Ruby, Rubies, Sapphire, Sapphires, Gem Mining, Mining, Native Stones, Fun, Kids, All Ages, Rocks, Lapidary, Gifts, Gems, NC, Franklin NC, Outdoors, Vacation, Groups, Field Trips, Jewelry, Western North Carolina, Mountains
SHEFFIELD MINE
Open 7 Days a Week
-  Rain or Shine -
April 1st thru October 31st 
10am to 5pm*

* Because Native Mining takes at least 2 hours,
We accept our Last Customer usually between 2:30 pm & 3 pm
~~~~~~~~
Please DO NOT use Map Quest, Yahoo Maps
or even a GPS to find us - You will get so lost!!!!!!!!!!!

If you're coming from the north, they will put you onto an extremely narrow, windy road that ends at a Gated Comunity - high upon a
mountain in the middle of nowhere and you will have to turn around and go back to Hwy 441 without a clue as to how to find us from there! From the south you will needlessly travel extra roads that will take up valuable time!

Please Click Here for DIRECTIONS

*******************************************
SHEFFIELD MINE
A Genuine NATIVE
Ruby & Sapphire Mine
- And So Much More!!!

 

Hey ya'll, Fall is here and the Summertime rush is over! Which means NO WAITING and best of all, the Honkers are still plentiful! The leaves are beginning to change into all the beautiful colors that you expect this time of the year and even the temperatures will soon be cooling down. So now is perhaps the best time of all to come and find your treasure - remember, we are closed in the winter, so if you can't make it now, you'll have to wait for 5 long months for Spring to roll around again.

Picture of Mine

 During the
2007 Season,
over 500 Honkers
were found along with
23 Super Honkers! - 

But get THIS -
As of September 9, 2008
there have been
over 600 HONKERS
and 29 - count them -
29 SUPER HONKERS!!!
and we still have almost
Two Months of great mining
before the season is over!

Woa Nellie!!!
- You need to get here SOON
so YOU can find a
HONKER or SUPER HONKER

Hmmm.....Wonder just
how big your Ruby
or Sapphire will be??!!

 

Open 7 Days a Week
-  Rain or Shine -
April 1st thru 
October 31st   

10am to 5pm

 


Poster Bed For a comlete list of places to stay in FRANKLIN - Campgrounds Motels,  & B&B's  click here for the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce

 
A lady from South Dakota found 2 Squeakers and 1 Honker on August 22, 2004 - A man from Seattle Washington found a Super Honker on October 31, 2007 - so you see, people come from far and wide and many of them leave with a great souvenier!

Shake off that Cabin Fever!
This is a GREAT time for a 
Weekend Family Outing!!!

If your kids are grown or you don't yet have any, then a Weekday trip to the mine during the Spring or Fall is advisable.

 

DIRECTIONS

What Will It Cost?
How to Dress
How Much Time is Required?


"Super Honker"
Hall of Fame
Click here for Pictures of 
other Super Honker finders!



Marvin "Bud" Holmes
165 ct Ruby
5-11-04

This is a rare Twinned Stone 
- If they were not conjoined, 
you could probably see 
6 sides to each one!

 

Alexis RogersGary Donna Leeann Wood


Anna Marty Maddox

 

No matter what your age, when it comes to rocks and dirt, we're all kids again; hoping that the thrill of discovery will brighten our lives!!! 


And it DOES!!!

 
Largest Ruby Found 
Since the new
Millenium began -
is 488 Carats
by Eugene King

We open at 10 am daily!
Hope to see you soon!

As Seen on The TRAVEL CHANNEL 

America's Best Places for 
Cash & Treasure!

This site was last updated on
9-9-08

Handfull of Rubies & Sapphires

Please understand that you
NEED to arrive at least
2.5 HOURS before closing time!!!!
Actually - the earlier, the better
- you'll have more time for FUN!!!

We are open from 10am to 5pm
and we take our last customer at 3pm

- YES, YES, YES -
it REALLY takes that long for your
2 Starter Buckets of NATIVE DIRT!!!!

Ruby and Sapphire mining is not difficult and you don't need any special or fancy tools that God didn't already give you - Your Hands and Eyes! All you need is TIME - at least 2 and 1/2 hours.

If you only want to do a a couple of quick and easy Enriched RAINBOW Buckets, then 30 minutes before closing is OK - but bear in mind that you won't find NATIVE North Carolina, Sheffield Mine specific, Rubies or Sapphires in a RAINBOW BUCKET - Rainbow Bucket stones are Semi-precious Stones that come from all over the world - Rubies & Sapphires are Precious Stones and OUR Rubies & Sapphires come from this ground, right here - OUR Rubies & Sapphires are not imported like the Rainbow Stones are!

Our "Claim to Fame"

is our NATIVE DIRT that might contain a RUBY or SAPPHIRE! And plain and simply, NATIVE Buckets require way more than just a few minutes!!!

- Sadly, if you do arrive late - within 2 hours of normal closing - you'll have a couple of options:
