Overview | Location | Cost | Time | Planning | Experience + Ratings Trip Extras | Missed Opportunities
Overview
Spencer Opal Mine has a great store with beautiful specimens and jewelry for viewing and purchase, however, you can no longer go into the mine to collect. The have left the experience alive with pre-filled grab boxes for you to "collect" opals.
Since COVID many mines can no longer allow for digging in the mine itself, due to major increases in insurance costs. Some places have still made the "mining" experience possible with pre-loaded buckets or loads brought in to shovel from like Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine and Emerald Creek Star Garnets.
This stop was second in our with our big Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine, Spencer Opal, Grand Tetons National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Spokane Bar Sapphire Mine adventure.
Location
27 Opal Way, Spencer, ID 83446
Cost
This one is all up to you! You can easily stop in and just look around for a FREE stretch your legs pit stop or you can purchase dig boxes, specimens and jewelry. Your wallet it your limit.
For us:
$125 for 5 Dig Boxes
$3 for ???
Total of $138 + Gas to get there (we went intentionally)
Time Commitment
The only time commitment you make is the time you want to spend + the time to get you there if you aren't passing through.
Planning
None required. Since the you can no longer go in the mine itself, everything is grab and go.
The Opal Experience:
Ross's Rating: 6/10
Crystal's Rating: 6/10
From Ross (the Rockhound):
From Crystal (the Meat Girl): I have always been more of an opal and pearls over diamonds kind of girl, so when I started dating a rockhound and moved to Idaho (the location of pretty much the only semi-active opal mine in the US) this one the one rock thing I said I would 100% get behind! The store and its specimens are incredibly beautiful, and the staff beyond friendly and helpful. Unfortunately, the finding a opal experience is a little lack luster. You will definitely find opal in your box but very little "fire" aka the sparkly colors that make opal incredible. If you are in the area it is absolutely worth a quick pit stop but I would not venture out of the way.
Trip Extras + Supporting Local
There is not much in Spencer, and by much we mean this is pretty much it plus a couple other places to purchase opals.
Missed Opportunities:
Stopping at the other opal shops in Spencer. They had closed by the time we left Spencer Opal.