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The mountains of
Western North Carolina are one of the richest areas in the United
States for gem stones and minerals. Two of the more popular gemstone
areas in the mountains are centered around Franklin in the West and
Spruce Pine in the east. There are close to 40 different
minerals that rock hounds look for in the mountains. Corundum,
beryl, moonstone, garnet, olivine, quartz, opal, amethyst, emeralds, jasper,
ruby, sapphires, spinel, turquoise, chrysoprase and zircon are
among the most sought after. And gold is still found occasionally in
some of the streams.
A very popular attraction are the gemstone mines, open to the
public, where you may sift through buckets of dirt to discover any
treasure. Most mines sell gem dirt in a bucket or bag (few allow
digging) and you may have to pay an admission fee for the day. You are provided
with a screen for washing and there is a flume - a trough of running water -
with a bench along its length. The dirt goes in the screen, the screen goes in
the water and t he mud is washed away. Depending on the mine, the buckets
provided are either native ore or enriched with ore from other countries.
For serious rock hounds, the best resource available in
planning your visit to the mountains is
MAgma Mountain Area Gem and Mineral Association (
www.wncrocks.com, 828-683-1048).
There are privately owned mines in the mountains where you may
collect for modest daily fees but you need to plan in advanced. Two
of these
Crabtree Emerald Mine in Spruce Pine and
Little Pine Garnet Mine in Madison County.
A great place to see gems in Asheville is the
Colburn Earth Science Museum at Pack Place.
Also fairly close to Asheville is the
Museum of North Carolina Minerals at milepost 331 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
In the Hendersonville area is the newly opened
Mineral & Lapidary Museum of Henderson County. The
Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum
in Franklin has interesting exhibits also of regional minerals and
gemstones.
Quick Jumps to cities & towns that have
gem mines.
Gem Mines
Gem Shops
Resources
Henderson County Gem & Mineral Society
PO Box 6391, Hendersonville NC 28793
MAGMA -Mountain Area Gem and Mineral Association PO Box
542, Leicester NC 28748;
828-683-1048
North Carolina Geological Survey Division of Land
Resources, 1612 Mail Center, Raleigh NC 27699; 919-733-2423
Southern Appalachian Mineral Society PO B ox 15461, Asheville NC
28813; 828-285-9470
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston
VA 20192; 888-275-8747
Museums & Mineral
Centers
Colburn Earth Science Museum 2 South Pack Square, Asheville, NC 28801;
828-254-7162
Emerald Village 331 McKinney Mine Road, Spruce Pine NC 28777; 828-765-6463
Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum
25 Phillips St., Franklin, NC 28734; 828-369-7831
Hiddenite Center 316 Church Street, Hiddenite, NC 28636;
828-632-6966
Linville Caverns Highway 19929 US Highway221 North, Marion NC
28752; 800-419-0540
Mineral & Lapidary Museum of Henderson County 400 N. Main Street, Hendersonville NC 28792; 828-698-1977
Museum of North Carolina Minerals Blue Ridge Parkway, Milepost 331, Spruce
Pine; 828-765-2761
North Carolina Mining Museum 331 McKinney Mine Road, Spruce Pine
NC 28777; 828-765-6463
Ruby City Gems Museum 130
East Main Street, Franklin NC 28734; 828-524-3967
Gem Mines
Boone
Foggy Mountain Gem Mine
About: Mostly imported gem ore from Brazil
Address: 4416 Highway 105 South, Boone NC 28607
Telephone: 828-963-4367
Travel Time From Asheville: 2-21/2 hours west.
River and Earth Adventures, Inc Gem Mine
About: 90% imported gem ore from Brazil, some from local mines
Address: 1655 Highway 105, Boone NC 28607
Telephone: 800-411-7238, 828-963-5491
Travel Time From Asheville: 2-21/2 hours west.
Canton
Old Pressley Sapphire Mine
About: World's largest blue star sapphires were found at this
mine. Only native gemstone ore.
Address: 240 Old Pressley Mine Road, Canton NC 28716
Telephone: 828-648-6320
Travel Time From Asheville: 45 minutes west.
Foscoe
The Greater Foscoe Mining Co.
About: Indoor and outdoor flume gem mining. Native gem
ore enriched with imported.
Address: 8998 Highway 105 South, Foscoe NC 28604
Telephone: 828-963-5928
Travel Time From Asheville: 2 hours east
Franklin
Cherokee Ruby and Sapphire Mine
About: Only native gemstone ore from the Cowee Valley.
Address: 41 Cherokee Mine Road, Franklin NC 28734
Telephone: 828-349-2941
Travel Time From Asheville: 2 hours west
Cowee Mountain
Ruby Mine
About: Native and imported gem ore .
Address: 6771 Sylva Road, Franklin NC 28734
Telephone: 828-369-5271
Travel Time From Asheville: 2 hours west
Gem Mine at Gem World
About: Imported gem ore only from five different countries.