  • You can possibly mine ONE Native bucket & One Rainbow Bucket
  • Or you can possibly mine TWO Rainbow buckets
  • Or there may only be enough time for you to look around, & we will ask that you return the following day if possible or some other day in the future

 By closing time, we have had a very long day that begins well before we open to the public and often ends hours after everyone has gone for the day and on top of that, just like you, we must also manage to eat a meal and get some sleep. So even if you have driven for several hours, please don't expect us to stay open for 1 or 2 more hours just for you - and also remember that while you were driving, at least you were in a climate controlled environment which we weren't and hopefully you enjoyed your drive in the beautiful mountains!

The reason that we often have a Waiting List is because we are popular - And we are popular because Gem Mining HERE is way soooo much FUN and often REWARDING - And most people who have to wait will tell you that it was well worth it, but to avoid a wait altogether, just get here at 10am!!!

Don't plan on doing something else in the morning and then mining in the afternoon - if you really have to cram two activities into one day, then GEM MINE FIRST and save your second activity for the afternoon!!!!!!

Picture of Mine

Sheffield Mine - Franklin, NC
828-369-8383
e-mail

Handfull of Rubies & Sapphires
Scroll down for a Life-size picture.

All Native Rubies & Sapphires!

*************

We're having
a GREAT
2008 Season!

Over 600 Honkers found so far - and there's more still waiting to be found!!!

NOW
Lapidary Shop

right on premises so
you can watch us
CUT STONES!


* * * * * * *

Please Help us!

We need
empty

FILM
CANISTERS
Film Package

For every Grocery Bag full of FILM CANISTERS,
we'll give you an extra bucket of Native Dirt for FREE!

Please do not bring medicine bottles - it is FILM CANISTERS that we use - medicine bottles are too hard for many people to open.

 


Come to
Sheffield Mine
Leave your cares behind,
Play in the dirt
& discover that .....

Gem Mining
truly is a
World of FUN
& it's for EVERYONE!!!

 

 

This is one of only two places in the Whole WORLD to find 
Native Star Rubies! 
Largest Ruby found 
in 2002 was 
488 cts!!!



is the 
Home of the
"Honkers"!

 

Ti-Lea & Dennis Downing
on their Honeymoon - May 18th 2002

Ti-Lea & Dennis also went thru a Salted Rainbow Bucket - Even adults sometimes enjoy the variety of stones found and how easy a Rainbow Bucket is to work thru, especially  compared to a Native Bucket - 


But if you want
Rubies & Sapphires, 
you still gotta go Native!

Specimen Rock found by Mandy Porter.

While Specimen Rocks do exist, you do NOT need to bust open rocks to discover them!!!!  Once your rocks are adequately clean, you'll be able to see a glint of Purple somewhere on the rock if it's a specimen stone and you'll be aware that you have found an interesting stone indeed.  Most of the time, it's not a good idea to pop-out the Ruby because they are still under too much pressure and you run the risk of destroying the ruby, so it's usually better to keep your specimen stone as a fabulous conversation peice!

Specimen Stones are best displayed by getting them VERY clean - you can use a wire brush - it won't hurt the ruby.  Once the stone is clean and dry, then spray it with clear acrylic and use it as a paper weight or table top decoration and enjoy!


We can Cut & Polish almost any Stone that you find (some stones are too small or too scragly) - whether you found them here or even if you happened to find them somewhere else.

All Stone Cutting is at

VERY REASONABLE PRICES!

You can schedule a Field Trip
 (15 or more actual Paid-Up Miners - $1 off per person)
In the SUMMER you can only schedule a Field Trip if your group is willing
to arrive no later than 9am - otherwise, you may have to wait like everyone else
and instead of sitting altogether, your group is subject to being split up ( 3 here, 4 there , etc)

1-828-369-8383

* Hunting for Rubies &/or Sapphires takes 
a Minimum of 2 hours 
- so plan your trip accordingly and 
don't get here too late!

We absolutely sell NO Native Dirt one hour before closing!  But you have until closing to  finish up the buckets you already have or go thru Rainbow Dirt or Emerald Dirt. 

Jordan Fox
- 1999 -

Yeah,  its a dirty job, 
but hey,  someone's
   gotta have fun!

 

So just what do Rubies 
look like in the rough???

Here's a handfull of Rubies found 
by Jack Porter in April 2002.
Notice that the picture is lifesize!

Jack is one of the ones who seem to have a 
ruby-magnet somewhere in his genes! 

Notice the PURPLE color peeping out thru the muddy outer crust!

