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    Sugar Creek Gem Mining

    4.1 (32 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndGemstones & Minerals
    Closed 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Sugar Creek Gem Mining Photos

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    Jean R.

    I know this is a family place and perfect for kids, but on a solo trip in Boone, I stopped here and had a blast. Scoop after scoop, I discovered treasures. You know that feeling - the eager anticipation, the surprise. Staff couldn't have been nicer. Highly recommend.

    We took our daughter and grandkids here to mine for  precious gems ,   Sugar Creek Gems "ROCKS"!!!!!
    Gary G.

    Our grandkids wanted to mine for gemstones so we took them here . They had a blast and my wife , daughter and myself had just as much ( or more) fun being mine helpers. 5 stars isn't enough of a rating , more like a solid 10 . Sugar Creek Gems , " You ROCK"!!!

    We're sorting gemstones at the flume.Their screens were in disrepair with large holes in the middle that were only partially repaired.
    Knightlyshadow1234 1.

    We went to five gem stores in the area. This was one of the better ones. They had slightly lower pricing although really everyone was selling about the same thing. Had a good set of gems in the mix. Of course we found Emerald Sapphire and Ruby. They're miscellaneous mix had plenty of small stones to keep us interested as we search for larger pieces. They're an outdoor Flume and although there were curtains that could be put down for poor weather they left them up in the rainstorm. They also had large holes in the screens that you use to pan. They were partially fixed but the stones would fall between the layers and that could be a hassle. Would like to see them spend a little bit of time fixing their screens. On a cold day that wasn't ideal and the roof leaked and dripped on me while panning. Still, they were a good time and we got plenty of precious and semi-precious stones.

    Appetite in the raw
    Kerry H.

    UPDATED REVIEW - WILL NEVER RETURN!!! While the experience here was 'thought' to be an excellent one, it was unfortunately tainted by EXTREMELY bad follow up and HORRIBLE service/resolution. DO NOT EVER PAY FOR OR ORDER YOUR STONES TO BE CUT! We were promised one thing an received an entirely different product. While they did respond (finally after my 3rd call into them) the resolution was "we'll give you a credit" and NO FOLLOW UP EMAIL as promised to confirm this credit or that the time limit would not expire (we may not return to the area for another year). We spent $123 for JUNK and I'm still ticked off about it...thus we will NOT RETURN because of this issue. It's really too bad as the facility & staff seem great, but administration/owners/management could give 2 _ _ _ _'s about customer satisfaction. They got our money, that's all they care about. Multiple phone calls and all the time wasted and they obviously don't care; so I'm posting this in hopes it at least warns prospective customers. Again, really too bad - simple customer service AGAIN is just a thing of the past. But I can certainly speak by NEVER giving them another moment of patronage and SPREADING THE WORD to all of my connections to NEVER visit this business! Owners at Sugar Creek - I hope the $123 was worth the bad-advertising I'll be forwarding your way!

    Entrance
    Valerie B.

    Great for the kids! A little messy but well worth it! Took home bags of gems and the kids loved looking through them. Def recommend!

    Elysia C.

    I saw several of these gem mining shops on our trip this past week from Banner Elk to Boone there are several. After reading reviews I decided to come to Sugar Creek. It was just me, my 15 year old (who spends a lot on her crystals/gems) and my 7 year old. Several of the reviews we read said to opt for the larger buckets for more bang for your buck and I'm so glad we did. We got the 5 gallon bucket to share between the 3 of us. It was an easy transaction and then we were told to go outside to the sifting area and wait for our bucket to be delivered. They were great at explaining what to look for and what to throw out (gravel), they even give you a laminated photo page to help identify what you find. After we finished off the bucket we put all our gems in small baggies they give you and went back inside. They will then put them on silver trays and sort them for you, help identify those you cannot and you have the option to order jewelry or other items. We did not order any of ours to be buffed down as we were leaving the next morning but if you go at the beginning of your trip maybe that would be a great idea! I purchased one of their show boxes ($19.99) and my son was very excited to put everything in there when we got back to our cabin. Even after filling the box we still had 3 full bags full of crystals/gems. To put the cost in perspective. Our daughter pays $7-12 for crystals at nearby shops during our stay...she spent probably $25 total before we went gem mining. I spent $60+ dollars on the bucket and we got several of the same stones she had been purchasing all week....when I say several we had about 20 rose quartz just to point out one example. We had a great time but remember if you are going when it is chilly (for this FL gal that is anything below 70 degrees) then dress accordingly, you will get wet at least your hands and a little dirty from the sand etc. We would recommend this to any age...lots of fun!

    Jennifer K.

