Smoky Mountain Gold &amp; Ruby Mine

My favorite stop for authentic, native jewelry. General Grant and his family are simply fabulous…read moreand have a passion for people and right living. Their Wampum and Silver jewelry are original pieces of art that you will enjoy wearing while sharing the history of this beautiful area. A *must visit* when in Cherokee!

What a treasure of a find! Attended a conference in Cherokee and had one day to shop. Visited…read moreseveral touristy shops and enjoyed the variety. When we entered this gallery, we were mesmerized by the beauty, quality and uniqueness of everything our eyes could take in! As three women who love beautiful jewelry, we were thrilled, and purchased identical earrings to wear at our conference that were designed by a Cherokee elder, General Grant. We received many compliments, and felt very connected and respectful of our host culture! A must visit!

What's Hot Shop

4.5

Probably the only place within a few blocks that is not full of touristy crap. Not saying they…read moredon't have a little area for it, but this is a decent shop that I'd bring my fiancee to in any town. She found a couple little things and the place was nice.

I LOVE the clothes, jewelry and purses at this little shop! So many different bags to choose from…read more I have received so many compliments on my new purse. Large selection on carry concealed bags also. Clothing from extra small to plus sizes. An unexpected store in an unlikely place! Check it out on your next visit to Cherokee!

Ravenhawk Gifts & Collectables

2.3

Im here in Cherokee North Carolina with my family Corey Shelly and mr. Franco we drove from…read moretennessee to see the town of cherokee and whats funny is theres hardly no real indians around here and all we found is my peeps who are mexicans up here, they must of took the place of indians here i yet havent seen and indian cherokee and even mexicans were dressed as cherokee indians performing out in a store front...lol

The lady is rude asf and follows you around the store like u are stealing. I walked in an was…read morefollowed down an aisle so I went to the next aisle and this lady ran to meet me face to face staring at me from the end of the aisle as soon as I realized she was watching my every move as if I was stealing I left her store because I'm not about to get treated like that so I spent most my money at the black bear shop a few shops down... this lady is lucky I ain't cuss her ass out this is why she gets no business....

Unque Gift Outlet

•$

This little shop right as you enter the shops in Cherokee, NC had the most darling gifts! They have…read morequality apparel and blankets, authentic crafts, and stunning jewelry. They had unique and rare gifts that weren't your typical shot glass or souvenir magnet. If I travel all through the Smokies again I will definitely stop again to pick up more items.

Very nice gift shop with a variety of gifts. I loved the variety of art from the locals. Very nice…read morepeople

Smoky Mtn Gold & Ruby Mine

2.5

•$$$

It was good went back during pandemic but other wise I liked it. My kids had so much fun!!!read more

If you go there just to dig for rocks in a bucket of dirt, then this could be a 5-star experience…read more The jewelry side is just a mess. From my own experience, the sales people are VERY high pressure sales people. The lady tried to buy sympathy with me because she'd "been yelled at already a couple times today." The rocks are obviously of WAY inferior quality than you'll get at your local Wal-Mart and sterling silver jewelry is the cheapest thing around. The emeralds are a HUGE mistake. Go look on ebay for the cut & quality that you'll get from this place. The rocks that they claim cost them $80 per carat to cut you can buy online for $10 or less, not a problem. The emeralds come from Brazil, and I'm not so sure the one that you actually "find" is the one that they'll mount for you. They do it in 24 hours, so the odds that they have a stash in the back just cut & waiting to mount is high. How would we know? The other quote that kills me was that "If you take this ring to a jeweler, it'll appraise for 3-5 times as much as we're charging you for." Ummm, if you go online again and look up sterling silver jewelry with the cuts of rock they're putting in there, you can get the same thing for 1/3 to 1/5 or lower. Have fun digging out rocks from loaded buckets. DON'T BUY THE JEWELRY!

R&R Indoor Gem Mine

3.2

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!!

Grizzly's Leather

(1 review)

My wife bought me a new motorcycle jacket and chaps for less than I could have paid on Amazon. We…read moreWILL be buying leathers for her from the same store! The man even threw in a free tshirt! It's definitely worth going to Cherokee to visit their store!!

