Ironstone's Crown Jewel

Gold found in California is often in quartz, which is typically a hard rock, mined in vertical or horizontal shafts.

[5] The find caused the Gold Trust and Reinsurance company of the West Indies to make a $20 million offer for the Sonora Mining Corporation of Toronto, Canada.

[1] In April 1993, Sonora Mining offered the gold specimen as a bond to Tuolumne County, California.

[8] John Kautz, proprietor of Ironstone Vineyards, purchased the gold specimen in 1994 for an undisclosed price; its appraised value at the time was $3.5 million.

[citation needed] The name "Ironstone's Crown Jewel" comes from Kautz family's usage and promotional materials for the winery.