    This place was just ok. There was only 1 person checking people in, checking people out, and running the gift shop. We were given our bucket of choice and sent into a tent to figure out the rest for ourselves. I really thought there would be an "experienced professional" to assist as, as the website suggests but there wasn't. We purchased valuable and breakable items in the gift shop but there were no newspapers, bags, or anything to wrap or carry our purchase with. I believe this place only does well based on their location. Our kids enjoyed it overall, but I was not impressed.

    Big gems in the buckets
    Pamela A.

    Wow amazing place my kids had the best time finding gems , the lady that works there is so sweet and nice and explains all rocks( gems ) everything with detail. place is clean nice and so much fun for all the family. , best place to go mining is Sugar creek mining ! Hope to come back soon we got the medium bucket best deal $64 is worth it

    Pamela F.

    We selected the smaller bucket that was about $39 & started sifting away the sand. We ended up with a couple bags of rocks/gems. Most of the stones were quartz and jade, but we did score a few low-quality rubys, too. I loved that the sifting area was covered, so you can do this rain or shine. It was a fun time and something different.

    Our findings!!

    We weren't sure what to expect, but the idea of mining for our own gems and keeping what we found piqued our interest. We found so many cool stones and gems and were able to even get a couple pieces cut for a very reasonable price! Grant, the manager, was extremely knowledgeable and went through our findings with us. He explained each stone and made great recommendations for us. He was also very patient! It was an overall AMAZING experience that I would recommend for all ages (we're in our 30s lol). Please visit if you're in the area! Thanks again, Grant!!

    Gem mining
    Stephanie T.

    We had the best time here! The staff was friendly and oh so helpful in identifying the stones we found. We filled five baggies with good sized gems of all sorts from our 5 gallon bucket. Young and old alike enjoyed the time. When doing similar activities in the past we have never found as many or as large of stones. I would highly recommend this activity. A great activity for families.

    Not even half of the stones we found in the 5 gallon bucket.

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    7 months ago

    you can find sooooo many crystals like lot go with your kids its so fun you can get a big bucket it helps me beacuse at least im not at home

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    The guy refused our business. It was 15 minutes before close. Get there early if you want to go.

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    We had a great time! The workers were very helpful and they did social distancing and sanitizing well. We got some sweet rocks, too!

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    Ask the Community - Sugar Creek Gem Mining

    Review Highlights - Sugar Creek Gem Mining

    We split the $33 two gallon bucket between the four of us and it was just about perfect and took about an hour.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    Gems by Gemini

    Gems by Gemini

    5.0(1 review)
    9.3 mi

    I can't believe I get to be the first to review. We have such a special story about GBG. My…read morehusband (boyfriend at the time) took a winter trip up to Blowing Rock years ago. We happened across this quaint wonderful little store as we were exiting the candle shop. He said, let's go in and look around. Inside we were greeted by the most wonderful father and daughter team. We were lucky enough that one of their gems dealers was in town for that weekend only. I was able to find a beautiful, vintage sapphire stone in an heirloom piece of jewelry. Long story short, I fell so much in love with it that my husband bought and it and it became the center of my engagement ring. I get more compliments than you can imagine on the work and setting they created for me. Truly one of a kind. Keep in mind this is everything that a jeweler should be. Many of them are handmade pieces, crafted with the most loving of care. This is not a chain; this is a family owned business. You will not find a better jeweler anywhere. They are the epitome of the jewelry craft in my opinion. We will be visiting Blowing Rock this fall sometime to see the changing of the colors and I will be sure to stop in again. Please take time to visit this wonderful shop, especially if you are saving up for a truly beautiful piece.

    From the owner: Gems By Gemini is a small, independent Blowing Rock, North Carolina, jewelry and gift shop…read morespecializing in colored gemstone jewelry featuring genuine stones from leading gem mines throughout the world. You may choose from the large inventory of our finished jewelry or have your new jewelry custom designed to meet your personal style & taste. We work in most metals including 10 kt., 14kt., 18kt. gold, as well as palladium, platinum, and sterling and you can trade in your 'old gold' for credit on in-store purchases or custom creations! We are very fortunate to have several extremely experienced goldsmiths that can do everything from repairs to wax carvings. Our other custom manufacturers have been carefully selected for their capabilities, quality, and the fact they produce your jewelry here in the US! Gemini can also help you with your diamond needs, whether it is a personal jewelry purchase or for a special occasion. We have access to a vast array of quality diamonds suppliers.

    The Greater Foscoe Mining Company

    The Greater Foscoe Mining Company

    3.5(35 reviews)
    4.3 mi
    $$

    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!!

    Photos
    The Greater Foscoe Mining Company
    The Greater Foscoe Mining Company - Emerald rock and turned it into an Emerald ring!

    Emerald rock and turned it into an Emerald ring!

    The Greater Foscoe Mining Company - 90% of what we found!

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    90% of what we found!

    Sugar Creek Gem Mining - gemstonesandminerals - Updated May 2026

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