From the owner: Since 1984 we have been offering a wide array of leather apparel and accessories, jewelry, knives…read moreand much more. Come in and say hello when you’re on the Cherokee Indian Reservation. We are 1/4 mile from the Blue Ridge Parkway and Smoky Mountains National Park.

Estate House

We visited Estate House and purchased the 9 diamonds band. The Estate House treated us as if we…read morewere spending 10's of thousands of dollars. The owner was present and warm as were the sales associates. We were so impressed with just the atmosphere and warmth of the business that we came back for my husband to have ball barons, placed in a heavy diamond and gold ring as well as to have appraisals done on our other jewelry. If you happen to be in Knoxville ring or jewelry shopping, I highly recommend this store. They offer more than just high quality jewelry. They buy gold and silver coins etc. The customer service and variety of jewelry is a 10 out of 10.

I have had two great experiences now selling with Sam. He is a great communicator and pays right…read moreaway. I highly recommend doing business with these people.

Southern Charm Traditional Wear

2.4

(17 reviews)

The staff were rude and completely lacked compassion. It was pouring rain, and they refused to let…read moremy 6-year-old daughter use the restroom. To make matters worse, my wife had just spent over $200 in the store, yet they still denied a simple request. The employee who turned us away did so with an attitude and showed no understanding or empathy. I understand that businesses have policies, but there should be room for basic human decency, especially when it comes to a young child. Unfortunately, because of this experience, I cannot recommend this business.

This place is incredible! Southern Charm and the popular HD(Hammer Down) were invented here!!!…read more Worn by Country Stars to school aged kids. The shirts and hats are second to none. Southern tradition in clothing, hats,boots and shoes for every age and every size. My kids went crazy over this place. The staff are helpful and quick to help you. If you like southern hospitality and value, you're gonna love this place!!! If you are within 50 miles or more of Cherokee, it's worth the trip.

Buck & Squaw Craft Shop

We tried the bacon, egg and spinach sandwich and a bacon, egg and cheese croissant. Both were…read moredelicious. Service was friendly and fast. Very cute place. Reasonable prices. We will be back.

*New Name* Two Bears…read more The absolute cleanest and neatest shop in the area. High end quality products and cool souvenirs! Wonderful employees and a very attentive and gracious owner. I love to go peruse everything from wind chimes to trying on jewelry.

Jeni's Alterations

4.8

(18 reviews)

Super rude. I left! Asked when I needed them by. Told her…read moreshe said no. Not till the end of the month. Didn't ask if that was ok or even if I still wanted them done. Obvious she didn't want the business!!

Great tailoring, very nice owner! I have been going here for…read more2 years, oh 3 years. I'm happy I found Jeni's :)

All About Bugs

(9 reviews)

Very nice people and an overall good experience. Techs are professional and courteous and you will…read morefeel like you are being taken care of by a well run family owned business.

Justin is very thorough when he comes out once a month. We have a unique train car AirBnb so he has…read moreto pay special attention to railroad tracks and rocks. He maintains it so that no ants and spiders bother the guests. Our house is also pest free! He only charges us $65 a month so it is an excellent value!

Tailoring And More

(8 reviews)

If I could give Tailoring And More 6 stars, I 100% would! I just left the shop and didn't even have…read moreto drop off my item and leave it there to pick up later! Sherie fixed my outdoor furniture cushion cover's stitching and zipper on-the-spot! The bonus was the nice conversation while she worked. Who says Southern hospitality is dead? Sherie will prove you wrong - she's as sweet as pie! She worked so quickly and with so much skill. I could not even tell where the repair was made. I couldn't even believe she didn't charge me a thing. That was so unexpected and completely made my day. All she asked in return was to send my friends, so I am now sending you, my fellow Yelpers. You should definitely pay her a visit. She's very close to the Kroger on S. Northshore, just off S. Peters, in a little shopping center. She doesn't have a sign, so I circled around a few times, but she's located inside the dry-cleaning business that has a crown on the sign (I forget the name). if you need some alterations, a zipper replaced or even a quick stitch, run (don't walk) to see Sherie @ Tailoring And More!!!

