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Miner's Gems

4.1 (72 reviews)
ModerateJewelry
Open 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

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Karen L.

What a cute store filled with fun stuff. Lots of gems to choose from. The kids will love this place! I got two pair of earrings for less than $30. An agate and a charka set of earrings. I get lots of compliments on them. The place is busy and the woman behind the counter was more than willing to help me and answer my questions. I would come back if in the area. August 2023

Dulce R.

My munchkin loves this store anytime we are in Old Town and this store is open. However, it seems there is only 1 check-in recorded for yelp.. in any event, He gawks at the Megalodon teeth each time. However if you are into gemstones, rocks, fossils like shark teeth then thisnis the perfect place for you. We have also done the rock dig. They have prepackaged bags you purchase and they take you out back and give you space in their area and show you how to shuffle the sand/dirt to get the rocks. Otherwise this place is per gram and some prices are for the entire gemstone... but mostly by weight. Pricing wise, I have noticed that prices seem high when comparing to the gem show that comes into town bi-annually. In any event, an awesome store to go through and see some history if you are trolling around old Town.

Geo P.

I can't say enough about this place. We've been coming here for about 10 years. It never disappoints. Our kids love the panning for gems. When we're in San Diego, we have to stop by and pan for some gems. Staff is super friendly and very knowledgeable. Thank you!!

The Critical J.

PROS: this place had fossils, teeth, stones, casts, and all for decent prices. This is the largest display in the area making them the #1 stop on my list for gems CONS: the two owners there were grouchy to me and didn't seem to care about helping me. They acted like they didn't want to be there OVERALL: merchandise is amazing and worth buying, but as for the help use google

Jack M.

I have to say, if you are into geology and stuff, you will like this place. They sure have a lot of cool stuff including fossils, collectable mineral specimens, gemstones, and cabochons. Some are well priced and some are quite pricey. The place is a little tight inside, especially with all the tourist around. As an educator, I was interesting in the literature and history of the place. I learned that appointment can be made for school groups two weeks prior to the visit for pan mining demonstration and for a brief history mining era in California with lesson provided in geology as well. They also sell jewelry and the more expensive stuff or "fine jewelry" has its own room. Miner's Gems is located in the old Casa de Pedrorena de Altamirano building, located in the heart of Old Town. I picked up a few ounce of pyrite to share with the students. The staff was very friendly, especially the lady at the cash register.

Dianna S.

Loved this place. Cannot WAIT to take the grandkids there. We watched a young lady panning for fossils. She had a big pile of sharks teeth to take home and was just enjoying the hunt so much! Very reasonable price too! We bought bags of assorted fossils as souvenirs for the kids. They are individually bagged and identified and my elementary aged grands just LOVED them. Smart fun!

Panning for gold.
May L.

The store is very strict when it comes to kids, but in their defense, there are a lot of tempting things for kids to reach for and knock over. Despite that, my kids insist on making this a regular stop to "pan for gold". Its a fun experience for both kids and adults and an opportunity to satisfy those curious young minds about the different types of stones from all around the world. Highly recommend it. Cash only for the planning because as they put it, they "don't make money from this". I highly recommend it.

Tami D.

We really like this gem and mineral store in Old Town. This little store has a wonderful selection of gems, minerals, fossils, and some unique home decor items. We always try to stop here when we're in the San Diego area. Although some of items can be a bit expensive here, there are plenty of beautiful things that are less pricey. My son and I enjoy looking at all cool items throughout the store, and there is a great section devoted to reasonably priced rocks and minerals for students. The cases are always full decorative items like bowls, vases, and bookends. Their shelves are also filled with plenty of amazing gems, ready to be made into fine jewelry, and there are also some really unique pieces of jewelry throughout the store. Whenever we've purchased items from here, the sales associate always puts a pre-printed description (along with the gem or mineral) into the bag so we don't forget the item's name after we get it home. This is a great service! It keeps us from forgetting exactly what we purchased here. I think this is so convenient for the customer. For a great selection of gems, minerals, rocks, fossils, and jewelry, Miner's Gems is a fun place to stop when you're near Old Town!

Calvin N. H.

One of the cool places we checked out during our visit to Old Town. This place has a big selection of gemstones, minerals, rocks, and fossils. We also found a small bowl of shark teeth that could easily be made into necklaces which we thought was cool. The items seem to be organized for the most part, but the store feels a little cluttered. We were probably in this store a good 20 minutes or so looking at everything. My god daughter found an assortment of gems that were shaped into animals. There were turtles, penguins, dogs, tigers, bears, and more. She ended up choosing a squirrel due to the fact that we love the Disney Pixar movie Up. The squirrel came with an educational reference sheet that had info about the stone, the hardness factor, and so forth. Since the store is situated in Old Town, it wasn't a shock to see that most of their items were overpriced. This is pretty much the case at most stores and restaurants located in tourist areas such as Old Town. The staff was friendly and overall, our group had a great time at this shop.

Stretchy bracelet (bead 8mm).
Dai P.

I'm a local and first time shopping at this place. I like that the store was organized making it easy to shop. The little cards explaining the healing benefits of each crystal inside the trays are so helpful. So many beautiful pieces to choose from and a wide range of pretty jewelry items. Spent a good hour in this place:) I usually go to another gem place down the street, but I definitely will be coming to this one when I want new crystals/good vibes! Prices are affordable and ideal depending what you are looking for (if you know). One of my favorite items are the stretchy bead bracelets!!

Nephew finding his gems

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I LOVE this place. Expansive collection and very nice staff. Definitely worth a trip to Old Town to visit and shop.

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Nice place in Old Town San Diego. So many beautiful gemstones. I ended up buying a trilobite fossil here.

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Review Highlights - Miner's Gems

My son wanted to go gem mining and this is the perfect spot.

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David & Sons Fine Jewelers - Engagement ring

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4.8(1.5k reviews)
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Diamondful

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5.0(79 reviews)
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Robbins Brothers Fine Jewelers - Michael M. Skus: 0440448 & 0440450

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Miner's Gems - jewelry - Updated May 2026

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