Gem mining has been a local tradition in Franklin NC since the 1800s. Many attempts to find the "mother load" of rubies in these Carolina mountains have been made over the years, and though none have ever found an actually vein you can still find some naturally occurring rubies and many other gems within the soil.
It's fun for the whole family! Grab a bucket of dirt, take to the flume (trough of running water) and start discovering the hidden beauties within the mud. Find rubies and sapphires, quartz, emeralds and pyrite. There are so many possibilities you never know what you'll get!
Many of the gem mines have experts to on hand to recommend how to cut your discoveries and make them into jewelry and keepsakes!
Gem Mining
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