as being found in Macon County (personal communication with the NC Geological Survey Western office). We did not know any difference because we had not been mining before. A large sapphire or ruby at the native mines start at about 10 carats and a big haul of stones is about 50 to 100 carats in a day The geologic literature does not mention emeralds, topaz, aventurine, sodalite, etc. The employees went through our rocks and threw them out saying they were not sapphires or rubys. Sheffield Mine Cowee Mountain Ruby Mine Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine Read more Keep exploring. The Sheffield Mine was the first mine we went to. Contact them for operating hours and rates. If seeing the sights is on your list of things to do, head to Sheffield Mine just one of the landmarks located 6.2 mi (10 km) from central Franklin. The source of this information, aside from me knowing I only found purple rocks, is the gemologist and geologist down the road from the Sheffield mine who runs a lapidary. Just don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty!īelow is a list of mines in the Franklin area. The prices are the same and Cherokee gets their material from the only ruby bearing source in the US, Sheffield mine HAS NO RUBIES, only sapphires. Although Mother Nature seems to have bypassed spring altogether this year, the weather of late is perfect for those looking to continue the gem mining tradition in a beautiful part of Southern Appalachia. Lennox and Addington County, Ontario, Canada : This entry reflects the current geopolitical boundaries of the district, replacing the former, individual entries for Lennox Co. That person could be you!įranklin and the surrounding area have various gem mines for families and individuals to choose from. Ever since, folks have traveled to Franklin in search of precious gems, and quite possibly, a chance at finding the next big one. During that time several companies constructed mines to discover and capitalize on the source of Franklin’s ruby and sapphire explosion in the 1870s.
That exploration established a tradition in Franklin, which morphed into gem mining in the late 19th century. Spanish Conquistador Hernando de Sota ventured through the area in the 16th century, searching for gold and other treasures. Franklin, North Carolina is renowned as the “Gem Capital of the World” for good reason.
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