To find Rubies & Sapphires like these requires a lot of patience and perserverance and scrubbing and rinsing and scrubbing and rinsing of the rocks in your tray.  The average person needs to Scrub-Rinse about 4-5 times per tray load, otherwise you will NOT get the rocks clean enough to discover that some of those rocks are actually RUBIES & SAPPHIRES!!!!!!!! 

Guess how we find our Sample Stones! - Too many of our customers half clean the rocks, decide there isn't anything worthwhile in the tray, throw out the half-washed rocks and leave discouraged.  Then when a heavy rain comes to finish the washing job, we find the discarded Squeakers and Honkers on the other side of the flume line! - It's too true!!!  So please pay attention to us when we try to show you what to do and feel free to ask us questions at any time - that's what we're here for!!!

And while they just look like a bunch of purple rocks when you find them, they turn into beauties like these when they are cut and polished!

Star Ruby Ring

Can you see the STAR in the Man's Ring - 2nd picture from the right?

We take orders for Cutting & Polishing your stone. 
Lapidary right on premises!  Most Reasonable Rates around!!!!!

 
Charlotte with her Daughter Zoe - 
of Robins, NC

Helping out is Mike Kovtuschenko
Summer 2001

As you can see, at Sheffield Mine, we like to 
get 'em hooked on Rocks when they're 
really quite young!

Zoe is is just 2 1/2 months old.
And what a cutie-patootie!!
And here's another cutie-patootie -


2 year old Jason 
of Orlando, Florida
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

We can always tell how much fun a child  has had by how dirty they are when they're done!!!!

- Heck -
That's true for the adults  as well!!! 
Seriously!!!!

Meet the "Board of Directors" of 
Bucket-Pounders Annonymous

Left to Right - Vice President, Scott Franklin - 
Secretary, Bill Stine - President, Eugene King

These fellows are addicted!!! 
or maybe it's afflicted - we're not sure which!!!

Bill, of Norfolk, VA comes as often as possible and goes through 20 to 30 buckets in a day.  He's fast because he knows just what he's doing and just what to look for. Most people should only attempt 10-15 buckets in an 8 hour day. Trust us!  Most people who attempt to rush through the buckets at break neck speeds throw out most of the good stuff and we find them later after a heavy rain has finished the job, that in reality, they only started!  Rocks need to be really really clean to be sure that you aren't overlooking any rubies or sapphires!

Scott, all the way from Maine, came vowing not to leave until he had found a Super Honker, which he did - 116cts, and then he stayed another couple of weeks just because, and of course found more rubies and sapphires!  He estimated going through nearly 300 buckets of dirt including a tractor load, (he decided that the tractor load was too stressful and went to the buckets like everyone else - [We no longer sell tractor loads.])  Occassionally, he'd skip a few days of coming to the mine to rest or do laundry.  Scott was here from late July through mid September.  His dilligence paid off!  Scott left Sheffield Mine with well over 600 cts of Rubies & Sapphires including his Super Honker and an absolutely classic six sided  beauty of a Honker that I was more impressed with than the Super Honker that he found. 

And then there's Eugene from Canton, NC. 
Scroll down to read more about Eugene.

We Love Field Trips !!!!
in Spring or Fall

Gem Mining can be both 
FUN & EDUCATIONAL
for people of all ages!

Let us show you how. - Groups of 15 or more receive $1 off admission per person!
Scout Groups of 5 or more also qualify for the discount! Each member of a Field Trip also recieves a Rock Hound Button souvenier.  And School Groups also recieve a brief history of Sheffield Mine and the Cowee Valley of NC.


Reservations required for FIELD TRIPS!

 

Meet Eugene - 
The Ruby King!

He's a real Rock Hound's, Rock Hound.
A Bucket Pounder Extrordinaire!

From July 4th, 2001 until Nov.18th, 2001
this man has averaged visiting Sheffield Mine at least once a week.  On Nov.18th, 2001 we weighed out his finds and you just won't believe it!

Eugene found  over  5997 cts
of Rubies and Sapphires!

This was NOT from just one trip to the mine,
but from about 18 trips to the mine in the 2000 Season.


*~*~*~*~*

on May 2,2002 Eugene found a 488ct Ruby

5997 cts 
of Rubies and Sapphires

The largest ruby that Eugene 
found during the 2001 season 
was a Super Honker that weighed 
242 cts!
While not the largest of the season, 
he is still a happy man! 

The bottle contains his Squeakers and Honkers, and you'll note 100's of chips and Pip Squeaks and his Super Honkers.
~~~

