There are more pay-to-dig mines in North Carolina than in any other state in the nation.

The mines are very popular and attract thousands of visitors during the summer months. If you want to look for gems yourself, here is a directory of pay-to-dig mines in North Carolina and other states. Some of the mines and other gem-producing localities are still open, but instead of being mined by a company, they are now mined by people like you. That article was written when some mines were in their peak of production. If you want to read a great summary of North Carolina gemstones, see Joseph Hyde Pratt's classic article titled: Gems and Gem Minerals of North Carolina in the 1933 edition of American Mineralogist. Reports on the Huffington Post and ABC News websites describe how some visitors have found emeralds worth over $10,000 in-the-rough. They are even more surprised when they learn that there are about a dozen locations in North Carolina where anyone can look for gemstones and keep anything that they find.

Most people are surprised to hear that rubies, sapphires, and emeralds have been found in North Carolina.

Cherokee ruby & sapphire mine