Hands down the most fun mining experience we've had! You get to dig your own buckets out of the…read morepile of dirt they truck down out of the mine. John, the employee at the sluice, was incredibly helpful, approachable and friendly. The owners, Tom and Ginger, are warm and welcoming. The restroom at the shop is clean and tidy. They have an amazing variety of jewelry and cut stones in the Our party, including my 76 yr old mother and two boys (11 and 13), had a fabulous time. Everyone found more than one ruby. Several of them were really good sizes! We've been to lots of local mining venues. This was by far the best. The cost for the day was $40 for adults, $20 for kids and under 6 yr old are free. We are already planning to go back and take friends!

I had the best time gem mining with our grandsons I've ever had ! Not only is this a lovely spot…read morebut the owners are so very knowledgeable and accommodating as well as their on site staff ! The all around experience was amazing, fun and entertaining enough to capture the attention not only of a grandma but of an 11 and 13 year old ! You don't want to miss the this "gem " of a gem mining experience!!! You will not be disappointed!!!! We will be back again very soon! See you there!!!

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.

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)!

I brought my 9 year old grandson in to check out stones. One of the owners was there and so very…read morehelpful. He explained the various rocks and gave my grandson an education in chemistry and geology, which was awesome! We will be returning and encourage people to bring kids in for the educational experience. Excellent customer service!!

I went to Rocks and Knots almost by accident. I was there for a different business and saw the…read morerocks in the front window. Wow! The store is full of gems and precious rocks, many mined by one of the store owners. There are hand done tie-dyes. macrame wall art, purses made by hand and a ton of other stuff. The owners are very knowledgeable and super helpful and friendly. Everything is fairly priced and they gave me an extra bit off the total because I bought a few things. Oh yeah, the rock and gem guy makes beautiful custom jewelry as well! I would definitely recommend this store for gifts for people you have a difficult time shopping for. It is probably the most unique store in Waynesville. 5 stars!

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.

This place is almost too much fun. Give yourself at least 90 minutes and preferably a whole…read moreafternoon to check it out. It offers everything from antiques and collectibles to furniture and old fishing gear.

This store is great!!! So many treasures to look at! Great friendly staff! great prices on so many…read moregreat things!

Cool little thing pace with a plethora of gifts. Anything you could possibly want. Very friendly…read morepeople.

Love stopping here when traveling to Cherokee. Always have such great finds. Homemade face creams…read moreand the best pecan bars.

Don't miss this hidden gem!!! I've been traveling to this quaint town to visit family for almost 30…read moreyears and one of my favorite things to do is stroll up and down Main St window shopping and occasionally buying a piece of local pottery. I saw a sign for this store pointed down an alley (but not a creepy one) and decided to check it out. You are greeted with a warm welcome and the glorious smells of their homemade candles. There are so many scents to choose from which can make it a challenging experience but we selected a few. The store is beautifully thought out and set up, not overwhelming, and the products are beautiful. The woman who rung us up, I believe was the grandmother of the owner, super sweet. I think they moved from another state to settle here. They were so nice. We bought a few candles, a Christmas decoration or two, and a few other things. I hope they get good business because it's easy to miss but all of their items seem to be online so they are definitely doing it right! I can't wait to visit them again!

Love this store. Cutest stuff for the house at great prices. He makes his own candles and they are…read moreamazing. I love his seasonal decorations! Come down the stairs- so worth it!!