Desert Bloom Variscite

Desert Bloom Variscite

Some of the best Variscite that has ever come out of the ground has come from the Desert Bloom Claim in the Vista Grande mine in the central western region of Nevada, USA.  This is a fairly new mine which has been in production since 2017. The mine was discovered by Rodney Frisby and is owned by Rodney Frisby and his partner Alan Chambers who own all the Vista Grande Variscite mine claims.  The mine is located in central western Nevada, in the Candelaria Hills mining district. This mining district was made famous by the Candelaria Gold mine.

This mine is a small operation mined by the two owners and production is limited. The gems from this mine range from mint green to deep green, and even yellow.  This mine produces gems with no matrix pattering, spider web matrix, black matrix, grey matrix, and golden brown matrix.  

The most famous material from the mine is the lime green to mint green variscite with black and golden brown matrix in the same stone. The variscite forms in nuggets and in veins. Some of the nuggets from the mine have been as large as a football! The variscite forms in veins in chert and rhyolite, and fossil mud.  The variscite is very hard and takes a wonderful polish.  The matrix however can be very soft and usually undercuts.  Many gem cutters look for the material with the black matrix as the black matrix does not under cut.

The Desert Bloom mine is one of the claims in the Vista Grande mine group which includes the Vista Grande, Andromeda, Emerald City, and Desert Bloom Claims.   Each claim produces a slightly different look of variscite. To an expert stone cutter or gem collector it is easy to separate which claim the Variscite came from.  So far, the Desert Bloom Variscite claim has proven to produce the largest material. The variscite from the Desert Bloom mine is super hard and gem grade.  It will be exciting to see what this mine produces over the years.  Keep your eyes peeled.