We say over, because Eugene had given away a lot of what he had found during the season to other miners who weren't having quite as much luck as he was having!  And several of the stones that he gave away were Pip Squeaks  and even some very nice Squeakers, so that would easily bring his total to probably well over 6200 cts!

And ironically, Eugene really is a King, since his full name is Eugene King!  And if not a King, he is at least a Prince!  One of the nicest men you could meet.  Soft-spoken, intelligent, very generous and kind.  We always look forward to a visit from Eugene!
 
Eugene has found the largest stones for 2 seasons in a row!  Well, we told you that Eugene was KING 
.... and we meant it!!

 
  • This Native Mine yields precious Star Rubies, & Star Sapphires - Our Rubies tend to be Purple/Pink, Purple/Red or Purple/Purple -
    think PURPLE     and our     Sapphires, (though they can be any color in the 

    • rainbow and not just the traditional blue) tend to be Pink!   Remember, ALL RUBIES are actually Sapphires, though not all Sapphires are Rubies - It's just a matter of color!
     
  • Rainbow Buckets  as well as Emerald Buckets and other Specialty Buckets are also available ranging 

    • in price from $3 all the way to $100.
     
  • This mine is for both Seasoned and Amateur Rock Hounds of all ages!
    •  

  • Two Partially Covered Flume Lines. 

    • Covered Flume Line
    Here you can see a covered  portion of the 2nd Flume Line in addition to a corner on the right-hand side that is part of the 1st Flume Line.  We leave a portion of each Flume Line uncovered intentionally because there are some people who really like to be in the full sun.  Full sun really helps you spot those rubies too!

  • We Supply Equipment & Show you just what to look  for.  
  • Even if you came last season, please let us give you a  refresher course - you'd be absolutely amazed at what some "experienced"  miners have throw over
    • the sides!!!!
     
  • Gem Cutting in our NEW LAPIDARY SHOP &  Ready Made Jewelry available too.  
    Most Reasonable Rates around!!!!
     
  •   Picnic Tables in the shade.   

    • Snacks and Cold Drinks available at the Mine -
    Hot Dogs & Frozen Entrees available also (we have a Microwave)

    Or you might want to pack your own lunch, or stop at the
    CITGO Gas Station     on the way - they have a great deli!

  • Gift Shop - Jewelry, Tumbled Stones, Specimen Stones, Rubber Gloves, etc. 

    •  

    You want rocks?...
    We Got Rocks!!!!
    And some Fossils too! 
    As well as Bookends, 
    Cut Slabs, Rough Rocks, 
    Crystal Towers, and more!

    If you need them,
    we have Rubber Gloves,
    Disposable Aprons
     & Rain Ponchos
     at reasonable prices!
  • Clean Restrooms
     
  • We are Licensed by the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and comply with all EPA regulations
    •  

  • We are members of the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce

    •  
    IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE
    FROM THE PARKING LOT 

    BEEP 3 TIMES

    and we'll send someone up in the
    Red Mule to pick you up &
    bring you on down!!!
    - This Mule doesn't go "hee-haw" -
    It actually has 4 wheels
    & seats 4 people!
    Cub Cadet
    Red Mule


More Information &
Sheffield Mine History
DIRECTIONS
What Will
It Cost?


