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Pala International has been active in mining development
since 1969, and is known for its work in the Pala mining district, in
north San Diego County, California. The company is internationally famous
for its many mining projects, specifically those involving tourmaline,
an important precious stone. Pala’s tourmaline mines have become
the cornerstone of other mining ventures.
Stewart Lithia
The first mine operated by Pala was
the Stewart Lithia, located in Pala, California. Previously operated
for its lithia content, a deposit of tourmaline was also discoverd.
In 1969, Pala Properties International (later renamed Pala International)
opened the Stewart Lithia mine in search of the tourmaline-enriched
zone. Underground workings continued with reasonable success, finding
top quality pink tourmaline. Other associated minerals such as quartz
and spodumene were also discovered.
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with the Stewart mine, Pala International also acquired the Tourmaline
Queen and Pala Chief mines, both located in the Pala mining district.
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| Searching for tourmaline-bearing pegmatite
at the Tourmaline Queen mine, ca. 1975. (Photo: Pala International) |
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Tourmaline Queen & Pala Chief
With success at the Stewart mine,
the next project was the Tourmaline Queen. After connecting roadways
were established between the two mines, work began in late 1971. Older
workings were reopened and examined, providing information for the mine
plan and new theories regarding the location of mineral-rich zones for
study. A successful period followed, with approximately 1500 feet of
underground workings developed in a little over three years.
Among the many discoveries at the Tourmaline Queen, one stands out –
the “Blue Cap Pocket,” which was later referred to as the
find of the century by Dr. Vincent Manson, then-curator of the American
Museum of Natural History.
| Among the many discoveries
at the Tourmaline Queen, one stands out – the “Blue
Cap Pocket,” which was later referred to as the find
of the century by Dr. Vincent Manson, then-curator of the
American Museum of Natural History. |
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Although underground tunnel footage production is commonly looked at
in “tonnage” or “footage” per day, mining top-quality
mineral specimens and gem material is a completely different form of
tunneling. The smallest fracture or imperfection can reduce the value
to the product. Therefore, the technique used requires a pace set to
eliminate any disturbance to the crystals, and footage becomes secondary
to careful tunneling. Since the use of explosives is the primary cause
of damage, a great deal of experience is needed in this type of mining,
with smaller crews preferred over larger production methods. Pala’s
safety record reflects their expertise in this type of mining, with
the continuous awards (1989–1993) of the Certificate of Honor,
Joseph A. Safety Association for No Lost Time/Injuries.
Between
the years 1973–74, Pala International expanded its mining operations
to include two full-time crews. This expansion allowed for the exploration
of other areas in the District, as well as working on the Pala Chief
mine, the San Pedro mine and the Canyon Diggings mine. These mines presented
a different challenge, in that most of the mining was surface work,
with several hundred feet of tunnel developed. A joint venture mining
project worked the Senpe, Anita and Little Three mines with moderate
success over the next five years. These successes were in addition to
continuous mining in the Stewart and Tourmaline Queen mines.
The “Candelabra”
Tourmaline
This stunning specimen was mined by Pala at the Tourmaline
Queen mine in 1972. Today it is on public display at the Smithsonian
Institution in Washington, DC.
(Photo: Harold & Erica Van Pelt) |
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Also
in 1973, another new project was started in the historic San Boléo
area of Baja California, Mexico, near Santa Rosalia. This is a major
copper mining district with hundreds of miles of underground tunnel,
also known for rare mineral occurrences of boleite, cumengite and pseudoboleite.
Employing local miners under the supervision of John McLean, a decline
of 575 feet was driven to intersect the older workings in the area,
which were known at that time for its boleite mineral production. Approximately
1500 feet of new tunnel was put in. Production ended in late 1974.
The
Stewart mine then became the main focus for Pala International, with
several hundred feet of underground workings completed between 1974–77.
These newer workings encountered an unexpected water table, and hundreds
of gallons of water had to be pumped out daily.
Enter the Himalaya
In 1977, the lease of the Himalaya mine was acquired and work commenced
in a new environment. Learning the nuances of each new mine requires
time; however, after several months, tourmaline was found. Approximately
9,000 feet of tunnel was driven into hard rock. The rock of this mine
was more dense than the previous projects. To meet the challenge, Pala
International developed new techniques allowing safe removal of the
tourmaline and other associated minerals. Pala actively mined the Himalaya
until August 1998, and purchased the patented claims.
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| Mining for tourmaline at the Himalaya mine
about the turn of the century. |
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Sri Lankan oddessy
In the early 1980’s, Pala International entered into a dredging
project in Sri Lanka. A dredge was designed specifically for the purpose
of recovering sapphire. Sri Lankan army helicopters were used for surveys.
Cooperation with the local government was worked out and the first legal,
foreign joint venture for sapphire began. Recovery of 9000 grams of
sapphire was accomplished in the first week of operation. Unfortunately,
it was also to the last week of operation. The bloody Tamil war started
an we were forced to halt mining.
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| Traditional gem mining in Sri Lanka (Photo:
Bill Larson) |
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Examples of Pala’s
consulting projects
Extensive foreign consulting
on gem and mineral specimen mining has been conducted by Pala
International, including:
- Peter Morgan used Pala for six years
in his Tsavorite mining in Voi, Kenya.
- The Chinese government, through the National
Museum, brought Pala’s William Larson to Beijing for consultations
on three occasions up until 1989.
- The Russian government, through the Fersman
Museum, brought William Larson to Moscow and later a two-week
visit to the pegmatite area of Chita, in Russia’s Lake
Baikal district.
- The Burmese government, through their
Myanmar Gemstones Enterprises, sought Pala’s advice on
both alluvial and underground mining projects.
- Swarogem employed Pala’s William
Larson and Gabriel Mattice to help set up Burmese contacts for
their cutting plant in Rangoon.
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Note regarding mine visitations:
Unfortunately, none of the mines in San
Diego County is currently open to the public. However, our retail
store in Fallbrook (The
Collector, 912 So. Live Oak Park Rd., Fallbrook, CA 92028; Tel:
800-854-1598) has a reconstructed mine pocket that shows what the
inside of a mine is like. It also has a fine selection of jewelry
and mineral specimens from San Diego County. The Collector is open
Mon.-Sat. 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
The Collector also has a branch store located
in Carlsbad, at the famous Fours Seasons Resort:
The Collector – Four Seasons Resort
7100 Four Seasons Point
Carlsbad, CA 92009
Tel: 760-603-9601
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily
Fallbrook also has a fine mineral museum, operated
by the Fallbrook Gem and Mineral Society (760-723-1728). It is located
at 123 W. Alvarado in Fallbrook and are open Tuesdays and Thursdays
10 AM to 2 PM.
And at the small town of Pala, Blue Shepard
(tel: 760-742-1356) does sell buckets of tailings from the historic
Stewart Mine. However, he does not allow visitors to the mine itself.
For further information on mining, see also:
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