Hems for jeans. Expert service they look like brand new! You would never know they were alteredread more

Eastside Guitars and More

If you are looking for a great guitar shop and a luthier, please consider Eastside, they did a…read morewonderdul job, and really reasonable prices. My guitar plays wonderful. Thank you Highly recommend this company

They have a really stellar guitar tech.. My guitars have never felt or sounded any better.. he just…read morereplaced the pickups and switch on my 67 Telecaster, got rid of all the noise in my volume and tone pots, no more pops and scratchy sounds. A wonderful owner and a great staff.

Pest Marshals

(1 review)

We had an ant problem.. showed up on time, did the work, problem gone. Highly recommendread more

From the owner: For all your pest control needs in Western North Carolinaread more

Mountain Lawn Maintenance

(1 review)

Great service, friendly folks. They are honest and do great work. Free estimates and service…read moresurrounding areas

From the owner: We've been in business for almost 10 years. Serving Cherokee, Sylva, Bryson City, Waynesville and…read moreSurrounding areas.

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Kristina M.

9 years ago

People are extremely rude and they rio you off. Don't waste your money. The staff there, were not very informative and played around with prices. There wasn't any thing at all in the buckets of dirt but rocks. By far the worse mine I've done. read more

Vanessa R.

104

124

373

9 years ago

Very rude staff and over priced. Not what I was expecting. The staff could have been more friendly and attentive.

Smoky Mountain Gold & Ruby Mine - jewelry - Updated August 2026

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R&R Indoor Gem Mine

3.2

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.

Mason Mountain

4.7

We've been to the area year prior and can say that this place is by far our favorite to gem mine…read more My kid's had a great time as two opted to dig sift through theirs and my youngest opted for salted. Highly recommend + the young man there was really nice and shared a smidgen of history on how his family came to own the land. We will be back, one day!

One of the best experiences my boyfriend and I had what an adventure family owned business third…read moregeneration coming on absolutely fantastic personable outgoing Hands-On find exciting beautiful stones gems to my precious precious teaching learning experience Ginger and Tom and Kate and everybody awesome treated you as family rather than customers would recommend this to anybody you have to try their male bucket service grandkids had a blast finding gems

Rocks and Knots

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!

Cowee Gift Shop & Mason Mountain Mine

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!!!

McClanahan's

3.0

•$$$

Great variety of items but extremely pricey.read more

We stopped in while walking around Bryson City and noticed they had more higher-end goods than some…read moreof the other gift shops in the area. My wife found some extremely comfortable socks and purchased some. The staff were very pleasant and chatted with us for a bit. Definitely a mountain cabin aesthetic, but as I mentioned, more high end.

Wild Fern Studios

4.3

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.

Twigs & Leaves Gallery

3.6

(5 reviews)

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.

This is my favorite art store when I am in Waynesville. So many talented artists are showcase…read more The store clerk was friendly as well.

Maggies Gift Shop

3.3

Amazing variety and really great prices. I found a gift for…read moreeveryone! I thought I was gonna get them the usual trinkets , but I actually found good stuff they all loved! The staff was also super friendly and kind to my kiddo!

Typical tourist shop! Magnets, shirts, eccentric memorabilia to remember your trip to Maggie…read moreValley/Tennessee. Don't see your size but like the logo? Don't worry! They screen print on the spot and it does not take long at all. She made 2 shirts in less than 10 mins; that's including paying for our purchases. The employee that was working was very nice as well. Just started talking like we've known each other! Always a good thing while you're on vacation. No bathrooms available. But the ice cream shop 2-3 stores down has one that you can use. Plenty of parking available too.

Tribal Pawn Shop

3.0

Their selection was better than many of the shops we visited in Maggie Valley and Waynesville…read more DVDs, games, tools, jewelry, guns and other things. Overall prices I saw for jewelry were a bit pricey and so were the firearms. The service was good and they greeted us when we arrived but didn't find anything they we were crazy to get

We come to Cherokee quite a bit we have purchased jewelry there before my husband went in to give…read moreme a surprise and when he got the ring it did not fit me and did not have enough gold to have it sized I called them to ask them if he could exchange it for a different ring we did not want our money back and the guy was really rude and said there's a sign outside that says there's no exchanges or refunds to be quite honest I believe it was also overpriced but that's to be expected my husband did not read the reviews before he purchased the ring just wanted to trade it for something that fit me that I didn't have to put money into it if you want good service and good prices try a different pawn shop

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