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    Rockhound Ridge Gem Mine

    5.0 (14 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Services - Rockhound Ridge Gem Mine

    Gift shops

    Rockhound Ridge Gem Mine Photos

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    Wayne is a very knowledgeable & kind Human

    I WOULD GIVE THIS PLACE 10 STARS They are ABSOLUTELY AWESOME They are VERY Knowledgeable & their KINDNESS is PHENOMENA. I truly can't say enough great things about this Establishment.I felt like I'd known these folks a long time. The Rocks that I was able to purchase are Sooo Amazing. You really get a great deal for your $$ And Let me Say.... MY Guide "WAYNE" was ABSOLUTELY the BEST He was very Kind & Patient & so very knowledgeable, all the employees that I encountered there was just FABULOUS BIG Thanks Cara for your Kindness while I browsed all the amazing items in the store & your knowledge of everything My entire Being was so rejuvenated & uplifting It was a Fun & Pleasurable experience that I Will ALWAYS Remember Enjoy Life JoeJoe From KY

    Maeby L.

    Chose those gem mine over others because of good reviews. Not disappointed. Ive been to tons of these places and this was the most and best stones for the price. Best experience! Tons of great stones! The picture you see is all of our gems from doing the family deal ( 2 $25 buckets plus 1 free small bucket). Carrie sat with us and helped us identify our gems. She was super knowledgeable, friendly and nice! Definitely made the experience more special. Cara was also great! She was funny, real and she makes it a point to only source great quality stones. She also cut the small geodes we found for free :) The shop is also great! Such a big collection. Something for everyone and great prices. We will definitely be back!

    We came to this area for four days and visiting one of this gem mining places was on our bucket list. Several are rated pretty good, but we picked this one because we were driving by it. From the minute, we got out of our car and was greeted by Crystal we were hooked. She explained how the process worked and was super friendly. We went inside to meet Kara (owners wife) and the customer service continued as outstanding and within 10 minutes I picked a 5 gallon bucket for our project mining experience. When we got outside, Crystal, and Wayne, who is like OMG, the stone expert, and quite the past. Super knowledgeable possibly better than Google. he spent a lot of time with my wife and I but as other customers came, he peeled off and gave them excellent service too. We spent about two hours there taking our time going through our bucket and ended up with probably 20 to 25 pounds of rubies, sapphires, amethyst, emeralds, and 20 other kinds of gems/stones. We have one small Ziploc bag with maybe 20 stones in it that could be worth pursuing getting mounted in some necklace pieces or even rings. When we left there, we both thought that we could not have picked a better place to stop and spend a couple of hours to tackle that experience.

    One of there butterfly pieces
    Kelsie D.

    Just went there yesterday and got a few amazing pieces they are soo friendly and love to explain will definitely go back

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    2 years ago

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    9 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Such a nice gem place. Love the mine here!! Very nice workers with an amazing display.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    5 years ago

    We had a great time and it was a very good value. Everyone was friendly and the kids had a lot of fun and learned a lot.

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    Review Highlights - Rockhound Ridge Gem Mine

    Shane recommended a very inexpensive bucket seeded with marbles for the child instead of pushing a more expensive choice.

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    Mountain Heritage - Mountain Heritage Gift Shop

    Mountain Heritage

    4.5(2 reviews)
    16.4 mi
    $$

    "I'm selling candles, sister." -- Once Upon a Time, Season 1, Episode 14…read more What a cute little shop along Main Street in Highlands, NC. My friends and I walked in to look around during our New Years trip to the area and enjoyed perusing the store. It's small, but packs quite a bit of merchandise and quite the variety as well. I'm not sure if the store has a true theme as there was everything from candles to gift cards to jewelry to some religious themed kid's books - but everything was very nice and mostly well-priced. I will say that the battling scents of all the candles and potpourri-type items they had in the store gave me a bit of a headache (combined with the heat on full-blast), but the staff was super friendly and asked if they could help me with anything. They seemed quite excited to have just received their first review on Yelp and were talking about it while I was looking at items at the front counter (gave me and my friends a smile). I was quite excited to find glass nail files (not an easy find) which were hand-painted - also very reasonably priced. I bought myself a couple and was on my way. Making a mental note for the next time I am in the area as these are great for gifts as well. They also had some earrings that I had my eye on - very nicely crafted. Definitely one of the top stores to spend your money in along Main Street - worth a stop!

    The best gift shop in Highlands! "We want everyone who walks in the door to be happy," says owner…read morePenny Chambless, "whether they buy something or not." The music sets the mood, and it ranges from toe-tapping bluegrass to old-timey hymns, all instrumentals using mountain dulcimers and the like. Shoppers begin to smile and reminisce, and memories of older, simpler times often cause a story to be shared. Penny patiently listens to everybody's stories; she says that's what makes her day. She has good merchandise, nothing too expensive, because she knows times are hard. Personal service is her forte, a box, gift wrap, a little extra tissue please. Funny cards cause laughter to erupt and joy seems to spread through the store. There are lots of bears, cute metal signs, bird houses, candles, garden flags, angels galore, journals and note pads, jewelry, and ,"you know, things my regular customers keep coming back for." And come back they do. Over and over they say, "This is my favorite store. We always come to Mountain Heritage when we come to Highlands, and we always find something we like!"

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    Mountain Heritage
    Mountain Heritage
    Mountain Heritage

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    The Cottage Craftsman - Strawberry Lavender & Ginger Peach Syrups

    The Cottage Craftsman

    4.3(4 reviews)
    13.8 mi
    $$

    Recently came here to explore some of the downtown stores in the area on my vacation. Staff here…read morewas really friendly. Found a few great items to gift as friends as well as potential stocking stuffers as well. Clean store with a variety of home goods and other unique one of a kind products you don't see anywhere else. It was a bit overpriced.

    The Cottage Craftsman is an awesome find. You're welcome. ;)…read more Beautiful pieces of pottery were spread throughout the front of the store. Plates, mugs, dishes, and more. If I hadn't been flying home, I would of bought more than just the one dish. I'll be back on my next trip for more. If specialty foods are your thing, then you can also find some treats at The Cottage Craftsman. Cheeses, sauces, syrups, and more. I went home with two syrups made in North Carolina - Ginger Peach and Strawberry Lavender. After touring the Biltmore (because I had to see where Richie Rich was filmed - duh), I was regretting not snagging some wine to take home. Luckily for me, while shopping in Bryson City, I found a few different Biltmore wines at The Cottage Craftsman. I bought a few, including their Christmas at Biltmore Limited Edition to bring home. There are also handmade soaps, jewelry, and other unique items to purchase. If you want to snag some pretty awesome gifts for yourself or someone else, then step on in to The Cottage Craftsman. You'll be happy you did.

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    The Cottage Craftsman
    The Cottage Craftsman - Ironing board

    Ironing board

    The Cottage Craftsman - Biltmore Wines

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    Biltmore Wines

    Rockhound Ridge Gem Mine - jewelry - Updated May 2026

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