Top U.S. Spots for Gem Hunting

When you think of mining for the “big four” gemstones — diamond, ruby, sapphire, and emerald — it’s easy to imagine places like India, South Africa, and Colombia. However, you can find these stones and many others at plenty of gem hunting spots in the United States. Most of these sites aren’t on the same scale economically as mines in other countries, but they make exciting gemology-themed vacation destinations for the lone prospector and the whole family alike.

Gem Hunting is a Great Vacation Idea

Grab your gear and head to one of these prominent US destinations. You could find gemstones worth thousands of dollars where you never imagined treasure lies. A gem hunting trip is a great way for beginners to learn about gemology, especially kids.

Before You Go Gem Hunting

Before traveling to any of these sites, please confirm their dates and times of operation as well as their rules and guidelines by visiting their websites or calling ahead. Don’t forget to make your own lodging arrangements nearby if necessary.

Group mining. © Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine. Used with permission.

Emerald Hollow Mine, Hiddenite, North Carolina

Find glittering, gorgeous emeralds in Hiddenite, only about an hour’s drive from Winston-Salem, NC. The Emerald Hollow Mine is home to the only emerald mine in the United States open for public treasure hunting. You can check out findings from the mine at sluiceways or do your own prospecting, digging, and hunting for a small fee.

Gem sluice, Hiddenite, NC. Photo by Robert Nunnally. Licensed under CC By 2.0.

Although known mostly for its emeralds, the 70-acre site can also yield sapphire, tourmaline, garnet, topaz, and aquamarine. (The town of Hiddenite was named in 1913 after the gemstone hiddenite, a rare variety of spodumene discovered in the area). Open year-round, the mine boasts gorgeous scenery, too.

Mining for gemstones in Hiddenite, NC. Photo by BuzzFarmers. Licensed under CC By 2.0.

Crater of Diamonds State Park, Murfreesboro, Arkansas

Want to mine for diamonds? Murfreesboro is the place to go. The Crater of Diamonds State Park, 120 miles from Little Rock, AR, is the only existing mine where visitors can prospect for diamonds and keep their findings. Stay at the park campsite and enjoy wildlife and natural scenery as well as some sparkling stones.

You’ll see diamonds everywhere, even laying in the dirt, but you can rent equipment at the park for deeper digging. Once you have a pan of stones, head over to the office so an appraiser can check your stash to see how much your sparklers are worth.

Crater of Diamonds State Park. Photo by Matt Howry. Licensed under CC By 2.0.

So far, visitors to the park have found well over 30,000 diamonds, including a 16-carat beauty in 1975, so your chances of landing a stone are high. As with other diamond deposits, most of the stones are small and included, but some fine gems have been found here.

Crater of Diamonds State Park. Photo by ZhaoScorpio. Licensed under CC By-SA 2.0.

In June, 2015, an 8.52-carat diamond was discovered at Crater of Diamonds. With an estimated value of $1 million, it’s the most valuable diamond ever mined in the US.

Gem Mountain, Spruce Pine, North Carolina

Looking for aquamarines? Head to Spruce Pine’s own Gem Mountain. The Blue Ridge Mountains are the perfect place to prospect for the beautiful blue stones as well as rubies and moonstones. Onsite gemologists can inspect your findings to see if they’re the real deal, and lapidaries can spruce up and turn your gems into pieces of jewelry before you head home.

Sifting under a covered flume. © Gem Mountain Gemstone Mine, Spruce Pine, NC. Used with permission.

Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine, Franklin, North Carolina

Search for rubies inside the Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine. You can sluice through rocks and dirt with a screen and look for precious treasures, including sapphires, garnets, and rutiles. The price of admission is low, and the fun level is high, so make it a family outing. The mine is open for gem hunting to the public from April through October. The backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains will make it a beautiful summer vacation.

Rutile find. © Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine. Used with permission.

Ruby find. © Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine. Used with permission.

Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine, Philipsburg, Montana

One of the most beautiful states in the country, Montana also makes a great destination for gem hunting. Montana sapphires are increasing in popularity as engagement ring center stones like the one above from CustomMade. Their unique blue-green color sets them apart from other sapphires.

Check out Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine for some stellar prospecting. What will you find when you sift through the dirt and gravel at Gem Mountain? Sapphires — and lots of them.

A gorgeous blue-green 5-ct Montana sapphire set in 18k rose gold by CustomMade.com. Photo used with permission.

Gem Mountain, Philipsburg, MT. Photo by Richard Sprague. Licensed under CC By 2.0.

