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03-02-2008, 01:44 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Aug 2006
274 posts, read 329,444 times
Reputation: 73
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Family wanting to find the perfect gemstone hunting experience in North Carolina
We'll be spending a few days around Durham, NC on our way to Washinton, D.C. in June on our family vacation. We would like to go gemstone hunting for emeralds, sapphires, aquamarine, etc. and would greatly appreciate any information on a place we could go for a exciting mining experience.
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03-02-2008, 02:03 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jan 2006
5,318 posts, read 6,312,515 times
Reputation: 2468
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The main gem-collecting counties are Alexander (emeralds and hiddenite), Macon (rubies, sapphires, and garnets), and Mitchell (emeralds and aquamarine).
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03-02-2008, 09:19 PM
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Life is a Journey
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Yellow Brick Road
20,574 posts, read 10,988,210 times
Reputation: 4104
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Quote:
Originally Posted by anjoe
We'll be spending a few days around Durham, NC on our way to Washinton, D.C. in June on our family vacation. We would like to go gemstone hunting for emeralds, sapphires, aquamarine, etc. and would greatly appreciate any information on a place we could go for a exciting mining experience.
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The closest mine to Durham would be Hiddenite, in Alexander County. The largest emerald in North America was discovered there. |
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03-04-2009, 11:36 AM
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Junior Member
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Join Date: Mar 2009
1 posts, read 1,435 times
Reputation: 15
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hello there is a gem mine where your can buy a bucket of dirt with different kinds of gems stones in it. In Danbury NC (on Hwy 8 & 89) it's in stokes county. I've been there and I really had fun found right many stones too.
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03-04-2009, 03:13 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: May 2008
726 posts, read 464,442 times
Reputation: 256
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ladyofwings1368
hello there is a gem mine where your can buy a bucket of dirt with different kinds of gems stones in it. In Danbury NC (on Hwy 8 & 89) it's in stokes county. I've been there and I really had fun found right many stones too.
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No offense, but if the OP is going to travel from Durham, he/she is better off going for the "real thing" in Hiddenite than "salted" buckets of dirt in non-native gem areas. |
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03-04-2009, 05:23 PM
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Member
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Join Date: Mar 2009
40 posts, read 17,007 times
Reputation: 20
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yeah Hiddenite is a great place for mining. Took my mom there when she came to visit from Chicago and she got a couple of rubies and emerald stones from the buckets.
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03-04-2009, 06:51 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Dec 2008
504 posts, read 200,714 times
Reputation: 430
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I have on my finger right now an emerald my son found at some gem mine near Linville Caverns. It was an impluse stop on a trip five years ago. It is near Marion, up in the mountains. A few hours from Durham. The guy they had working there was very patient with the kids, explaining what each stone was. I can't for the life of me think of the name of the place though. My son also found an onyx the size of his fist ( he was 9 at the time).
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03-04-2009, 07:03 PM
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Member
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Western North Carolina
82 posts, read 48,289 times
Reputation: 28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rockinmomma
I have on my finger right now an emerald my son found at some gem mine near Linville Caverns. It was an impluse stop on a trip five years ago. It is near Marion, up in the mountains. A few hours from Durham. The guy they had working there was very patient with the kids, explaining what each stone was. I can't for the life of me think of the name of the place though. My son also found an onyx the size of his fist ( he was 9 at the time).
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I believe you are talking about Gem Mountain in Spruce Pine, which is about 3.5 hours from Durham. |
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