Gold fever once gripped this very land. Today we stand near the Donohoe Mine a testament to that shimmering dream.
The Donohoe Mine in San Diego County California sits at an elevation of almost 1500 feet. Can you imagine prospectors scrambling over these hills searching for their fortune? It’s a story etched in the landscape itself.
Mining in Southern California really took off in the 1800s. The U.S. government wanted to expand westward. Surveying the land for resources became a priority. Ranchers cowboys and pioneers found gold east of Los Angeles around 1842. That was six years before the big California Gold Rush.
Gold popped up all over Southern California. Even though there was gold here its yield wasn’t as impressive as the finds up north. San Diego’s gold couldn’t compete with the riches of the northern California rush.
But hold on. Gold wasn’t the only treasure pulled from these mountains. Miners started unearthing museum-quality gems. They found them nestled among the rocks. Riverside and San Diego Counties became famous for pegmatites. These rocks held tourmaline kunzite morganite topaz and garnet.
Pink tourmaline from Mesa Grande became a sensation. The Dowager Empress of China adored it. Tiffany & Co facilitated the trade. The imperial court would place an order. Tiffany’s gemologist J.L. Tannenbaum would commission Southern California miners. They would mine and ship the requested amount. Between 1902 and 1910 San Diego sent 120 tons of pink tourmaline to China.
Pale blue topaz also came from Southern California. San Diego jeweler John W. Ware owned a mine on Smith Mountain. He marketed his topaz so well he had to import it to keep up with demand.
Kunzite a pale pink gem caused quite a stir when it was found. Frederick Sickler thought it might be a kind of tourmaline. Frank Salmon also claimed to have discovered it. Samples went to Tiffany gemologist George F. Kunz. Kunz declared it a new gem and named it after himself. But locally they also called it Sicklerite and Salmonite.
Morganite another gem was found in San Diego’s Sempe and Tourmaline Queen mines. Kunz named it for J.P. Morgan a big name at Tiffany & Co. It’s a light pink beryl. Tiffany’s still sells select pieces of it today for a high price.
Tiffany & Co. played a big role in putting Southern California mines on the map. But it was the local miners and jewelers who built the industry. Miners understood the land and how to extract the gems. Jewelers knew how to cut the gems and market them.
The Donohoe Mine is listed in the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The accuracy of the location hasn’t been confirmed. It’s safe to assume it’s on private property. The Donohoe Mine primarily produced gold. Its operational status remains unknown. The mine’s location falls within the Pacific Mountain System.
The death of the Chinese Empress and World War I brought an end to the mining boom. San Diego saw a gem production revival in the 1970s. Ralph Potter and Louis Spalding led the charge. Bill Larson carries on that legacy today.
Next time you see a glittering gem think of the Donohoe Mine. Think of the dreams and hard work it represents. It is a small piece of California’s sparkling history.