OWN SHINING SOUVENIR FROM THIS MINERAL MONUMENT. AND THE BEST PLACE TO START IS THE FEE DIG. DURING THE WEEK YOU CAN COME DIG... AND SIFT... AND OFTEN YOU'LL BE REWARDED. >> OH, LOOK, LOOK. THAT'S AQUAMARINE. THOMAS: WOW, THESE ARE NICE. NICE LITTLE TOURMALINES. BUT WE'RE GOING AFTER THE MORE ELUSIVE PIECES, THE PIECES THE LEGENDS OF MADE OF. TO FIND THEM SOMETIMES YOU'LL NEED A LITTLE MORE FIREPOWER. JEFF: LIKE SOMEPLACE WE CAN NEVER GO AGAIN AFTER THIS OR IT MIGHT BE VIABLE AFTER THIS. AND WE HAVE INDICATIONS OF A POCKET UP HERE LIKE WE WERE DIGGING IN YESTERDAY. WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A CHANCE HERE AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO SHOOT THIS DOWN. AND IT'S EITHER GOING TO WORK OR IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK. AND OUR HOPES ARE HERE THAT WE CAN KNOCKDOWN ALL THIS UGLY ROCK AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A PLACE TO DIG. THAT'S THE LAST ONE TO GO OFF. SO IT'S GOING TO WA-DA-DA-DA-DO, WE'RE GOING TO SHAVE THIS ROCK OFF. THOMAS: OH, OKAY, JUST GOING TO GO ONE AT A TIME, BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM. JEFF: RIGHT, AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE IT DOWN, BUT THE QUESTION IS WHAT'S GOING TO BE LEFT. IS IT SOMETHING WE CAN'T -- SOMETIMES WE DO THIS AND YOU'VE GOT A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO WORK. THOMAS: OR MAYBE THERE'S A BEAUTIFUL POCKET IN THERE? DARREN: MY NAME IS DARREN FISSLER. I'VE BEEN CRAZY ABOUT ROCKS EVER SINCE I WAS A LITTLE KID. THE FIRST ROCK I EVER FOUND, I WAS WALKING TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY, AND I'D KICK THIS ROCK. AND ONE DAY IT POPPED UP OUT OF THE GROUND, IT WAS A GREAT BIG QUARTZ CRYSTAL. AND FROM THAT POINT ON I WAS HOOKED ON ROCKS. TOURMALINE IS REALLY COOL. AND IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE RAREST THINGS WE FIND, YOU KNOW. IT'S LIKE ANYTHING ELSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH OF IT YOU CAN FIND. AND WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR IT. BASICALLY WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO SLAP THIS CEILING DOWN. WE HAVE A LOT OF RELIEF HERE. SO IT SHOULDN'T PUT TOO MUCH PRESSURE INTO THE SPINE. WE'RE USING DYNAMITE IN THESE CHARGES. AND THEY'RE PUT TOGETHER WITH SHOCK TUBE HERE. AND THIS SHOULD ALL GO, THESE THREE AT ONCE, AND THEN THIS ONE LAST. AND IT SHOULD BRING THIS WHOLE PIECE DOWN. >> SO IF IT GOES -- >> WE'VE GOT 12 PEOPLE HERE TODAY, I WANT A HEAD COUNT BEFORE WE SHOOT THIS. [EXPLOSIONS] THOMAS: WHOA! JEFF: BROKE ROCK.THE LOUDER IT , THE LESS IT DOES. THOMAS: RIGHT. JEFF: THAT ABSORBED IT. SO THAT'S WHAT WE WANTED. THOMAS: IT SMELLS LIKE FIREWORKS. [CHUCKLES] AFTER THE SMOKE CLEARED, IT WAS TIME TO POKE AROUND AND SEE WHAT WE COULD UNCOVER. SO DURING THE BLAST THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ROCK THAT'S BEEN FRACTURED. AND THEY ARE TAKING DOWN ALL OF THE ROCK THAT MIGHT BE DANGEROUS THAT COULD FALL ON SOMEBODY LATER ON. LOOK AT