Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine
Work through two-gallon buckets of ore at a flume line fed by Caler Creek, screening the gravel for ruby, sapphire and garnet.
The visit
Why it is worth the trip
The material is unsalted local ore, so what turns up in the screen is an honest sample of what a single Appalachian valley actually contains.
Before you go
The mine states that its ore is 100 per cent unsalted and native to the Cowee Valley, and that it does not offer salted, enhanced or enriched gemstones. Children under 11 are not permitted into the dig-your-own mining area, shirts and enclosed footwear are required at the flume line, and a waiver must be signed; the mine describes the work as strenuous.
Compiled from cherokeerubymine.com, read on August 16, 2026.
Opening times, seasons and prices change, and we are not the operator. Confirm directly with the venue before travelling. We take no commission on any visit.