GEMS
Large deposits of almandite and rhodolite garnet of gem and abrasive quality are known in Clay, Jackson, Macon, Madison, and Burke Counties.
Fine red colored, gem-quality pyrope garnets have been found in the wastes from placer gold operations in Burke, McDowell, and Alexander Counties. Rose-pink rhodolite garnets are recovered from gravels in Cowee Creek near Franklin, and Mason’s Branch near Iotla, both in Macon County. Rhodolite can be found in situ on Mason Mountain.
Deposits in Yancy County produce fine-quality, bright blue facet-grade kyanite. The same deposits produce small amounts of bright red, facet-grade rutile.
North Carolina is well known for its hobbyist production of sapphire. Sapphire have been produced from the Cowee Valley in Macon County since 1895 when the American Prospecting and Mining Co.
Lucky Strike Gold Mine
The Lucky Strike is a gold and gem mine with a campground that is committed to making sure our visitors have a memorable outing. You can take a step back in time to the days of yesteryear by taking a pan or sluice box into the stream.
Experience the thrill of that golden gleam in your pan that only finding your first flake of gold can give. It immediately inflicts you with what the old timers called gold fever. Beware; when you see that first glint of gold in your pan you will be hooked! Gold fever has no cure but to hunt for more gold.
We also have Gold Panning at the flume line with local ore from the Second Broad River. When you get tired or hungry you can visit the Miners Diner , located next to the covered panning area and have a delicious Bonanza burger or Klondike dog with a frosty glass of Sluice Juice.
Jims Gems and Gold
Jims, Gems and Gold LLC. brings the thrill of panning for genuine gemstones and gold to Moore County, North Carolina. Whether you come as a family, birthday party or group, Jims, Gems and Gold is the perfect choice for a day of fun. Both young and old will enjoy the experience and wonder of finding their own treasures.
Emerald Hollow Mine
The Wizard of Oz had his Emerald City, but North Carolina has the real thing. Deep in the Brushy Mountains about 20 minutes northwest of Statesville is the little town of Hiddenite. Many of the world’s largest emeralds, including the million-dollar “Carolina Queen,” have been found right here, and one emerald mine in Hiddenite is actually open to the public for amateur prospecting. Some valuable gem-quality stones have been found, but the Emerald Hollow Mine’s biggest treasure is its mother lode of inexpensive family-friendly outdoor fun.
Doc’s Rocks Gem Mine and Appalachian Fossil Museum
Sit at the flume and sift through a bucket of ore from local mines to see what treasures are buried in it – maybe rubies, sapphires or fossils.
Chimney Rock Gemstone Mine
https://www.chimneyrockgemmine.com/
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains and foothills, among the oldest formations in the world, contain a complex mix of rock types that time squeezed, fractured and folded into gold, precious gems and minerals – some still waiting to be found.
Gem and Mineral Museum
Located in the old Macon County jail, this folksy museum welcomes families and school groups to eight rooms of gems and minerals from all over the world. It’s run by the Gem and Mineral Society of Franklin and is staffed entirely by volunteers.
https://www.fgmm.org/?utm_source=www.visitnc.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=downstream