The staff will help you clean your gems and assess them, so you’ll know which stones are worth saving and possibly turning into wearable pieces. You can also purchase sapphire gravel to take home or ready-made jewelry designs featuring the gorgeous Montana sapphires.

“Quincy Picking Sapphires,” Philipsburg, MT. Photo by Glenn Harper. Licensed under CC By-SA 2.0.

More Montana Gem Hunting Locations

The Eldorado Bar and Spokane Bar mines in Montana produce sapphires as well as many other gemstones. The Eldorado Bar Mine is private property, but you can call them to reserve digging time during the summer. The Spokane Bar Mine offers digging options as well as gem gravel bags you can sift through, on site or at home. Tours are also available.

Rainbow Ridge Opal Mine, Virgin Valley, Nevada

Colorful and unusual, opal is an eye-catching gem. Mine your own at the Rainbow Ridge Opal Mine. This mine has produced very valuable stones, some worth upwards of $50,000. Bring tools and buckets. You’ll be doing some serious digging to get to the treasure here, but your hard work could pay off. The mine is open from May to September.

Three pieces of opal from Virgin Valley, Nevada. © Rob Lavinsky, www.iRocks.com. Used with permission.

Bonanza Opal Mine, Denio, Nevada

If you’re gem hunting for fire opals, visit the Bonanza Opal Mine in Denio, Nevada. The mine is open from May to September.

A great find. © Bonanza Opal Mines, Inc. Used with permission.

Crystal Grove Diamond Mine, St. Johnsville, New York

New York is home to Broadway shows, plenty of shopping, Times Square, and the Statue of Liberty, but did you know New York state is a great place to mine for gemstones? Crystal Grove Diamond Mine is the place to go to find Herkimer diamonds, beautiful quartz crystals that are fun to mine. These crystals were first discovered in New York, and the perfect clarity of some of these stones makes them very popular with gem hunters. You can rent or bring your own prospecting tools. For big embedded crystals, you may need a chisel or hammer to break them out of the rocks. It’s worth the effort.

The gem known as “Herkimer diamond” is actually a type of quartz, like this crystal from Herkimer County, New York, USA (2 x 1.3 cm). Photo by Didier Descouens. Licensed under CC By-SA 3.0.

Fairy Stone State Park, Stuart, Virginia

Staurolite gems can form in natural cross shapes that have inspired numerous legends. You can pick these so-called “fairy stones” or “fairy crosses” right off the ground in Fairy Stone State Park in Stuart, Virginia.

Natural cruciform staurolite or “fairy stone,” found at the Fairy Stone State Park, Virginia. Photo by Virginia State Parks. Licensed under CC By 2.0.

Gone But Not Forgotten: Closed Gem Hunting Locations

The following well-known gem-producing sites have all closed permanently or closed to the public.

Jackson’s Crossroads Amethyst Mine, Wilkes County, Georgia

Jackson’s Crossroads Amethyst Mine in Wilkes County, Georgia is now closed to the public. This site produced amethysts with beautiful purple colors and red and blue flashes.

Violetish purple amethyst, 8.55 cts, 16 x 12 mm, oval brilliant, Jackson’s Crossroads, Wilkes Co., Georgia. © The Gem Trader. Used with permission.

Morefield Mine, Amelia, Virginia

The Morefield Mine is now closed to the public. The owners are planning to close and seal the underground workings and ultimately flood it with groundwater. Please contact the owners through their Facebook page for more information. Just under an hour from Richmond, VA, the Morefield Mine was known for its vast amount of amazonite. Other minerals mined here included garnet, amethyst, beryl, topaz, and many others. The Morefield Mine has its own exhibit of stones onsite as well as one at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.

Topaz in situ. Harvest and photo by Mark Joseph Wylie. In the collection of Sam Dunaway. Morefield Pegmatite Mine, Amelia Co., Virginia, USA. Public Domain.

“Treasures from the Morefield Mine.” Photo by Ryan Somma. Licensed under CC By-SA 2.0.

Gem Hunting Alternatives

Want to take a gem-themed vacation but not really into the outdoors? There are numerous gem shows throughout the US where you can do your gem hunting indoors (or at least in the shade).

Every February, the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in Arizona attracts visitors from around the world.
Quartzsite, Arizona also hosts a well-known annual gem show from January to February.
Denver, Colorado hosts an annual Gem and Mineral Showcase with many diverse offerings.

Source: International Gem Society. Top image: Sapphire crystals from the Rock Creek deposit of Montana courtesy Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, National Mineral Collection.