Lapidary Shop
 (Stone Cutting)
Questions or Comments
 


Gary Dreading
with 

743 Carat Ruby!

May 27,1990

Clidk below to meet others in the

"Super Honker"

Hall of Fame

Maybe you'll be the one to find the next "Super Honker"!


Alexis Rogers

You don't have to be a grown up to find Rubies, or even a
"Honker" of a Ruby!  Alexis of Dunedin, Fla is proof of that! 
She's only 9 years old, but her eyes were good enough to spot a 78ct Ruby on June 24th, 2001!
Alexis is holding her Honker and Certificate -
(The other young lady is her sister, Courtney)

How Should 
You Dress?!

Wear OLD Clothes!  And OLD Shoes too! After all, this is not the Opera!  You are going to get wet and anywhere from a little bit dirty to very dirty!  We promise that you'll have so much fun, that you won't mind a bit!

How Long does
Gem Mining Take?

Plan on at least 2 hours!  The time passes very quickly!  If you don't have at least that much time, then come another day.  Many people arrive at 9am and stay until 5pm and even come back a second day!  It's very relaxing and very addictive.

Looking for rubies and sapphires in Native dirt takes about 4 times longer than going thru Salted dirt - unless you don't care if you throw out "Honkers" and lots of smaller stones.  You see, all Salted Stones have only been in the dirt you are sifting through for a matter of days, whereas Native stones have been in the same dirt for millions of years!  The dirt with Native Stones in it really doesn't want to let loose of it's treasure - they have become good friends!  So Scrub, Rinse, Scrub, Rinse, over and over again until the rocks are really good and CLEAN!  And they look clean before they really are, so you always have to scrub and rinse at least 2 more times than you would expect - but it's not difficult and if you do it the way we show you, it's not hard on your hands either. 
 
 
Gary & Donna Wood
with daughter 
Leeann (age 9) 

Gary Donna Leeann Wood

The Wood Family of Buchanan, GA found over 482 carats of Rubies and Sapphires on March 24th 2001 during a special Gold Prospectors Field Trip - The Western North Carolina, Otto Chapter of the Gold Prospectors Association of America, had the whole mine to themselves.  The Gold Prospectors had so much fun hunting for Rubies that they return to Sheffield Mine year after year!
The Woods Family are what we at the Mine call "Bucket Pounders", meaning that they come at 9am and stay till 5pm and go thru as many buckets as possible - so don't expect these results with just one or two buckets!  And even if you stay and "pound buckets" all day, we still can't gaurantee that you'll have the same results - but we hope you do and we'll do what we can to show you how to find what you're looking for!  482 Carats of Rubies Sapphires
A Whopping 482 carats of Rubies & Sapphires!!!!

 Even if you aren't as lucky as these folks, you'll at least have fun and make wonderful family memories!

What Should you do with the 
stones that you find?

The best thing to do is to have them Cut & Polished to bring out their true beauty - otherwise, it's not much better than a peice of driveway gravel and it doesn't do you much good to have it stuck away in a drawer somewhere either!  Cutting prices are really quite reasonable and it's only when a stone is Cut & Polished that it's true value & beauty can be revealed.

Stones Cleaned in Muratic Acid

But - if you don't want to or can't afford to have them cut right now, then you can clean them up somewhat by soaking them for 24 hours in any Cola product.  Finish getting out any dirt with a wire brush (a Dremel works very well).

We Love Field Trips !!!!

Gem Mining can be both 
FUN & EDUCATIONAL!

Let us show you how.

Sorry, but we don't have pictures of every group, but we'll show you what we
have.  Click on a Group Name that is highlighted and enjoy the pictures. 

2001 Field Trips

The Western North Carolina, Otto Chapter of the
Gold Prospectors Association of America - See pictures above

Girl Scout Troop (sorry, we didn't get the troop number -
we just thought of this after the fact)

Whites Creek Christian Academy from Cleveland, Georgia

Waynesville Middle School from Waynesville, NC

Grandma's Retreat (This wasn't the kids, it was the Grannys,
though in fact, most of them didn't look nearly that old!)
   

2002 Field Trips

The Western North Carolina, Otto Chapter of the 
Gold Prospectors Association of America

The Body, Mind & Spirit Adventure Group -
Great Folks from all over! 

