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    Crystal Mountain Gem Mine

    4.8 (32 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Andrew J.

    What a fun little activity right on the main street! Staff was so knowledgeable and helpful that it really added to the fun of sifting through dirt and collecting little rocks and gems. We found some really cool looking stuff and while I just thought, 'hey cool rock' the guy working there was more than eager to tell us all about them, where they come from and what they're used for. What? Super cool! I really didn't know what to expect since the last time I did something like this I was a little kid but I had a blast and think this place would be a great stop for couples out for the day or families looking for a group activity. 5 out of 5! Would do it again!

    Amanda M.

    Loved this place so much! Went in today with my sister and we were amazed with all they had to offer. Employees were super nice! Definitely will be coming back to do the gem mining!

    Roberta W.

    We had a great time today at the gem mine. They were very knowledgeable, and kind. We got the 65.00 green bucket (5lb) and got four baggies with of gems from it! The store is beautiful and packed full of all kinds of different stones and trinkets, definitely a must while in town, our grandson loved it!

    Holden the manager AWESOME! He helped my daughter & her friends learn about the gems. His passion for gems shined through! Highly recommend!!!

    What my son got out of the smallest bucket. He really enjoyed it
    Colleen O.

    This place is pretty big and set up nicely. We've been twice and the gentleman at the counter is always so nice and personable I almost feel like swinging by just to see him. They have a large selection of gems, crystals and fossils, along with jewelry and some other things. My son did the mining today and had a good time and was happy with what he got out of the smallest basket. We will definitely swing by whenever in town.

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    11 years ago

    I took my family from LA here to mine. This was on my mother and aunts bucket list. They had a fantastic time!

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    Ask the Community - Crystal Mountain Gem Mine

    Review Highlights - Crystal Mountain Gem Mine

    I absolutely LOVE this shop for its great selection of gemstones and the "mining" aspect experience!

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine - Flume

    Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine

    4.0(12 reviews)
    34.9 mi

    We had such a great experience at Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine! Our kids absolutely loved digging…read morethrough the buckets, getting dirty, and excitedly checking each rock to see if we had found treasure. It was such a fun hands-on experience for the whole family. The highlight of our trip was finding a few beautiful rubies and an absolutely stunning once-in-a-lifetime 13-carat sapphire! It was incredible and made the day even more special. A huge thank you to Zach, the owner, who was absolutely awesome. He was so knowledgeable, friendly, and took the time to share his expertise with us, which made the whole experience even better. You can tell he's passionate about what he does, and it really shows. This was such a fun and memorable family adventure, and we're already looking forward to coming back again!

    Scam Alert -- Avoid at All Costs…read more My family arrived at Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine at 3pm and immediately realized we had made a mistake. We were charged $30 per person just to stand on the property, plus a 10% credit card fee. Moments after taking our payment, the only employee on site, Zach, announced he was leaving for the day and that we could "stay on his property." No staff. No guidance. Nothing. When I politely asked how we were supposed to identify any gems without an employee present, he became agitated and hostile. I asked for a refund since we had just arrived and no services had been provided. That's when things escalated--Zach began yelling and got in my face aggressively. We immediately returned to our car and left. The property itself is nothing but piles of rocks. No buckets or tools are provided -- you're expected to scavenge everything yourself. Bags cost $20 each unless you post a positive review on the spot, and they charge another $75 just to evaluate anything you might find. It's pure extortion. I have since filed a police report and am actively working to recover the $165 we were charged for absolutely nothing. Please sort reviews by "lowest" before visiting--many people describe similar experiences. This place feels unsafe, unprofessional, and predatory. Stay far away.

    Photos
    Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine
    Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine - Flume and sifter

    Flume and sifter

    Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine - Digging in the mine

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    Digging in the mine

    Highlands Road Gem Mine - 22 month old baby enjoying playing in the dirt mining for gemstones

    Highlands Road Gem Mine

    5.0(2 reviews)
    33.3 mi

    This is the place to go gem mine! I've been to several gem mining places in western North Carolina,…read morebut this place is by far the best experience I've had. The people who own and operate are by far the most knowledgeable and passionate I've seen, and our buckets were loaded with gems (we got the 60 buckets). They mentioned they are a newer operation, and it's a smaller operation, but it made it that much more enjoyable to get the personalized service and their immediate excitement over the gems we are pulling out of the sieves - almost like a "boutique" experience. They took pictures for us as well! After all the gems were washed, we went to the store to get them bagged up and looked at in the UV light. They do offer cutting services, which we will likely go back and have them do on some of the more glamorized stones (rubies/emerald). We got rubies, topaz, amethyst, quartz, emerald, garnet, moss agate, moonstone, aventurine, aquamarine, and more! The store itself is stocked with all kinds of jewelry, sculptures, and other treasures. They have REAL dinosaur eggs on display! I cannot speak highly enough of the experience and the people - it was a hidden gem for sure (see what I did there)!

    My family and I went looking for a place to mine gemstones but in January many locations were…read moreclosed for the winter. We ended up trying the Highlands Road Gem Mine and the experience was great! The owners (both husband and wife) were so kind, helpful, and gracious for our group of 9. Despite it being about 25 degrees and windy, they both stayed outside at the mining trough with us the whole time (45-60 minutes), and continually assisted us by identifying the stones we found, explaining where they came from, the local town's gem society, museum, and attractions, and took many pictures of us which they sent to our phone. As far as the gem mining, we all walked away with 1/3 of a gallon bag of stones, moon stone, ruby, garnet, amethyst, emerald, and others. We really enjoyed the experience of gem mining but with their assistance and active participation and help, they made the experience that more memorable. Thank you for all you do and for welcoming my family.

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    Highlands Road Gem Mine
    Highlands Road Gem Mine
    Highlands Road Gem Mine

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    Asheville's Best Gem Mine - Geodes!

    Asheville's Best Gem Mine

    4.9(102 reviews)
    21.5 mi
    $$

    We have been gem mining in many places over the years and we found Asheville's Best Gem Mine to be…read morethe BEST! The owners are sooooo knowledgeable and Holly's excitement over each gem is contagious! It was a great value too - an excellent amount of gems in our $25 buckets. What wonderful people. Can't wait to come back!

    My little family was looking for something to do with our 4-year-old while on our way to visit…read morefamily. We were warmly welcomed by a patient and knowledgeable Holly. Holly and her trainee were both helpful and very kind. Every time my son wanted his rocks looked at and identified they came right over, shined a light on them, and got him excited about having found something very special. They have a wide selection of buckets at different price points. We did the smallest kid bucket because of time, plus we've done this once before somewhere else and what we got from that other gem mine was not totally worth it. Totally different experience here. Our bucket was full of lots of gems and our son was pleased to get so many from the card. Dalmatian jasper, petrified wood, pink quarts, an emerald, crystal point, amethyst, garnet, pyrite, and more. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there and my son was engaged, happy, and eager to show everyone his gems. Thank you for the time and experience! I know we'll make a point of returning on the next drive up - my son wouldn't let us forget!

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    Asheville's Best Gem Mine
    Asheville's Best Gem Mine
    Asheville's Best Gem Mine - They even have a real dinosaur egg

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    They even have a real dinosaur egg

    Crystal Mountain Gem Mine - gemstonesandminerals - Updated May 2026

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