Grangers mine for gems in Pala

Rainbow Valley Grange members (from left) Suzy Moramarco, Andrew Donoghue, Chris Dunckel and Sarah Fontana fill buckets from a mound of debris from the Stewart Mine at Gems of Pala.

Junior Granger Isaac Cookingham of Bonsall sifts through dirt and rocks while looking for pieces of tourmaline. A group of 20 Rainbow Valley Grange members made the trip to Pala on November 15, finding several small pieces of tourmaline after learning how to search for and identify them.

Grangers (from left) Kiera Donoghue, Bob Lathrop, Noah Cookingham, Jenna Lathrop, Sarah Fontana and Missy Dunckel watch as Isaac Cookingham holds up a tiny piece of black tourmaline during a mining demonstration by Lynn Lynne of Gems of Pala.