What a total gem of a shop! Everyone here was awesome, happy to answer any questions you might…read morehave. They have gorgeous displays and lots of different gemstones to peruse. The even have a small museum of things I got their mystery eggs and loved what it sas packed full of! All the gemstone glitte.

Shhh.. don't tell anyone. There isn't going to be a 10 carat ruby/sapphire/diamond hidden in that…read morebucket of dirt. But nothing is more fun than watching little kids try so hard to find one, especially in a place with all the COVID precautions needed to keep everyone safe. We had a fantastic time at Crystal Mountain. The "mine" is well set up with all sorts of crystals and stones on display and available for purchase. On the right side of the shop is a sluice that runs roughly 30 feet. If you head into the back of the mine, you will see fossils and other unusual finds. After walking around a bit, we decided to go with the green bucket to split between our two girls and used an online coupon to save a few bucks on it. The green bucket comes with all those little extras, including a geode, that kids find so important. The very kind and well informed owner/manager of Crystal Mine carried our bucket to the sluice and showed our girls how to find those special stones. He gave us several bags to hold their treasures and then left us to 'mine' for gems. Our girls cried out over every little find. They especially loved anything quartz. The owner came to check on us and showed the girls how to tell what kinds of gems they were finding. We filled up four bags with various kinds of stones including a huge geode. Once the bucket was empty, our girls looked over the store and the owner helped them make their own necklaces. We appreciated how mindful he was of expense. Each one cost just $6 when all was said and done and yet he made our girls feel as if they were wearing Cartier. The best moment came when he cracked their geode. In an unexpected bit of good luck in rotten 2020, the big geode turned out to be two geodes. Each one cracked to reveal a cavern of crystals and our girls were simply thrilled. The owner wrapped each one in paper so they could take their geodes home. Our kids had such a good time in this gem mine. It filled them with wonder, something I want for them every day. Much of the credit goes to the owner/manager. He made every moment into an experience... even if we didn't find that 10 carat sapphire.

I love this place. The rocks are superior to anywhere I've ever been and the prices are incredible…read more The staff is so knowledgeable and friendly.

I have never seen so many rocks and minerals in one place. I will be returning! Got some awesome…read morechunks of petrified wood, snowflake obsidian and malachite while here. Really loved seeing all the rocks and will try to dig around a bit near re next time when it's not raining and soggy cold outside. Everyone here was super nice and welcoming ready to chat about rocks. Great energy. Lots of cool items from raw to polished materials- pretty good prices for some especially the raw outside stuff and they had a sale for October for certain stones Can't wait to return

My wife and I visited to experience cuvée valley mining in early September, 2026. First to arrive…read moreand was very happy about the instructions from our host. We found a 13 carat Sapphire along with 5 in the (1-4) size and about 60 under a carat. This was a very enjoyable process and we are looking forward to another visit

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.

This the best gemstone and mineral shop I have ever been to. Ruby City Gems has some of the most…read morebeautiful pieces I have ever seen; especially the hand-carved gemstone spheres - the Onyx, Snow Flake Obsidian, Copralite, Travertine, Pink & Green Jade, and Green Victoria ones were striking. Some items here are quite expensive, but these items are rare and truly unique and beautiful. They also have many affordable items for sale as well. There is a massive selection of loose gemstones, healing stones, and smaller items that can be purchased at a very reasonable cost. Ruby City Gems has a wonderful selection of jewelry for sale, including 14K gold, sterling silver, diamonds and more. Staff here also perform jewelry repairs onsite, very cool! One section is dedicated to hobbyists where you can purchase rock tumblers, lapidary equipment, un-cut and raw gems by the pound, tools, and much more. Towards the back of the store, you will find the free museum showcasing thousands of beautiful polished gemstones, spheres, Indian Arrowheads, Native American and Pre-Colombian artifacts, and the most unique petrified wood you may ever see. Staff were very friendly; the store was organized, and clean. If you are in Franklin, N.C., I highly recommend a visit. This was one of my favorite stores to shop while visiting Franklin.

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.

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!!!

Owner and employees are very friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable. Large selection of choices…read moreas to "native" bucket sizes and well as other buckets with various gem stones.

This mine experience was great. It was indoors, lots of things to look at, and everyone was super…read morenice and knowledgeable! We bought a medium bucket and got lots of beautiful gems. We didn't get duplicates. And then for free they will cut down a gem to your picking and ship it to you if you're far. I definitely recommend this Gem mine!!

Really lovely gallery with a wide selection of local artists' work including fiber arts, pottery,…read moreand painting. I found a lovely botanical cast, which looks great in my house. The staff was very helpful and friendly. I also must say that I am impressed with the prices. They have some beautiful pieces, including several incredible landscape paintings, that are all very affortable. - much more so than the places in nearby Asheville. It is definitely worth a visit to Waynesville to check out his story before you buy elsewhere.

Did some shopping on a rainy day with my wife. They have a very nice selection of paintings,…read morepottery and crafts from local artists. They even have some really nice tables and chests that would have been great for purchase had we not had to ship them. Excellent customer service, my wife purchased some small craft items which they gladly packed individually in bubble wrap. I would definitely recommend stopping in to support this local business if you are in the area.

Nice little gallery with some cool things from local and non-local artists. Unfortunately no hours…read moreare posted on the door or the website, so you'll have to guess if they're open. I was there Saturday afternoon and they were open, but I tried to go back Sunday at 10:45am to buy more things but I was unable to do so. When I was there they were hosting a basket weaving class that looked like a lot of fun. Sadly I can't find anything about when those happen, if it is a regular thing etc. We were only in town through today, but it would be nice to know for future visits to the mountains.

Debbie, the owner, is the loveliest lady and very knowledgeable about all of her products and local…read morehistory. I can't wait to come back.