Miner's Gems and Minerals
OLD TOWN SAN DIEGO STATE HISTORIC PARK
2616 San Diego Avenue, San Diego, California, 92110
619-688-1178

Miner’s Gems is eagerly waiting to assist you in all your geological inquiries. Miners Gems and Minerals is celebrating 34 years of excellence in historic retail. We are a 3rd generation family owned and operated rock and fossil emporium that was established in 1978 in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. Renowned as the premiere gem and mineral store in southern California, with a staff highly trained in gemology, mineralogy and paleontology.

The mission of Miner’s Gems & Minerals is to provide a venue where visitors can acquire terrestrial treasures found both locally and of worldwide origin. Equally important is our goal to educate visitors about all aspects of Earth science, including such topics as geology, mineralogy, gemology, paleontology, lapidary arts, and mining practices. We excel at educating visitors on the great exploration of our region, the famed California Gold Rush, the lesser known San Diego Gold Rush and the fabled tourmaline deposits of our county. We strive to be a resource where local teachers and parents can seek assistance with their Earth science and geology educational programs. A further aspect of our mission is to enrich the San Diego community by offering educational outreach programs at little or no cost to groups such as local schools, scouts, and gem and mineral clubs. In all, we aspire to be a venue where visitors can tangibly see the correlation between Earth science, the great exploration of the western coast and the history of San Diego and all of California. It has been the mission of Miner’s Gems for the last thirty-four years to be the most pre-eminent mineral enterprise in the state of California and the most dedicated purveyor of our state’s rich and romantic history.

Welcome to Miner’s Gems and Minerals Website! We have gemstones and minerals from San Diego and from worldwide locations! Here is a brief list of our selection:

San Diego Tourmaline from the Himalaya Mine and the Stewart Mine.

Other San Diego gems such as Kunzite, Lepidolite and Black Jade.

Gems and minerals from other California and Western U.S. locations including:

• Arizona Blue Gem Silica
• Arizona Peridot
• Benitoite
• California Gold Specimens
• Morgan Hill Poppy Jasper
• Oregon Opal
• Oregon Sunstone
• Kingman Turquoise

We also have gems and minerals from the world over including:

• Blue Green Apatite
• Canadian Ammolite
• Chrysoprase
• Danburite
• Kyanite
• Ethiopian Opal
• Mexican Fire Opal
• Peruvian Blue Opal
• Tanzanite
• Tahitian Pearls
• Spinel
• Watermelon Toumaline

We also have a selection of Meteorite and Tektites including:

• Arizona Canyon Diablo
• Moldavite
• Russian Sikhote-Alin
  
• Libyan Desert Glass

We have fossil shark teeth from:

• Carcharodon megalodon
• Lamna obliqua
• Paleocarcharodon orientalis
• Squalicorax pristodontus

We have other fossils as well! Such as:

• Arizona Petrified Wood
• Green River Fossil Fish
• Keichousaurus
• Raptor Egg Fragments
• Utah Trilobites
• Wooly Mammoth Hair

Our worldwide ammonite selection includes genera such as:

• Baculites
• Cleoniceras
• Placenticeras
• Quenstedtoceras

Here at Miners Gem's we have exciting & informative educational programs for children and adults. We offer geode cracking and fun hands on activities such as mineral panning.
#1 Geode cracking
Geodes are wonders of nature! A round & rough mineral formed by millions of years of volcanic activity can be opened to revel a sparkling crystal interior. We offer geodes from Dugway, Utah and Central Mexico. They are sold by weight at $1.50 an ounce (weights per each range from approximately 8 ounces to 60 ounces) with the cracking included.This  fun activity for the entire family and one they will always remember.
#2 Mineral Panning

Mineral panning is a historic and informative "hands on" activity (especially for school groups). When gold was discovered in 1848 at Sutters Mill by John Marshall, people flocked from all over the world to the unknown frontier of Alta California which was at that time a largely unpopulated territory of Mexico. With picks and pans they scoured the hills of northern California in search of gold and changed the history of the "Golden State" forever.

Now it's your opportunity to become a miner 49er. The "mineral pans" are $4 per pan and are filled with"tailings" from the Stewart Tourmaline Mine in Rainbow, California and we "salt" them well! Washing out your pan will reveal pyrite (fools gold), quartz crystals, lepidolite, agate, jasper, and... whatever else we decide to throw in! This is an experience you wont want to miss and is great for kids and adults. Groups larger than 6 must reserve at least two weeks in advance, earliest reservations for groups take priority.  Except for the group that is booked, this activity is closed on the days and/or times of group bookings. Certain times of the year are subject to blackout.  Call for operating hours and RSVP.

#3 School Demonstrations

In class Gem, Mineral or Fossil demonstrations are available. We will come to your school for the demonstration. Fees are $50 per class (that's per class, not per group or school, approximately 30 students) for metro San Diego and $100 per class (again, approximately 30 students) for San Diego County. Reservations must be made at least one month in advance. Certain times of the year are subject to blackout.

CELEBRATED DEALER OF EARTHLY TREASURES

ATTENTION THE WHOLE!

Mineral and fossil panning for young and old, families, school groups, day campers,scout troops and travelers.

Offered daily, 363 days a year from business open until close, 10am – 6pm!

Eureka moments for the geologically inclined.

Relive the historic California gold rush with a fun and memorable activity of panning at Miner’s Gems. Each pan costs only $4.00 plus tax. Additionally, panners are entertained with informative lectures and discussion on all geosciences, early California mining history as well as geomology, geology, paleontology at no cost while revealing earth’s treasures in a fun and historic economical activity.

Mineral pans abound with a fist full of the finest quality polished natural gemstones, a few nuggets of glittering iron pyrite, “fool’s gold”, and a sparkling crystal.

Fossil pans are “salted” with a fist full of polished turtella stones (fossil marble), numerous shark teeth (approximately 15) as well as your best discovery fossil which would be either a trilobite, ammonite, echnoid or fossil shell. Also included in the pan are many fragments of fossil vertebrae, coprolite which is fossilized animal dung, eardrum, tail fragments from the fossil field of the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.

The fossil and minerals are buried beneath a layer of tailings from the historic Stewart Tourmaline Mine in Rainbow, California. Mine tailings are mine debris, and are still rich in pyrite, mica, pegmatite, lepidolite making for an exciting an authentic mining experience. Historic gold pans and wash tubs are used for this activity.

Panners are instructed in panning methods and a good time is had by all!

All large school groups, campers, scouts as well as birthday parties and others will need to schedule an appointment at least one week prior. Please specify if a lecture is desired, and if so, on what topics. Our dedication is to attend to your groups needs with the shortest notice with particular attention paid to panners’ inquisitive nature and interest in history and geology.

Please contact us directly at Miner’s Gems & Minerals in Old Town San Diego, 619-688-1178 or minersgemsandminerals@cox.net.

Miner’s Gems & Minerals
2616 San Diego Avenue, San Diego, CA.
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
92110

Right next to the Estudillo Adobe.