Hey there, I’m Christian, the head rock hound at Clear Creek Mining Co., and I’ve been absolutely bonkers for stones since I was knee-high to a grasshopper!

As a kid, while everyone else was kicking soccer balls or shooting hoops, I was out there digging in the dirt, splashing through streams, and hauling home buckets of rocks like they were pirate treasure.

By the time I hit kindergarten, I was a walking rock encyclopedia, rattling off names, origins, and cool facts about every stone I found. Got a rock obsession? I’m your guy—let’s geek out together!

As I got older, I went from “ooh, shiny!” to “only the best will do!”… j/k, I still holler “Ooh, shiny!” like it’s my job. Instead of chasing basic rocks, I started hunting gems of all sorts, each one a tiny, sparkling masterpiece.

Then came the wild idea & determination to cut my own gemstones. Picture me, armed with a cheap old tile saw, a whole lot of guts, and zero regard for my fingers (or toes… or eyeballs!). I taught myself to slice and polish those babies into sparkling works of art, and let me tell you, it was a wild & harrowing ride.

The obsession didn’t stop there… I took my gem-cutting game into the big leagues & started battling it out in competitions, facing off with the sharpest cutters around. I am currently competing in the Masters Division.. there is NO stopping me now! It’s like the Olympics of sparkly rocks, and I’m here for it!

A perfect weekend away will find me waist-deep in a hole with a shovel and chisel, or wading in a mountain creek, pans in hand, on a mission to unearth the next dazzling treasure. Kinda like Gollum clutching his ring, I can’t help but whisper “my precious!” over every dazzling gem I unearth.

At Clear Creek Mining Co., I pour my heart (and a whole lotta crazy) into every gemstone we cut and every sluicing adventure we host! Whether you’re a hardcore collector, a jewelry maker, or someone who just loves a good shiny rock, we’ve got you covered.

I’m beyond stoked to share my passion for the earth’s treasures with you, so come on in, grab a gem, or dive into a sluicing adventure—let’s make those sparkles shine together!

See ya soon!
-Christian