THIS, YEAH. IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG TO COME ACROSS EVIDENCE OF WHAT THE MOUNTAIN MIGHT HOLD. ♪ MUSIC THAT'S A GOOD-SIZED QUARTZ CRYSTAL HERE. IS THAT TOURMALINE? JEFF: YEAH, THAT'S WHAT NEAT ABOUT THIS PLACE. THOMAS: SO THIS IS SOME LARGE QUARTZ CRYSTALS HERE WITH TOURMALINE IN IT. THE BLACK NEEDLES IN HERE ARE TOURMALINE. SO IT'S CALLED, "TOURMILATED QUARTZ." JEFF: THAT WAS ACTUALLY VERY EFFECTIVE, WHAT WE WANTED IT TO DO. IT DID EXACTLY WHAT WE WANTED IT TO DO. WE HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO WORK IN HERE NOW. LOOK AT THAT ONE. PICKING UP CRYSTALS. >> THAT'S A REALLY NICE ONE. JEFF: IT'S A COOL LITTLE SPECIMEN. YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT. IT'S PRETTY UGLY AS IT SITS, BUT IT WILL CLEAN UP OKAY. HERE WE GO. [CHUCKLES] ROB: SO THIS IS CONSID PRETTY CLEAN FOR COMING OUT OF A MINE. WE DO NOT CARVE OR POLISH THESE. BUT THIS HAS TO GO BACK TO THE LAB AND BE CLEANED PROPERLY. AND THAT WILL BE BEAUTIFUL. YOU'LL SEE THESE LITTLE TOURMALINE NEEDLES INSIDE. JEFF: WHICH MAKES IT -- ROB: MORE DESIRABLE. JEFF: OR JUST NOT ORDINARY QUARTZ. THIS IS AN INTERESTING PHENOMENON. ROB: AND IT MEANS THERWATOSURMA. JEFF: OKAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO PICK UP WHATEVER WE CAN PICK UP AND SEE IF WE CAN PAY FOR THE POWDER. THERE'S A POCKET FALLING OUT OF THE CEILING. THAT LOOKS LIKE OATMEAL. >> WATCH IT. IT'S COMING. JEFF: GET OUT! LET'S GET OUT OF THEFA ORMINUTE. >> YEP, THEY ALWAYS BREAK FREE. JEFF: THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A POCKET THAT POURED OUT. THOMAS: WHILE WE LET THE DUST SETTLE WE GOT A CHANCE TO CHECK OUT HOW THE MINERALS MAY CLEAN UP. SO THIS IS A REALLY CUTE LITTLE SPECIMEN THAT JUST CAME OUT OF THE HOLE THERE. YOU CAN SEE IT IN THE SUN. IT'S REALLY, YOU CAN SEE THE TOURMALINE CRYSTALS IN THERE. IT'S AMAZINGLY WELL PRESERVED. THERE IS NO DAMAGE ON IT. THAT'S A NICE ONE. JEFF: WE HAVE A SAYING AROUND HERE, "WE TAKE WHAT THE MOUNTAIN GIVES US." AND IT GIVES US LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS, YOU KNOW? SOMETIMES IT'S KUNZITE. TODAY IT GAVE US A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE QUARTZ SPECIMEN WITH TOURMALINE, TOURMILATED QUARTZ. SO WE HAVE THIS ATTITUDE THAT WE TAKE WHAT THE MOUNTAIN GIVES US. YOU JUST CAN'T GO LOOKING FOR ONE THING AND BE DISAPPOINTED ALL OF THE TIME, YOU KNOW? SO AS LONG AS YOU HAVE IT IN PERSPECTIVE THAT, HEY, IT GAVE US A LITTLE CRYSTAL TODAY. THAT PILE HAS GOT TO BE FULL OF THESE. IF WE PICKED UP THIS JUST BARELY EVEN LOOKING -- THOMAS: YEAH. JEFF: WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL DIG IT OUT WITH THE BOBCAT AND SCATTER IT AROUND ON THE GROUND. LET IT RAIN ON IT. AND THEN WE'LL PROBABLY FIND -- THIS WILL PROBABLY WE'LL PROG THIS ONE AWAY. THOMAS: I'M ALL FOR BEING GRATEFUL, BUT THIS WAS PALA, CALIFORNIA, AND THERE WAS ONE MORE MINE I HAD TO SEE. I LOVE RIDING THESE THINGS. THIS AREA HAS PRODUCED TOP-NOTCH SPECIMENS IN THE PAST. AND IT'S WHERE JEFF PLACING HIS BETS ON THE NEXT BIG DISCOVERY. ♪ MUSIC THOMAS: FUELED BY HIS DRIVE AND CURIOSITY, JEFF HAS BEEN TEARING THROUGH ROCK HERE FOR THE BETTER PART OF TWO DECADES. JEFF: BLOWING ONE SPOT. THOMAS: BUT EVERY TIME YOU SHOOT, YOU'RE ADVANCING MAYBE FOUR OR 5 FEET. JEFF: FOUR AND A HALF FEET. ROB: YOU PUT IN, WHAT, A MILE OF TUNNEL? ARE JEFF: PUT IN ABOUT A MILE OF TUNNEL IN 15 YEARS. ROB: THAT'S A LOT OF WORK. JEFF: IT'S A LOT OF WORK, MAN. THOMAS: YOU FOLLOWED THE PEGMATITE VEIN RIGHT UP OVER HERE; RIGHT? JEFF: THAT'S CORRECT. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT DETERMINES THIS ANGLE. IS WE DON'T JUST SAY, OH, WELL, LET'S GO THIS WAY. THE PEGMATITE TELLS USE TOHA GV. WHEN WE DO ENCOUNTER A POCKET, IT'S GOING TO BE SITTING RIGHT ON THAT CONTACT AS THAT ONE IS JUST ABOVE IT. THOMAS: AND IT LOOKS LIKE YOU FOUND A POCKET UP THERE? JEFF: YEAH, WE FOUNDEVOFER TALH. THAT ONE WE HAVEN'T FINISHED DIGGING. ROB: SO WHAT HAP NSIF, YOU LOOK AT THIS PEGMATITE AS IT GOES UP? YOU KNOW, HE'S ABLE TO READ IT FROM THE COLORS AND THE IRON OR LITHIUM CONTENT -- JEFF: RIGHT. ROB: -- THE BERYLLIUM CONTENTS, AND THE DIFF ENMITNERALS COME OUT OF THIS SOP OF THE HOT MAGMA THAT WAS SHOOTING THROUGH IT, WHAT, A HUNDRED MILLION YEARS AGO -- JEFF: YEP. ROB: -- IN A DIFFERENT ORDER. JEFF: THAT STREAK RIGHT THERE IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW IF YOU WANT TO FIND ANYTHING OF VALUE. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIND ANYTHING BELOW THAT. THOMAS: RIGHT. JEFF: IF YOU'RE UP TOO IGYOH,U'RE ALSO NOT GOING TO FIND ANYTHING. THOMAS: WELL, WE'RE STANDING IN THE VERY PLACE WHERE THE EARTH COOKED UP AN INCREDIBLE TREASURE. SO THIS IS A PRETTY FAMOUS PLACE RIGHT HERE; RIGHT? JEFF: THIS IS WHERE WE HIT THE KAHUNA II POCKET. RIGHT WHERE WE'RE STANDING. AND IT WAS A SIGNIFICANT FIND, THE BIGGEST KUNZITE CRYSTAL EVER TAKEN OFF THE CONTINENT. THOMAS: OH MY GOODNESS. JEFF: ANY CRYSTAL THAT IS -- THOMAS: HOW MUCH DID OUGET OUT OF HERE? JEFF: 1 TON. THOMAS: 1 TON OF GEM KUNZITE? JEFF: A LOT OF IT WAS GEM. A GOOD AMOUNT OF IT. ROB: HOW MANY TONS OF ROCK DID YOU HAVE TO MOVE TO FIND THAT TON OF -- JEFF: I WOULD BET IT WOULD BE EVERY BIT OF A MILLION TONS. ROB: WOW. PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT GOES INTO FINDING THE GEMS. THOMAS: IT'S A REAL ADDICTION, ISN'T IT? JEFF: YEAH, IT IS. [CHUCKLES] WHERE YOU FOUND YOUR LAST ONE IS THE BEST PLACE TO BE LOOKING FOR YOUR NEXT ONE. ROB: THIS IS WHERE YOU'RE BLASTING TODAY, RIGHT NOW? >> WE'RE GOING THIS WAY ANOTHER HUNDRED FEET. YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO GO 4 FEET TODAY. THOMAS: THE STAKES ARE A LITTLE HIGHER WHEN DEALING WITH MORE ELUSIVE MINERALS. THE SKILL IS UNDERSTANDING HOW MUCH EXPLOSIVE POWER YOU NEED TO GET THROUGH THE ROCK WALL WHILE MINIMIZING THE RISK TO THE POTENTIALLY VALUABLE SPECIMEN. