We have visited numerous gem mining venues in NC and TN with very satisfactory results. These…read morepeople fill their buckets with gravel (not sand) and our experience was that less than 1/2 of 1% contained any rocks not considered gravel, so at 99.5% gravel they are making a lot more money than all the other gem mining operations. Our $129.99 "Gloryhole" bucket was junk literally and in reality. A word to all who read this: AVOID THIS JOINT!!!!!

I came here with my family and we got the big bucket, we got lots of great gems. The value was…read moregreat for the amount of gems we got. I can't wait to go back ! The service was amazing, the people up front were so nice.

We were expecting a run-of-the-mill gem mining operation, but we got so much more! Du Bois was such…read morea great guy, and he made the kids feel welcome, special, and super excited about gems. We ended up spending around 90 minutes here, most of it was mining for gems then learning about what we found from Du Bois. His energy and love of rocks was something you don't see every day. We can't wait to come back. Also, ironically, we first stopped at Sugar Creek gem mine in Banner Elk, but everyone was packed in a small room and their payment system went down when we arrived. So we went down the road to the Greater Foscoe mine and had one of our best experiences in the mountains. Highly recommend it.

We had so much fun at the gym mine with our daughter and granddaughter. We got some really large…read morestones and then took them next door to the jewelry store and had many of them cut into gems and made into jewelry. The staff was incredible we love Dabois, Mike, Logan, and the gemcutter Zack were all fantastic. Zack cut a tourmaline and set it in gold to replace the pendant I had lost. It was so beautiful. He also made a set of citrine consisting of oval cut stones for earrings, ring and pendant. Gorgeous. My husband got a ring with 3 stones. My daughter got a ring of rose quartz, a Mexican opal pendant and our granddaughter got an emerald ring. And they were done in 24 hours!!

This souvenir and clothing shop gets three stars purely for the service, which was a masterclass in…read moreexistential time anticipation. Every single customer who approached the clerk, whether buying an overpriced T-shirt or a tacky magnet, was greeted with the same intensely desperate and loaded phrase: "Can't wait until 6 PM." When I finally asked why, he just scanned my purchase, sighed, and explained that's when "the clock stops ticking on this shift." Since it was only 4:35 PM, his singular, desperate focus on the next 85 minutes transformed a mundane trip into a profound, albeit awkward, lesson in yearning. I hope 6 PM was worth it.

I live out of state but needed to find some Iron-On patches from the city of Blowing Rock, NC. I…read morephoned this store and spoke with Tracy who was very helpful in getting me the perfect patches and is shipping them to me. Wonderful and friendly customer service, Tracy! Thank you!

A fun little vintage/antiques shop tucked back off the street, Those Were the Days is a great place…read moreto wile away an hour if you are a lover of the old or the quirky. It is set up like a typical antiques mall with items provided by different vendors, so you'll see some items priced higher than others based on who the vendor is, but I found the prices overall to be good. I stocked up on vintage glass decanters that were priced well below what I would normally see at similar stores in other cities, which was surprising given that resort town prices are often inflated. We met a vendor as we browsed, a friendly older gentlemen who asked about the items we were inspecting and told us where he sources most of his wares, and the lady who checked us out was also helpful and kind. Lots of records and toys, but you'll also find all the variety of items you expect in an antiques market. Finding the set of chicken decanters and the world's largest witch's broom were worth the trip even if I hadn't scored so many of the decanters I was searching for that day. We will definitely make this store part of our itinerary every time we return to Sugar Mountain.

Was really fun to look around but sadly most of the booths priced things way too high. I'm from…read moreWilmington NC and our thrift and antique stores carry many of the same genre of items for half the price of what they were being priced at here. Left empty handed. Nothing was worth the price.

This turned out to be an extraordinary experience and opportunity. I took the Rio Doce one day…read moreFaceting Class out of curiosity and left with a stunning 14mm (huge) quartz gem, as well as a new appreciation for the time and craftsmanship required to create beautiful gems from materials that start off looking like an ordinary rock. The cut was a round, brilliant and brilliant it was. I learned about the process, made all the facets and then polished it. It was amazing to see the transition and final faceted gem. The class was taught by Elaine, one of the owners. She is a very skilled gemologist, great teacher and very patient. They also offer a one day Cabochon cutting class for beginners and a six week course for the more serious student. If you have the time and interest, I highly recommend this rare opportunity.

i purchased one of their "Rio Doce" buckets which was around $150 I think. It's not on the sign…read moreoutside that's included in the photos. The bucket was all facet grade rough. It's not the highest quality but it's a huge change from you get get out of similarly priced buckets from other rock shops with sluices. They also offer classes in faceting. I'll cover that in my next review. Gotta go!

YummiYarns is a treasure-the highlight of my day trip to Burnsville! Wendy was an interesting,…read morekind, open, lovely shopkeeper. She knew EXACTLY where everything was. Looking for a bulky, dark yarn for a one skein cowl? She pointed me right to it and gave me a few ideas along the way. She was helping others with knitting questions and chatting with other visitors. She has a huge selection of yarns and a brain catalogued with patterns and info. Stop in and enjoy this charming place!

Yummi Yarns is more than just a wonderful little yarn shop; it's a gathering place. Wendy is warm…read moreand engaging with everyone who walks into her shop. She also carries a nice selection of yarn, supplies, and other useful items.

The owners are extremely knowledgeable, helpful, friendly and professional. The store is always…read moreclean and the jewelry is presented in a very attractive fashion. They do custom work and are very talented craftsmen. The business is an asset to the community.

We enjoyed shopping in this store and found the perfect earrings for my girls. The couple that…read moreowns the store were very nice and patient as my 3 shopped. We make it a point to visit every time we come to the mountains.

You can find antiques every piece is a treasure The owner was extremely nice me and my wife find…read morelots of beautiful items in this treasure hunt Unique place