Question Gold / Gem Mining in North Carolina

I've hunted the Reel Mine in Lincoln County for amethyst and found some gem quality stuff. I've searched the Crabtree Emerald Mine's dump near Spruce Pine and found some really nice specimen quality N.C. emeralds. I've found garnets the size of cue balls in Morganton, N.C. and you can go hunt the place you're talking about on TV in Hidenite, N.C. on a pay per daily basis for saphires and I think also emeralds. I'd stay away from the places that sell buckets of "salted" dirt. Sometimes you get lucky on those, but it's rare. I go myself when the family wants to go just for funzies and find something, but when I go for real, I like to go where you dig your own.
The Reel Mine was mined years ago for amethyst for abrasives, and has been long closed. The closest point I can put you to it is Iron Station, N.C. and just ask around like I did. Do your homework on this one though, because it's tricky. I usually just payed a dude at a junk yard a couple of bucks to park near the property and walked down to the mine, found a bucket full of amethyst about everytime I went, some specimen quality some gem.
There's also Aurora, N.C. where there's a place to go fossil hunting, but you have to join a club in advance and you get put on a waiting list to hunt. Every now and then they bring a dumptruck full from a good spot in the phosphate mine and dump it across the street from the museum. I found a paint can full of sharks teeth and whale vertebrae in about thirty minutes there. And it's free to hunt when they do the dump.
Also there's a place to hunt "indian coins" limonite sudomorph after pyrite that's pretty cool over in New London, N.C. The indian coins are square cubes and tend to cluster together. I'm not sure if it's in Anson, Union, or Stanly County. It's out in the country about thirty miles from Charlotte, N.C.
None of these places I've mentioned are real meccas for tourist, but I've always found good stuff at all of them. If you tank out and don't find much, there's still a lot to do around the area.

HH,
Ramapirate
 

Dan,
I have hit quite a few spots in the NC mountains with my family. My son is really into the gems and has quite a collection now. We've been to the Gem Mountain in Spruce Pines that was on the Treasures TV show the other night. It's a great place to take the kids for some fun, but like Ram mentioned, these buckets are salted, so who knows if they have any good finds in there? You may want to watch out for some of these places that try to lure you into having some of your "fantastic" gems cut and made into jewelry. I spoke to a local gemologist in that area, and he informed me that they basically just switch out your "fantastic" gem finds with ones they already have cut. Just thought I'd throw that out there. :D

Another place we like on this link:
http://www.broadrivergemsandmining.com/index2.htm
It's not as crowded, and is run by some very nice folks. It's worth going just to see the gift shop / museum that the owner Russ Wood has there. Amazing stuff. He's very informative too. I usually bring my gold panning stuff and go down to the river to prospect while the family is doing the gem hunting.

There is a great gem/mineral/fossil museum set up in the old downtown area of Hendersonville too. Very neat stuff, and the kids can pick out and crack open their own geodes too. Here's that like:
http://www.mineralmuseum.org/

As far as gold, I've been to Thermal City panning before. A lot of fun, but I never found anything yet. I'm sure others have though. I've only spent about 4-5 hours there thought. There is another place (smaller operation) about 1/2 mile down the road from Thermal City too. They salt the buckets too, but it's a lot of fun finding even gold flakes in you pan. It's worth going just to learn some of the panning techniques.

I've tried panning in some of the local rivers in that area, but have only found one small flake so far by myself. Even though it was small, it was exciting to find that piece, and just knowing I found it on my own.
I usually bring a 5 gallon bucket with me, wade out into the rivers, and fill the bucket with soil. Then I can bring it home, and pan through it at my leisure, instead of trying to do it with my wife and kids screaming.... "can we go now?" :(
Anyways, you owe it to yourself and your family to check some of the places out. It is a great time for all.
Just don't think you are going to find all those great finds at everyplace you go to, like the lady that hosts that treasure show. If I found gold, diamonds, opals, gems, etc. everytime like she does, I could retire early. ;D It sure makes the viewing exiting though, doesn't it?
Good luck and have fun with the family,
MM
P.S. Here's another event you may want to check out this spring:
http://www.ncgold.org/
 

Just wondering, what do you mean by "Salted"???

Thanks...
 

SFHunter said:
Just wondering, what do you mean by "Salted"???

Thanks...
Click to expand...

The folks running the place will put some keeper pieces in the buckets so you find something. That way it keeps it fun for everyone, and you tend to buy more and come back again.
The kids love it.
-MM-
 

On the New London question, it was just somebody's property up there that you pay a fee and go hunt and keep what you find. An indian coin is as I mentioned a limonite sudo-morph after pyrite. I don't know if there are any good pictures of it or not online. It looks like a rusty iron cubes. We took the bigger clusters that we found on our hunt and polished them with a dremel tool. They shine like a piece of polished steel then. We found the place by just asking around, New London isn't very big, and I think everybody up there knows what "indian coins" are.

HH,
Ramapirate
 

Hello Ramapirate! I am a North Carolina native and have been a rockhound for 30 + years. I once had a great map from the NC Geological Society which had maps by county and what could be found in that particular area. I also read about the "cue ball" size garnets, but the map lead us into someones yard. Could you give me a clue as to where you found these stones? I dont want to steal your spot by any means, and i would never take it all. I just Love to hunt, dig & find! I will let you in on some more sites that I know as well, and I do love amethyst, what am I saying? I love them ALL! lol thank you for your help!
 

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