Address: 1884 Georgia Road, Franklin NC 28734
Telephone: 828-349-5411
Travel Time From Asheville: 2 hours west
Gold City Gem Mine
About: Native and imported gem ore, gold panning.
Address: 9410 Sylva Road, Franklin NC 28734
Telephone: 800-713-7767, 828-369-3905
Travel Time From Asheville: 2 hours west
Mason's Ruby & Sapphire Mine
About: Native gem ore where you dig your dirt from their own
mine.
Address: 6961 Upper Burningtown Road, Franklin NC 28734
Telephone: 828-369-9742
Travel Time From Asheville: 2 hours west
Mason Mountain Mine & Cowee Gift Shop
About: Native gem ore where you dig your dirt from their own
mine. Also enriched buckets with imported ore.
Address: 5315 Bryson City Road, Franklin NC 28734
Telephone: 828-524-4570
Travel Time From Asheville: 2 hours west
Rose Creek Mine
About: Native gem ore where you dig your own dirt from their
own mine.
Address: 115 Terrace Ridge Drive, Franklin NC 28734
Telephone: 828-349-3774
Travel Time From Asheville: 2 hours west
Sheffield Mine
About: Native ruby and sapphire
gem ore from their own mine.
Address: 385 Sheffield Farms Road, Franklin NC 28734
Telephone: 828-369-8383
Travel Time From Asheville: 2 hours west
Hendersonville
Elijah Mountain Gem Mine
About: Imported gem ore only.
Address: 2120 Brevard Road, Hendersonville NC 28739
Telephone: 828-693-3123
Travel Time From Asheville: 30 minutes south
Hiddenite
Emerald Hollow Mine
About: Native gem ore,
including emeralds, from their own mine.
Address: 484 Emerald Hollow Mine Drive, Hiddenite NC 28636
Telephone: 866-600-4367
Travel Time From Asheville: 1 -11/2 hours east
Jefferson
Gem Valley NC
About: Native gem ore,
some imported
Address: 2489 Little Peak Creek Road, Jefferson NC 28640
Telephone: 336-982-5177
Travel Time From Asheville: 3 hours east
Marion
Heather Grove Gold & Gem Panning
About: Native and imported gem ores and local gold
Address: 43 Polly Spout Road, Marion NC 28752
Telephone: 828-738-3573
Travel Time From Asheville: 1 hour east
The Lucky Strike Gold and Gem Mine
About: Native and imported
gem ores, gold panning in the Second Broad River. Campground.
Address: 251 Lucky Strike Lane, Marion NC 28752
Telephone: 828-738-4893
Travel Time From Asheville: 1 hour east
Little Switzerland:
The Emerald Mine of Little Switzerland
About: Native and imported
gem ore, two dig sites.
Address: 74 George Street off of McKinney Mine Road, Little
Switzerland NC 28749
Telephone: 828-765-6832
Travel Time From Asheville: 1 -11/2 hours east
Spruce Pine:
Emerald Village
About: Native gem ore from
their mine and other area mines.
Address: 331 McKinney Mine Road, Spruce Pine NC 28777
Telephone: 828-765-6463, 828-765-0000
Travel Time From Asheville: 1 -11/2 hours east
Gem Mountain Gemstone Mine
About: Covered flumes. Gem ore
brought in daily from mines.
Address: Highway 226, Spruce Pine NC 28777
Telephone: 888-817-5829
Travel Time From Asheville: 1 -11/2 hours east
Rio Doce Gem Mine
About: Native and imported
(Brazil) gem ore
Address: 14622 Highway 226 South, Spruce Pine NC 28777
Telephone: 828-765-2099
Travel Time From Asheville: 1 -11/2 hours east
Spruce Pine Gemstone Mine
About: Native gem ore from local
gem mines.
Address: 15090 Highway 226 South, Spruce Pine NC 28777
Telephone: 828-765-7981
Travel Time From Asheville: 1 -11/2 hours east
Union Mills
Thermal City Gold Mine
About: Panning for gold
from ore from their site. Gem ore from native and imported sources.
Address: 5240 US Highway 221 North, Union Mills NC 28167
Telephone: 828-286-3016
Travel Time From Asheville: 1 -11/2 hours
southeast
Gem Shops
Asheville
The Silver Armadillo
West Gate Shopping Center,
Asheville NC; 828-253-3020
Franklin
Burglens Natural Gems
5868 Sylva Road, Franklin NC
28744; 828-524-9171
Cowee Gift Shop 5315 Bryson City Road, 828-524-4570
Cowee Mountain
Ruby Mine & Gift Shop 6771 Sylva Road, Franklin NC
28734, 828-369-571
Franklin Gemstone & Jewelry Warehouse 3002 Georgia Road,
Franklin NC 28734, 828-524-6132
Gold City Jewelry & Gem Shop
9410 Sylva Road, Franklin NC 28734, 828-369-3905
Ruby City Gems & Minerals 130
East Main Street, Franklin NC 28734; 828-524-3967
Tari's RokGem 1884 Georgia Road, Franklin NC 28734; 828-349-5411
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