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GETTING READY FOR THE EXPLOSION. THEY'VE DRILLED 33 HOLES THAT ARE FOUR AND A HALF FEET DEEP EACH. THEY'VE PACKED THEM WI AMMONIUM NITRATE, WITH COMPRESSED AIR, AND NOW THEY'RE CONNECTING THEM ALL UP SO THAT THEY WILL GO OFF IN SEQUENCE A HALF A SECOND A PART EACH. JEFF: SO IT'S GOING, IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE, LITERALLY LIKE PAC-MAN CHEWING ROCK. SO, IT'S GOING TO GO HOCHMPOM,P, CHOMP, CHOMP, CHOMP, CHOMP, CHOMP, AND IT'S GOING TO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL TUNNEL IN HERE. THOMAS: SO, WHAT WE'RE ALL HOPING FOR NOW IS THAT AFTER THIS EXPLOSION THERE WILL BE SOME SMALL POCKETS OR HOPEFULLY EVEN A BIG POCKET EXPOSED OF GEM MINERALS. I'VE BEEN TO HUNDREDS OF MINES, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS A FEELING OF EXCITEMENT WAITING FOR A DETONATION KNOWING THAT AFTER THE BOOM... [EXPLOSIONS] WHOA! [CHUCKLES] A BURIED TREASURE MAY SURFACE. I SAW ROCKS MOVING IN THERE. JEFF: ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE BROKEN ROCK. THOMAS: THE BLAST CEAIWANLS YEFS TEAM FOUR MORE FEET INTO THE EARTH. JEFF: WE'VE GOT A LITTLE POCKET OPENED UP HERE. ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S MUCH MORE MINERALIZED THAN WE HAVE BEEN SEEING. THOMAS: THERE'S A LOT OF QUARTZ AND MICA. AND AS I TAKE ALL OF THIS THAT WAS BLOWN OUT OF THE WALL, WHICH HE CALLS MUCK, AND THEN THEY TAKE IT OUTSIDE AND THEY SCREEN IT TO TAKE OUT THE BIG PIECES. AND THEN HE LETS THE TOURISTS GO THROUGH THE REST OF IT TO SEE WHAT THEY CAN FIND. AND THEY CONTINUE WORKING. JEFF: OH, I LOVE I WAY THIS IS LOOKING, ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. THOMAS: FINDING WORLD-CLASS SPECIMENS IS A RARE OCCURRENCE, ONE THAT TAKES MANY DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF NATURE TO COME TOGETHER IN A CERTAIN WAY AT A CERTAIN TIME. FALLBROOK, CALIFORNIA, ABOUT 30 MINUTES AWAY, IS HOME TO ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S MOST WELL-KNOWN MINERAL EXPLORERS, BILL LARSON. BILL LARSON: I WAS A KID IN MINNESOTA. PICKED UP AGATES ON THE SIDES OF LAKE MINNETONKA. AND THEN MY DAD GOT TIRED OF THE SNOW, WE MOVED OUT TO CALIFORNIA. MY DAD WAS IN THE AVOCADO BUSINESS AND I COULD HAVE NEVER GONE TO SCHOOL WITHOUT A SCHOLARSHIP. SO EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE IS, YOU KNOW, HARD WORK AND LOTS OF TRAVEL. MY FATHER KNEW A MAN WHO KNEW SOME OF THE MINES, THE QUEEN MINE, THE CHIEF MINE, AND THE OCEANVIEW MINE. SO WE BOUGHT THOSE ON LONG-TERM WITH A PARTNER OF MINE. WE HAD A 50-50 PARTNERSHIP, ED SWOBODA. AND NONE OF US HAD ANY MONPARTI. 1972 THE WORLD CHANGED FOR OUR COMPANY, BECAUSE WE HIT THIS BLUE CAP POCKET. JOHN MCLEAN, WHO IS RIGHT OVER THERE, HE WENT TO THE RIGHT INSTEAD OF STRAIGHT DOWN. AND HE HIT A SOFT SPOT. AND WE CAME BACK AND WE WERE LOOKING AT IT. AND WITHIN ABOUT THREE WEEKS WE GOT BACK MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW, 10 OR 15 FEET IN THIS SECTION BEING CAREFUL NOT TO DYNAMITE VERY MUCH. AND WE FOUND A BLUE TOURMALINE. I'D NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. IT WAS ABOUT, ABOUT LIKE THIS, LIKE THIS, IN A SHINY, SHINY INDIGO BLUE. THE POCKET WENT ON AND OFF AND ON AND OFF FOR ABOUT MAYBE FIVE