Recently, Montana-based Potentate Mining LLC secured approximately 3,000 acres of sapphire-bearing ground covering the famous Rock Creek sapphire district, including the Gem Mountain sapphire mine, near Philipsburg, Montana. Since the discovery of these sapphire deposits in the 1890s, this is the first time that one company has consolidated such a large land position, encompassing the old alluvial sites as well as the area on the hills in between these old workings. Potentate has assembled a team of highly experienced placer miners, geologists, mining engineers, and heavy equipment operators to recover and process the sapphires from this mine.