Angels Camp, CA…The Monday-Night Burglar(s) may have thought they were running off with a very valuable specimen of Natural Gold in a Quartz Crystal rock. Albeit, it was not without value… The specimen was actually a Gold Rush Original One-of-a-kind work of art created by Mike Darby, and endearingly referred to as: the “Anna West Crystal”

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The art piece was discovered stolen from Gold Rush Originals when Linda Darby opened the shop for business on Tuesday Feb 26th. . .

The Burglar(s) also ‘got away’ with some of Linda’s hand-made jewelry which they grabbed from two shelves in the display case. ..

The Old Time cash register was found open, but nothing had been lost as Mike had cleared everything out of the register the day before. . .

There’s nothing like coming into your shop one day, and finding a trail of jewelry littering the floor leading to the back door (which was lying there broken in pieces) Mike said… It was a quick and violent Break-in, Grab-n-run.. But it looked clear enough that the Burglars main intent was to get their hands on the “Anna West Piece”…

Linda makes beautiful crystal jewelry, and was a successful commercial Artist working in New Orleans when she Met Mike 30 years ago….

Mike works in many media, presently ranging from Original oil painted murals on Gold Pans, to Chainsaw Art. .

Mike and Linda Darby (along with their two sons) are a ‘family or Artists’ who work together in their family business called “Gold Rush Originals” The Store’s motto is: ‘Art, Gifts, Gold, and Grub”

One of the main services that the Darby’s render out of their “Gold Rush Originals” shop are Gold Panning Tours. . Every year hundreds of folk from all across the country search and pan for gold with Mike and Joseph.

One of the saddest things about losing the “Anna West Piece” to the Burglar(s) is that kids visiting Angels Camp and the Gold panning Shop on their vacations liked to get their pictures taken while holding the fabulous looking specimen. . .

For Mike’s friend Wayne Downs there was sadness on a deeper level. .

A number of years ago Wayne handed Mike a huge Quartz Crystal Rock and asked suggested that Mike make something beautiful out of it. . . .

Mike had been artistically experimenting with an Electro-form copper plating technique which he had been learning about from his friend and neighbor Peggy (the daughter of San Jose Art Professor Dr. Coleman, who developed and taught the technique on the University level in San Jose). So Mike started doing his thing with the huge crystal. .

The Crystal rock had been a gift of gratitude to Wayne from his friend Anna West on account of his generosity (which was, namely, letting Anna have free access to his firewood pile during a cold winter season. . . )

Anna had a terminal illness which eventually took her life. . So the Crystal rock became a sentimental reminder to Wayne. . .

When Mike was finished with the crystal rock, it was spectacular! . Soon afterwards, someone wanted to buy it… But when I asked Wayne what we should sell it for. . . I suddenly realized that there was probably more sentimental value (including my own) which always outweighed the monetary value. . So there it has remained, on display, and as a photo shot prop, making memories for many happy travelers to Angels Camp. . .

When Anna died she left behind a beautiful daughter who went to live with relatives in Massechucettes. .. She’s hoping we will be able to recover the crystal again, and has informed her friends in Calaveras County by social media. . .

It would be great if the thief would somehow find a way to get it back to the Darby’s.

Goldrush Originals
1227 S. Main Street Angels Camp CA 95222
209 736 0232