Gemstone hunting in hiddenite North Carolina
By tiggyann
@tiggyann (614)
United States
January 29, 2007 2:21pm CST
Here is where I like to visit, every year I try to get to the mine to hunt for emeralds....they have a nice emerald depsoit here and found many ruby's emeralds, sapphires and more. This place yo can dig in the creek all day for one low price, bringing home some beautiful semi precious stones.
This placew is also where the mineral hiddenite comes from. It's said to be the only place in the world where it is found.
It is also said the biggest emerald in the USA has come from this mine, estimating $1 million dollars.
thought I would share! :)
krissy
13 people like this
30 responses
@7nicole1 (1633)
• Canada
30 Jan 07
Thats pretty interesting. I have been following your discussions but yet to find out how you ever became invovled with this? For me when I was younger I bought a metal dector and found some older coins from the 1800's but after that kind of lost interest in it till I started seeing your post. So thank you for rekindling some old memories.
1 person likes this
@sweetcakes (3504)
• United States
30 Jan 07
What's the best place off the beaten path to find good quality rubys and sapphires?
1 person likes this
@brightbluesea (1143)
• United States
30 Jan 07
I would love to try doing this at least once! My kids love to look for regular creek rocks when we're camping so this would be a real thrill to find some real gems!
@vincent72 (1633)
• Australia
30 Jan 07
wow tiggyann its a beaut .. you a gemmologist by any chance? ... love to go there and check out the digs i have been to a few here in australia .. mainly opal and gold fossiking tho. must be some great sites over there thank you for the look. :) ..live long and prosper.
@tiggyann (614)
• United States
30 Jan 07
nope, I am a fanatic about research, I could sit for days searching for new rocks, any type of treasure hunting period.
It's funny it's like my calling in life and this is what I'm meant to do.
if you were to ask my family, you would know how I have done a total turnaround in my life.
I was introduced to crystals 5 years ago. a person on the internet was helping me to rid the bad spirits that were tormenting me and my son. She suggested many things, and crystals was one of those things. I went to the local herb shop on e day and bought my first quartz crystal and put it under my pillow to help protect me while I slept, it worked somewhat....wasn't till the florida hurricanes of 2004 our home was destroyed and we moved down the street, really close to the old home. It's so much peaceful now though. I started to collect these in hopes to keep them away and then a monster was born. lol. I got into it so bad, I would spend days reading everything I could about them and vowing I will have a rock of every kind in the world one day. Will not stop till I have them all.
Then when my husband jeff's buddy got me interested in a metal detecting and my husband bought me my first detector, then I totally got hooked on this too!
It's like I'm a junkie and I'm looking for my next fix. rotflmao
krissy
@krislouiebaby (2347)
• Philippines
30 Jan 07
wow that is nice, finding jewels on the creek is fun,i wish to go there and hunt too.
i will have a grand time finding semi precious jewel, and bring it home,,
@tanaclark (570)
• United States
30 Jan 07
That sounds really awesome. Can just anybody go there? Do you have to make reservations? I have always loved mining and precious stones. (in the raw form) I think I would have the time of my life there. Can you give me anymore info on it? Like a number or website? Thank you
1 person likes this
@ladymoonstone143 (1507)
• United States
30 Jan 07
I would love to try this one. My hubby and I are talking how beautiful NC is. When we will be able to go there, I will keep this in mind. Thanks for sharing.
@tiggyann (614)
• United States
30 Jan 07
North carolina is one of the most beautiful places I have been, I go there twice a year...I have been in the mountians many times...my inlaws have two homes there a lake front home in lake gaston resort and also a home in Fayetteveille. Near their fayetteville home there is waterfalls there and I go visit them every year and last year I found a huge chunk of high quality smokey quartz crystal, they were everywhere a boulder came down the waterfall and broke apart when it got to the bottom, I collected and brouhgt it home. It now sits by my computer! :)
krissy
@sherrir101 (3670)
• Malinta, Ohio
30 Jan 07
This would be so much fun. And to think I have only found a few pop tabs and an old fishing lure! Just think, an emerald. North Carolina is on my list now!
@Savingsibes (175)
• United States
30 Jan 07
I watched at travel show not long ago and she went to several different parks that are free and open to the public. I believe the diamond mine is in Arkansas. I saw a newspaper clip not long after, that someone had found a perfect diamond of over 2 carats there, the largest that they had found of that quality in some time. There is also a place to pan for gold. All of those places have areas for camping etc. How fun to rent a RV or camp out with the potential to find a treasure!!
@gabbyheart (63)
• United States
30 Jan 07
where is this place located? I live in the western tip of NC and just wondered.
@tiggyann (614)
• United States
30 Jan 07
this mine is in hiddenite, a small little country town nestled in the foothills of the mountains.
Here is the site for you to check out
www.hiddenitegems.com
Alittle info before going. You are allowed to bring your own equipment. Don't bring a full size shovel, they don't allow it, people were digging in the creek and not covering the holes and little kids were falling into the holes and they banned it. They dig allow me to bring my little pal shovel it's a small version on the big shovel.
they do allow rocker boxes. I got to bring mine, it helps, you get much more stones with the rocker box.
A rocker box is a old timers gold sluice.
krissy
@mobyfriend (1017)
• Netherlands
30 Jan 07
Thanks for the link. I will pass it on to my husband who is a member of a big mineral collectors society in my country. It's a nice idea if one of the members visits the States and comes to that area.
@samsonskola (3357)
• United States
30 Jan 07
i spent a good many of my childhood years mining the hills of North Carolina..they are wonderful memories and i still have everything i found there...i plan on going back one day and hopefully taking my grandchildren..
@GardenGerty (157551)
• United States
30 Jan 07
Hiddenite is a stone I am not familiar with. Would you like to tell us more about it. I never heard about this area, only Crater Lake in Arkansas, that is supposed to have diamonds.
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
30 Jan 07
I have been in similar place in Tennessee. I love it. It is so much fun and very relaxing. I did find many stones, all small. I keep it as good treasure.
I was thinking to do it again this spring. I also heard that in Arkansas is graet place to do it.
@sweetgirl_k1 (3972)
• United States
30 Jan 07
I live in North Carolina. This sounds like something fun to try. Maybe I'll go sometime and see if I can find anything. Thanks for sharing.
