We've been to the other mines in the area and this one is by far our favorite…read more.... Great Experience!!! Highly Recommend!!!

We decided to mine here on our last trip it was a great experience! Staff are friendly…read moreknowledgeable and helpful! We brought back the star ruby we found and had our wedding rings made. Highly recommend!

Unbelieve!! Such a FABULOUS experience! Took my 4yo granddaughter to go mining and she was…read moreenthralled!! Wayne assisted us and was so incredibly knowledgeable and generous with his time explaining and showing and educating! So affordable! Came away with a big bag of GEMS Highly recommend!!

This place was such a hidden gem! (Get it?). Family owned and ran, they were so friendly and…read moreknowledgeable about each stone we found. Sam even took the time to separate all the valuable stones from the rest and had them bagged and ready for us. Lots of options to fit into any price range. Definitely recommended!!!

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.

As a self-proclaimed rock hound, Rose Creek Mine met all expectations and more…read more Our family of 6 went on Sunday, most of us choosing the "DIY Dig" buckets for $20 per person. The experience consisted of digging up two buckets of dirt from the pile that was recently hauled from their Smokey Mountain mine, and using the provided equipment to sift through little by little. The DIY dig touts "non-salted" buckets, which was important to me, giving us as close to a real boots on the ground mining experience that a family of all ages can expect. The pictured peach moonstone was my favorite find of the day, and I also took home some really unique and reasonably priced pieces from the gift shop. I've done a few "dig & sifts" across the states and I was especially impressed with the staff helping to identify the material found and packaging up and labeling for later. The extra few minutes spent was so appreciated. Special shout out to Miss. Nancy for making my family's visit extra special!

It was really nice to look through and find the rocks myself, being able to dig it up made it even…read moremore exiting when you found something. I would definitely come here again!

This shop is a hidden gem! I felt like I was in a museum. They have curated such beautiful and…read moreunique pieces. There is something here for the professional and for the novice crystal lover. I left with a lemurian, charoite pendant, and some beautiful selenite pieces to add to my collection. I highly recommend this magical shop!

Very fun experience for our 2 little boys. The goats and bunnies are very friendly! My son did the…read moremining and scored some really cool gems and fossils! Will be back someday to do the kayaking!

beautiful place with very nice people. i got so many gems for only $50!!! So much fun!! woman…read moreworking was very informative and showed me what each and every stone was. i WILL be back.

If you're in the Highlands North Carolina you have to check this place out! I honestly could spend…read morea day in there. They have everything from home decor to little knickknacks, botanicals, essential oils, Beautiful jewelry... I could go on and on. I just wish she would open one in South Florida!!

I stopped into Unique Elegance on a whim, because I saw some absolutely gorgeous tapestry in their…read morewindows. What I found inside was even better. I found lots of tribal style jewelry, lots of jewelry that relates to my hobby of bellydance and lots of other eye catching ephemera. Once inside, the owner was all too happy to help me out. He even cut me a deal on a very lovely coin necklace. It was lovely to speak with him on the subject of Middle Eastern dance.

Adorable store with a LOT of items inside! Super friendly gentleman working today. We found a few…read more"must have" items! Definitely recommend that you pop in while visiting Andrews!

Go check this place out! The most unique and never to be seen again treasures. The owner Jackie is…read morea delight to chat with. Her talent goes beyond shabby chic! If interested in learning how to create your own, she has chalk paint classes too.