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!!!

A real gem of a store! The front half has items for sale but the real prize is the owner's…read morecollection of rocks, gems, minerals, etc located in the back half of the store - it rivals even the Smithsonian in variety and size! And it's free to view! As a rock enthusiast I easily spent an hour just wandering the collection and store, definitely recommend stopping in.

What an amazing place! I had a couple of links taken out of a gifted watch and they are very…read morepleasant to deal with and removed links while we toured the shop. Amazing merchandise and a gem museum is in the store which in an of itself was amazing. Highly recommend!!

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.

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.

Well I have been consigning here for quite a few years. Enjoyed spending my sales credits also. But…read morenow they are charging a "bookkeeping fee" of $10 per month so if you don't pick up your money every month, it dwindles away to nothing. I will no longer patronize this store. White Squirrel in Brevard is a better option to take or buy consignment items. I'm peeved because my last drop off had some expensive designer clothes in perfect condition and I didn't get a penny.

Beautiful clothing, purses and shoes. Very organized, and staff is very friendly and helpful…read more Bought a red wool jacket and red/tan Coach purse. Can't wait to wear!

Why do people visit antique stores?…read more I suppose there are a number of reasons, and for me, there are at least two: I never know what I might find that I may or may not have known I needed; and, I can get my steps in by walking through to (possibly) find that elusive item. There is a great selection at The Village Hound, the people are helpful and friendly, and there is adequate parking for your visit. Go there. They may have just what you want!

Agree with the first review. We were initially drawn in by the antiques, where we found some very…read moreinteresting things. Lots of antique china, furniture and other things. But what we really liked was what is affectionately known as the "The Dog Room". Lots of toys, doggie sweaters and shirts, life jackets and countless other items for sale. The owner was very nice to talk with, very clearly a dog person. We also got to meet her dog, who was just as friendly. We ended up buying our pup a new, snazzy collar and a toy fuzzy trout (yes, trout), which he loves! Great little find and we enjoyed our visit!

We were walking around downtown Highlands and stumbled upon this shop tucked back away from the…read morestreet. The gift shop is full of lots of options, but I fell in love with a towel that had and image of two hikers with their dog and a quote about enjoying new adventures with one another. Talk about describing us perfectly! I had to get it for a memory of our trip to the NC mountains. Staff was very friendly and welcoming as well - love that small town mountain vibe! Highly recommend stopping by if you are in the area!

Owner said I had to hang my umbrella before coming in after I already broke it down and shook it…read moreoff. What he didn't realize is my wife walked in just before and not a word said. Keep in mind he had NO PLACE to hang an umbrella. I chose to stand in the pouring rain opposed to going into his plain gift shop. Rude man. Your floor are gonna get wet when it's p possibly rain outside.

Four winds pottery is located off the beaten track, just south of Franklin NC, however, the trip is…read moreworth it if you like beautiful, unique, handcrafted and reasonably priced pottery. Gallery owner and potter, Marie, is a gracious and personable host.

Beautiful Artist creations in pottery. The colors are fantastic. A hidden gem…read more Eclectic, handmade art pieces. Have seen her work displayed in Highlands stores and local galleries.