Nestled snugly in the foothills of the beautiful Brushy Mountains, this North Carolina Emerald mine is located in the small town of Hiddenite, North Carolina. This is recognized as one of the most unique and interesting geological locations on the North American continent.
Host to more than sixty different types of naturally occurring gems and minerals, a virtual treasure trove of gemstones can be found at gem mine! Many of these are very rare, including emerald, aquamarine, sapphire, garnet, topaz, amethyst, citrine, rutile, and tourmaline, along with an abundance of world-class smoky and clear quartz crystals.
Hiddenite is also famous as being one of the few places on earth where the very rare gemstone "Hiddenite" can be found. Visitors to the mine are equipped with a shovel, a pickaxe and a bucket and can hunt for emeralds, hiddenite, quartz,…There’s also a full-service lapidary on site that can transform rough stones into glittering mementos.
The hours of operation are 8:30am to sunset (ranging from 5:00pm in mid-winter to 8:00pm in mid-summer). They are open every day of the year, except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
According to gemsociety.org; smithsonianmag and visithickorymetro.com