WEEKS TOTAL. AND WE WOULD MINE AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WOULD JUST KIND OF PINCH OUT. AND THEN JOHN WOULD GO BACK IN THERE AND IT WOULD OPEN UP AGAIN. WELL, I WENT UP WITH MY FATHER AT NIGHT. I THINK IT WAS ABOUT 10:00 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT BY THE TIME WE GOT ORGANIZED. AND I REMEMBER DRIVING UP FROM THE STEWART. BECAUSE YOU'D GO UP OVER A THOUSAND FEET. WE WERE IN A PICKUP TRUCK AND THE LIGHTS ARE GOING INTO THE FOG, KIND OF A LITTLE MISTY FOG. AND WE WIND UP AT THE MINE. AND WE GO DOWN TO WHERE JOHN HAD OPENED UP, PROBABLY DOWN ABOUT 200 FEET, AND TO THE RIGHT ABOUT 30 FEET, AND THERE'S THIS LITTLE OPENING LIKE THIS. LIKE THIS, IN THE PEGMATITE AND IT'S FULL OF CLAY AND WE START WORKING ON IT. AND IT'S BEEN SHOT WITH DYNAMITE, SMALL AROUND IT, AND WE WERE ABLE TO PRY A LOT OF THINGS OUT. AND WE PULL OUT A PIECE LIKE THIS WITH A TOURMALINE HERE AND A TOURMALINE HERE. AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT'S BROKEN HERE. BIG! THESE ARE SHINY TOPS, BUT THIS ONE'S MISSING. WE HAD THIS THICK CLAY AND WE'RE MOVING IT OUT. AND 18 INCHES IN WE FIND THE OTHER TOURMALINE. AND OUR GLOVES, WE WIPE OFF THE TOP, AND IT FITS PERFECTLY. AND THAT'S CALLED THE CANDELABRA, ONE, TWO, THREE. AND IF YOU SEE THE SMITHSONIAN, IT'S ON DISPLAY IN THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. NOW WE GOT THE REST OF THE POCKET WORKED OUT. BUT THE WORD WENT ALL OVER THE MINERAL WORLD. VINCE MANSON, THE CURATOR AT THE TIME OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY LABELED IT THE FIND OF THE CENTURY FOR TOURMALINE. PROBABLY 60 PEOPLE CAME HERE TO SEE THE BLUE CAPPED TOURMALINES IN THE BACK OF MY OFFICE UP HERE. THE SMITHSONIAN, THE BRITISH MUSEUM WAS REPRESENTED. AND EVERYBODY WANTED TO BUY SOME, BUT OF COURSE WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE WERE GOING TO PRICE THEM AT YET. BUT WE FIGURED IT OUT, ED AND I, AND WE PUT $25,000 ON THE CANDELABRA. WHICH TODAY IS PROBABLY WORTH ABOUT, THEY ESTIMATE 10 TO 20 MILLION ON THAT PARTICULAR ONE BECAUSE IT'S WORLD FAMOUS. BUT 25,000 WAS LIKE A WORLD RECORD. I REMEMBER PEOPLE CURSING ME AND SAYING I HAD NO CONSCIENCE PUTTING SUCH A HIGH PRICE ON A MINERAL SPECIMEN. I HAD TO GROW A BEARD BECAUSE PEOPLE WANTED TO DEAL WITH MY FATHER WHO WAS, YOU KNOW, AN AVOCADO GUY, BECAUSE THEY ALL WANT TO DEAL WITH HIM INSTEAD OF ME. AND I'M, NO, NO, IT'S ME, I REALLY AM THE GUY THAT LIKES THE MINERALS. THOMAS: DURING BILL'S WORLD TRAVELS, HE GAINED INTEREST IN EXOTIC BIRDS, SOON STARTING A SANCTUARY. HE ALSO HAS AN IN-HOUSE ARTIST WHO SPECIALIZES IN PAINTING WILDLIFE AND MINERAL SPECIMENS. GAMINI: I DON'T KNOW, I JUST KEEP ON WORKING UNTIL I GET IT RIGHT, SO... THOMAS: IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE YOU GOT IT RIGHT. [CHUCKLES] HE'S MOST PROUD OF TURNING HIS PASSION FOR ROCKS INTO A FAMILY BUSINESS. CARL: THIS IS FROM THE OCEANVIEW AND THIS IS A QUARTZ SPECIMEN THAT I DUG ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO. AND IT TOOK ME ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF HOURS. THEY DON'T NORMALLY COME THIS CLEAR IN THIS SIZE. THEY'RE NORMALLY SMOKY QUARTZ OR THEY'RE CRACKED AND YOU CAN'T DO MUCH. WE'VE KEPT IT AS A SPECIMEN. BUT IF YOU WANTED TO, YOU COULD MAKE QUITE A CARVING OUT OF IT. MY DAD'S GENERATION AND THE ONE RIGHT BEHIND HIM, THE GUYS WHO ARE IN THEIR 50'S NOW, THEY KIND OF HAD THE GOLDEN AGE OF MINING WHERE YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO GO DEEP, AS DEEP IN THE GROUND TO FIND MINERALS. NOW WE ARE FINDING LESS IN TODAY'S MINING WORLD. AND SO WE'RE SEEING THINGS THAT MIGHT HAVE COST IN THE 80'S $10, ARE NOW A THOUSAND DOLLARS, BECAUSE THE SUPPLY IS SHRINKING. THE DEMAND IS GROWING. THOMAS: THE DEMAND FOR MINERAL SPECIMENS IS INCREASING. AND WITH EACH PIECE COMES A STORIED HISTORY. ONE THAT BILL HAS AGREED TO SHOW US FIRSTHAND. BILL: I DON'T KNOW THERE IS SOMETHING PROBABLY MAGICAL ABOUT THIS BOOKCASE. THOMAS: OH MY GOODNESS. LOOK AT THAT. ♪ MUSIC THOMAS: THIS IS A REALLY NICE AQUA HERE. BILL: THAT IS PICTURED IN THE ARTICLE ON THE OCEANVIEW MINE AS THE FINEST AQUAMARINE THAT WAS PRODUCED. THOMAS: OH, THAT'S OCEANVIEW. OH, COOL. BILL: THESE ARE TOURMALINES THAT WE MINED FROM 1977 THROUGH 1997, OVER A 20 YEAR PERIOD, AT THE HIMALAYA MINE, BEAUTIFUL WITH CLEAVELANDITE, LEPIDOLITE, PERFECTLY TERMINATED, COMPLEX, MANY COLORS. HERE'S A BOOK THAT GEORGE F. KUNZ DID WRITE. AND THIS WAS WRITTEN IN 1906. AND HERE'S THE KUNZITE. THOMAS: OH, WOW. BILL: IF YOU'LL PUT IT ON THERE, YOU'LL NOTICE IT'S ONE TO ONE. THOMAS: WOW. FITS PERFECTLY ON THERE. BILL: IT'S FROM AGUASH DONE BY TIFFANY AND CO. AND HERE'S THE PICTURE THAT KUNZ HAD TAKEN OF HIM WITH THAT KUNZITE. AND THIS IS THE OR ALIT. CAME OUT OF HIS ESTATE. AND THERE YOU CAN SEE THE ABSOLUTELY THE SAME -- IT'S THE SAME KUNZITE. THOMAS: YEAH. BILL: PRETTY, PRETTY EXCITING PIECE OF HISTORY. IF YOU WERE UP IN THE OCEANVIEW MINE, HERE'S ONE THAT HE CALLS THE BIG KAHUNA. THIS IS THE LARGEST ONE THAT WE KNOW OF FROM NORTH AMERICA. BUT THIS HAS GOT A COLOR. SO THIS IS PURE GEM QUALITY OF THE UTMOST FINEST COLOR. THOMAS: BILL UNDOUBTEDLY HAS ONE OF THE TOP COLLECTIONS IN THE WORLD. FROM MORGANITES TO KUNZITES, HE HAS IT ALL. INCLUDING A PIECE RARELY SEEN IN PERSON. BILL: SO HERE'S, I GUESS, THE MOST FAMOUS PIECE AND WHAT PUT US ON THE MAP IN 1972. THOMAS: OH, MY GOSH. BILL: THIS IS ONE OF THE TOURMALINES -- THOMAS: OH MY GOODNESS. BILL: LIKE THE ONE IN THE SMITHSONIAN. THOMAS: I DON'T WANT TO HOLD IT. [CHUCKLES] BILL: BUT JUST BEAUTIFUL NATURAL POLISH. THIS IS JUST THE WAY GOD MADE IT. THIS IS THE SIDE THAT HE'S HOLDING. SO THE THUMB IS HERE AND THE TWO FINGERS BACK THERE. THOMAS: LET ME SEE. BILL: BUT IT'S UP HERE. IT'S UP THERE, YEAH. THOMAS: HOLDING AMERICAN HISTORY IN MY HAND I'M REMINDED OF HOW THESE PIECES REFLECT MORE THAN JUST THEIR NATURAL BEAUTY. THEY'RE SYMBOLS OF THE PEOPLE AND CULTURES WHO DEDICATE THEIR LIVES TO SHARING THE BEAUTY OF THE WORLD AROUND US. IF YOU WANT TO SEE
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