Dynasty Jade Mine’s $8 Million Gamble: How Robin’s Crew Turned a 120-Ton Boulder into Green Gold
June 2025 | Prospectors Weekly
At British Columbia’s remote Dynasty Jade Mine, tension crackled in the summer air as owner-operator Robin Bunce and his battle-hardened crew confronted the biggest, heaviest risk of their careers: a 120-ton jade boulder that could just as easily bankrupt them as make them legends.
“Cut It or Go Home”
A week earlier the team had exposed a glowing apple-green jade lens—the kind prospectors chase for decades. If the interior matched the sample, it could fetch up to US $8 million on the global market. If it didn’t? Months of diesel, payroll, and back-breaking labor would be lost in a single dusty heartbeat.
Robin’s solution was simple—but brutal:
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String a brand-new wire saw across the face of the boulder.
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Slice it open like a giant geode.
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Pray the interior was flawless.
Disaster in the Diesel Tank
The first pull of the starter cord revealed fate’s warped sense of humor. Someone had filled the diesel generator with gasoline, choking the engine and the day’s schedule. With thousands of dollars of gear idle, Robin improvised: new fuel filter, a splash of transmission fluid to flush the lines, and a lot of choice words for the culprit. Hours bled away—but the generator roared back to life.
First Blood—and First Fractures
When the blade finally chewed into jade, every crewmember held his breath. The initial core sample was gem-quality, but the first full slice exposed hairline fractures—micro-faults that can turn priceless stone into landscaping gravel. Morale dipped, yet hope lingered: jade quality often improves toward a boulder’s heart.
The Cable Conundrum
Mid-cut, progress crawled to a halt again. A cable run that was “just a little too long” starved the saw of power. Robin gambled on a rapid swap to a shorter lead; sparks flew, the RPMs spiked, and the blade sang back to full pace. One more problem solved—one more chance at fortune.
Green Fire Revealed
The final pass broke away to reveal what every jade miner dreams of: vibrant, translucent apple-green with minimal veining. Even the earlier fractures were confined to the outer shell, leaving a sizable interior slab intact. By rough calculation, the boulder held nearly US $8 million in market-grade jade—enough to crown Dynasty’s most profitable season to date.
Hard-Won Triumph
Exhausted but electrified, Robin Bunce surveyed the glowing slab under floodlights and allowed himself a rare grin. “We rolled the dice—and today the mountain blinked first,” he said, voice hoarse from diesel fumes and adrenaline.
For this crew, the path to jade riches was anything but smooth: botched fuel, busted cables, and nerve-shredding fractures. Yet persistence—and a few on-the-fly fixes—turned potential catastrophe into one of the biggest scores in modern jade mining.
The boulder is only the beginning. With fresh capital, upgraded equipment, and a newfound swagger, Dynasty Jade Mine is poised to chase even deeper, greener horizons next season.
