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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

    Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine

    4.0
    (12 reviews)
    34.9 mi

    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.

    DON'T GET SCAMMED!! READ THIS FULL REVIEW FOR ALL THE DETAILS. I really wanted to love this place…read more The fact that Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine is unsalted is what brought us here--it felt like a rare opportunity to experience an honest dig and possibly find something special. And we did. I found what appeared to be a naturally formed ruby crystal: very clear, vivid red under lighting, and visibly fluorescent--something gem-quality by any measure. Unfortunately, the excitement ended in the dark room, where we were invited to examine the stone. A staff member, Eric, took it to look more closely and never gave it back. We left empty-handed and deeply unsettled. Eric was extremely excited about the stone, literally did a little jump and said "WOW!!!" while examining it, and then the stone disappeared while he was holding it. Before we left, he said he thought one of the other miners there "swiped it," but there were no other miners working in the dark room at that time. Makes me wonder if this is business as usual when someone makes a good find--encourage them to hand it over in the dark room and then palm it. We trusted Eric at that point. He had been helping us with our questions and giving us great guidance all afternoon. We called the next morning to speak to Eric about the situation, but no one answered and after leaving a voicemail he didn't return our call. I'm sharing this not out of anger, but because others should be aware. If you visit: Keep all stones in your line of sight at all times. Examine them in daylight if possible, before entering any enclosed spaces.Politely decline if someone offers to take the stone from you to "look closer." If you make a great find but want to continue mining, put the find in a safe spot in your car and lock the car. Show it to no one. I hope this was just a misunderstanding. But it didn't feel right, and I wouldn't want anyone else--especially children or first-time rockhounds--to lose something they worked hard to find. This could still be a great experience, but only if you advocate for yourself and protect your finds. I encourage the mine to put better safeguards in place.

    Photos
    Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine
    Flume and sifter
    Flume and sifter
    Digging in the mine

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    Digging in the mine
    Highlands Road Gem Mine

    Highlands Road Gem Mine

    5.0
    (3 reviews)
    33.3 mi

    This is the place to go! Great people who know their stuff about gems. We bought the $60 buckets…read moreand wound up with lots of sapphires and rubies. Even an emerald. They even offer cutting and polishing which is cool.

    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)!

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

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    Little River Gem Mine

    Little River Gem Mine

    4.8
    (19 reviews)
    67.7 mi

    this place is a must if you're in Pigeon Forge!…read more Adorable setup, smaller but they have everything you could want with gems etc. we made a short stop here before going down into the strip of Pigeon Forge and bought our 3 girls the $20 bucket to sift through. Nice big rocks that were easy to do in about 20 minutes. Great for younger kids. My 2 year old son loved playing in the water haha. Another plus is if you want, after they mine for the gems, they can take them inside and the owners will tell them which kinds of stones they got. They loved this part a lot! Really was a nice touch. We saw another big gem mining place farther u to town, but it was busier, less personal and more expensive. I was so happy we went here instead of the bigger/more commercial places I definitely recommend this place for a smoother experience!

    The best mining we've ever been to. The owners really try to give the kids a treat and on top of…read moreit, they had Fossil mining! My kids begged me to write this 5/5 review. Yes it's pricier than the others but the bucket is huge and easy for 2-3 kids to share. And the haul was amazing. We got a megalodon tooth, fish fossil, a massive geode that they opened for him on the spot and so much more! We def got more value than what we paid. The staff shared the enthusiasm of my boys which made the experience even more rewarding

    Photos
    Little River Gem Mine
    Beautiful rock garden.
    Beautiful rock garden.
    The smallest of the gemstones found in the $20 bucket.

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    The smallest of the gemstones found in the $20 bucket.
    Asheville's Best Gem Mine

    Asheville's Best Gem Mine

    4.9
    (104 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
    They even have a real dinosaur egg

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    They even have a real dinosaur egg

    Crystal Mountain Gem Mine - gemstonesandminerals - Updated July 2026

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