Gemstone Mine

Gemstone Mine originally debuted in the Mirage expansion of Magic: The Gathering in 1996, designed as a versatile land that offered access to any color of mana at the cost of its eventual depletion. The card quickly became a staple in competitive formats due to its unique combination of flexibility and self-sacrifice, which incentivized efficient deck building and careful resource management.

The 1997 World Championship Decks provided a unique archival look at the competitive scene of the era by reprinting high-level tournament decks as boxed sets. This specific version of Gemstone Mine, labeled js164, is a direct reproduction of the deck piloted by Jakub Slemr, the 1997 World Champion. These cards are easily distinguished from their original counterparts by their gold-bordered backs and the printed signature of the player on the card face, serving as both a playable component and a commemorative memento of Slemr’s victory in Seattle.