Kamloops resident Darrin Cherewayko holds up a precious stone found in the local region.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Darrin Cherewayko

You might have seen a Kamloops rock hound at markets around the Tournament Capital this year, drawing crowds and showcasing polished, multi-coloured gems he’s dug up from the local area.

Darrin Cherewayko is passionate about rock hunting and climbing mountains in the Kamloops backcountry and it shows when he starts talking his hobby. 

“It’s (Kamloops) the best place for rock hounding because of the ancient volcanic activity and just looking at how things were formed,” he said. “The more I learn, the crazier it gets and the more I’m interested and want to show others what we have here, it’s the greatest thing.”

Cherewayko has been finding agates and common opals in areas within an hour of the city. A local musician, he recently moved his “rock” gear out of a room and replaced it with different kinds of rock equipment – specialized niche gear for grinding, shaping and polishing stones for jewelry.

“Everything is done freely by hand, the opal can be fragile and break to become something else,” he said. “Opal can contain around 10 percent of water so it has to sit for three months out in the air first. The stone has to make it through my grinding wheels.”

Agates are a type of semiprecious silica mineral that comes in a wide range of colours and are formed in volcanic and metamorphic rocks. Common opals are made of a different form of silica and are classified as mineraloids and can be found in many different kinds of rock. The opals also come in a wide range of colours. 

This large piece of agate was found in the Kamloops area.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Darrin Cherewayko

Cherewayko was born and raised in Manitoba and has been in Kamloops for 12 years working in the trades, playing music and digging up rocks. As a kid he found fossils in the limestone and had friends who turned their garage into a gem and rock shop. Later on he worked as a landscaper.

“I guess my love for rocks was seeping in and I didn’t know it,” he said. “I got to Kamloops and started finding rocks on backcountry hikes and just ran with it from there.”

He said he is respectful to the earth and “grateful to be wandering on the territory of Indigenous friends.”

“I just take a few chunks at a time,” he said. “I don’t trespass and am grateful to be on Indigenous territory. Some landowners let you poke around, but you have to be aware of other people's claims, you can go online and see. I go by a strict code of ethics.”

He has spots he knows he’ll find the agates and opals and still hunts new areas for more.

“Monte Lake is popular and then you can head back to Kamloops and just continue to find semi precious gems,” he said. “The rocks have been used for thousands of years around here for tools and jewelry.”

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Cherewayko attributes his learning and adventures to three experienced local rock hounding friends and backcountry books written by local author and adventurer Al Budreau.

“I have three rock friends, Rob, Lloyd and Tom who are experienced and took me under their wing, educating me and taking me to their sacred dig sites. They are so passionate and specialized to the area.”

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This jewelry was created out of agates and opals from the Kamloops area.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Darrin Cherewayko

This year Cherewayko opened a gem business, Dirt Rocks, and hit up some local art shows and markets. He has local gems for sale and also some imported ones from different parts of the world. His website will be up and running in a few weeks.

In the meantime, anyone interested in looking Cherewayko’s work or talking about rocks, can send an email to drummerdirt@gmail.com.

Darrin Cherewayko of Kamloops showcases polished opals and gems at a local market.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Darrin Cherewayko

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