Boy Scout Troop from South Carolina -
(Prefered Anonimity)

Macon County Center for Progress -
 New Horizon's Head Start Program from Franklin, NC

The Atlanta School from - Atlanta, GA

Girl Scout Troop #112 from Snellville, GA

The Hermitage Church from Hermitage, TN
( Nashville, TN suburb)

UNC-Asheville Retirement Party from Asheville, NC

Franklin Highschool Earth Sciences Class
from Franklin, NC

The Nantahala School from Nantahala, NC

2003 Field Trips

Boy Scout Troop #158 from Simpsonville, SC

North East Georgia Mineral Society of Cornelia, GA

Franklin Highschool Earth Sciences Class
from Franklin, NC

The Western North Carolina, Otto Chapter of the
Gold Prospectors Association of America

T C Roberson Highschool from Asheville, NC

Boy Scout Troop 616 from Calhoun, TN

Cadette Scout Troop # 705 from Orlando , FL

Girl Scout Troop # 635 of Citrus Spring, FL

Camp Broadstone from Boone, NC

Hermitage Church from Hermitage, TN

Burke Tours


2004 Field Trips

Boy Scout Troop #159 of Simpsonville, SC

Heart of Florida Girl Scout Troop #83 of Dunnellon, FL

 
May 2nd, 2002
Eugene tops himself and everyone 
else by finding a 488 ct Ruby!!!!

That Ruby is in the 
X-TRA Large Category !!

"Honker"
Score Board
This Score Board was
Last Updated 4-29-08
(2000 thru 2007 reflect a whole season!)
Year
Honkers
Super Honkers
2000
265
11
2001
325
17
2002
250
13
2003
283
16
2004
214
 11
2005
383
13
2006
485
22
2007
502
23


2008


!!! 102 !!!


!!! 8 !!!
The Season began
March 29, 2008

There are thousands of stones found that are large enough to cut and polish, but we only record the ones that are 30 carats or larger.  A stone that is about 5 carats is usually large enough to cut, unless it is too thin or fractured.
Largest Ruby Found  
During the 2003 Season -
 238 Carats! 

The largest Ruby found during the 2002 season was a 488 carat Ruby 
found by Eugene King (above)

The largest Ruby found during the 2001 season was a 472 carat Ruby 
found by Fred Speier!!!

The largest Ruby found during the 2000 season was a 320 carat Ruby 
found by Alex Groves !!!

Honker -
Ruby or Sapphire that is 
30 carats or larger!

Super Honker -
Ruby or Sapphire that is 
100 carats or larger!

MANY smaller stones are found that are large enough to cut, polish and turn into absolutely stunning jewelry! 
Come find a Ruby or Sapphire - maybe you'll even find a "Honker" for yourself !

Stone Size Chart

Donna Wood at left, found the 77 carat "Honker"!

The rest of these stones are just some of the ones pictured on the left, found by the whole family.  Note the sizes are from itty bitty, all the way to quite substantial! 
But not a one of them qualifies as a
"SUPER HONKER"! 

Beleive it or not, some of the smaller stones on the right hand side are still large enough to be cut and polished and set into jewelry! 

Remember,
Don't expect these results
with  just one or two buckets!

 Keep in mind, this was 3 VERY LUCKY people, working really hard all day long - and while most people, though not all, find something, it's a bit unusual to find this much - but it did happen for the Woods Family and who knows, maybe it could happen to you too!!

When Marty Maddox of St. Pete, Fla. arrived, she told me that Gem Mining wasn't really her "cup of tea", but within an hour - she was hooked!!!! 
And for good reason - she found a "Honker" nearly right away.  Well that got her fired up and she went to scrubbing dirt like there was no tomorrow!  Good thing, because all that scrubbing paid off  big time, as you can see at the right! 
Marty's Haul

That larger stone is 6 sided and just might produce a STAR when it's cut and polished!
This is most, but not all, of what Marty, daughter Anna, and husband Joe found during their 3 day visit. 

Rubies and Sapphires - all! 

Can you beleive it! 

They were actually getting embarassed to come to the office to have them weighed!
Anna Marty Maddox

Anna & Marty Maddox
with their not so
modest finds.
Sad Marty!

Poor Marty! 

After Anna and Joe stake their claims - pilfering Marty's stones as well as their own, she's left with an empty hand and a sad frown!

John Allen with Anna, Marty and Joe Maddox.

John picked out buckets for his friends but didn't manage to find any "Honkers" himself - he just loves gem mining and wanted to share the
fun with his friends!

John - Thanks a million for coming back 
and bringing us some new friends too!!!!

These people are real 
BUCKET POUNDERS!!!


2005 Field Trips

Peachtree Elementary of Murphy, NC

White Creek Christian Academy
from Cleveland, GA

Miata Car Club

Norfolk Geology Club from Arkansas

YMCA Summer Program from Greenville, SC

The Hermitage Church from Hermitage, TN
( Nashville, TN suburb)

Boy Scout Troop #451 from Pace, FL

2006 & 2007 Field Trips

We had 'em, but we were so busy overall,
that sadly, we didn't get them recorded.

    Franklin, NC is Truly a 
    Vacation Destination
    Extrordinaire!

In The Franklin Area
So Much To See  -  So Much To Do - So Little Time 
    HIKING- CANOEING - WHITE WATER RAFTING - GOLFING - HORSEBACK RIDING - HUNTING - FISHING - or how about ANTIQUING or ARTS & CRAFTS?
    There's even a SCOTTISH TARTAN MUSEUM in downtown Franklin!  It's quite good and complete with a gift shop.  If you are unaware of your Tartan pattern, they will be glad to help you.  And if you think that your name doesn't sound Scottish and so therefore there is no Scottish in your ancestry, well you just might find yourself very surprised!

    And don't forget about the WHISTLE STOP MALL; your one-stop Antique, Arts & Craft destination on Hwy 441 on the southside of Franklin! Just look for the Red Railroad Car!  The building is huge - you can't miss it!

    And practically right across the street from us, on Leatherman Gap Rd., is the world famous PERRY'S WATER GARDEN where you can view acres and acres of the most beautiful Water Lillies on the planet - Like what you see?  They ship Water Lillies all over the world!  When leaving the mine, turn left and the next drive on the right will take you there.

    Or take a TRAIN RIDE  in Dillsboro or Bryson City, on The Great Smokey Mtn. Railway and then visit one of the many quaint little shops in either of those communities.

    Or visit nearby Cherokee, NC - The OCONOLUFTEE INDIAN VILLAGE is awesome! &/or visit THE MUSEUM OF THE CHEROKEE to learn the history of the Cherokee People, or if you're feeling lucky while in Cherokee, then visit HARRAH'S CASINO - but come here first while you still have some money ;) 

    If you like  Breathtaking Waterfalls, then travel over to Highlands - but drive slowly - Hwy 64 is really twisty!  Once you're in Highlands, be sure to visit Kilwin's Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop. It's on the left side of the street as you go into Highlands from Franklin, and the Ice Cream is heavenly! - The candy is excellent also! - but the ICE CREAM yum yum yum!!! and yum!!!!  And there are some great restaurants and boutiques in Highlands as well as a world famous Botanical Garden. 

    Or go a little further (ABOUT AN HOUR & 1/2) and see the BILTMORE ESTATE and GARDENS in Asheville, NC.  Be sure to visit Downtown Asheville too.  This is a very eclectic, Arts & Crafts Community that you will most certainly enjoy!

    How about visiting a German Community?  Travel just a little south of here (about an hour) on Hwy 441 and follow the signs to Helen, GA - where you'll find that the whole town looks like you just crossed the ocean and landed in a quaint little "Old World" German Village.  There are several boutiques in town and places to down a stein of beer and enjoy bratwurst and saurkraut as well as several other tasty German foods.  Even the grocery store is "Old World" and whether you need a loaf of bread or not, it's well worth a stop! 

    Speaking of German Communities; just to the north of us (about an hour) on Hwy 441 on the other side of the mountain from Cherokee, NC is Gatlinburg, TN - another recreation of a German community, but this one has taken on a definite 21st century look.  Here you'll find the RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT MUSEUM, RIPLEY'S AQUARIUM OF THE SMOKEYS, the GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS MUSEUM, CHRISTUS GARDENS (a Biblical Wax Museum) and soooo much more including helicopter rides and bungee jumping!!!!  Restaurants and boutiques are everywhere you look. This is not exactly the place for Nature Lovers, though the nearby surroundings are quite breathtaking!  And if you want even more glitz and electronic amusements, go 15 more minutes north on  Hwy 441 into Pigeon Forge, TN,  the home of DOLLYWOOD and so much entertainment, you won't know where to start having fun!
          ********

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