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September 2023 by Cynthia Infinger
Don’t waste your money. I spent $100 on a large and medium bucket and we didn’t get but a handful of small rocks. The rest was stuff you would find in the bottom of a river. I have been gem mining for years and this is by far the worst one I have been to. The manager acted like she didn’t believe me and the bad thing is I had my 14 yr old grandson and 9 yr old granddaughter with me. They got to see firsthand how wrong we were treated.
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August 2023 by Sean Henzler
I wish we read reviews first. We have been to several gem mines over the years. This time, my grandparents brought my son to share an experience with him. Sadly, the $15 bucket had nothing but parking lot gravel and a few pieces of tumbled glass. My 5 year old son was disappointed, he is smart and while you could see the disappointment in his face, he didn't say anything but even my grandparents were saddened by the experience. The woman working behind the trough threw a larger stone in the bucket when my son wasn't looking because even she could see the disappointment on all of our faces. Thank you to the woman for doing that. Aside from that, it was a waste of money.If you have been to any other mines in the past, skip this one because your kids will be disappointed. ?
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August 2023 by Tyler Usi
Alright please see pics below, first 2 pics are from a $60 bag we panned in Va. The remainder are pics from the Gold and Ruby mine. If u just want the experience, it’s alright but if you’re looking to find decent size gems or crystals maybe look elsewhere. We started with the 5 gallon bucket ($60) found little more than the eye candy placed on top and a few gems inside. We then got the Ruby bags found a few rubies but again it was just paying for the time spent. Maybe it’s based on authentic miners experience?
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August 2023 by MeriAleia Geris
Not worth the money, I have been to a few mining places & gotten so much more. We got a 6gallon bucket of “mixed” and it was a bucket of dirt with a few pretty stones on the top to make you think there was more inside. We gave it the benefit of doubt and bought another bag to only find the same thing. Dirt with a bunch of smaller rocks. Only plus side was finding a few natural rubies. This place is more for the experience not the product. Kids will enjoy the adventure but I would stick to the smaller bags. Don’t go for the more expensive because you won’t get your moneys worth out of it.
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August 2023 by bethann kimberlin
In the past we've always found good sized stones in the clear plastic bags. This time only half a sandwich bag of pebble Size stones from 2 big plastic bags. Worker was very friendly and helpful.
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July 2023 by Chris B.
Fun place to burn $15 and about 30 minutes to occupy the kids . They offer different types of buckets to wash. Touristy but cute for kids
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July 2023 by Jeffrey Stone
Don't buy the five gallon bucket. It's a rip off. Stick with the smaller bucket because you gonna get the same amount of rocks/gems.
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June 2023 by Kristian Maul (Kris)
It’s nice but there’s no guarantee that you’ll get anything rare. Not to mention the shop is very expensive, but the staff are very nice
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June 2023 by Dawn C.
Worst gem mining experience EVER! We're big fans of these road side attractions. We love slucing for gem stones. We've paid everywhere between $10 - $40 per bucket. This was by far the biggest ripoff. This place is a scam! We paid $15 for 2 bags of gravel. Seriously. We got zero gemstones. It was a total waste of time and money. Usually you get some small pile of stones. We got some tiny clear quartz. That's it!Don't waste your time.
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June 2023 by Christy Garretson
Absolutely! 100% gorgeous! Smokey mountain gold and ruby mine has a very talented lapidary! Such beautiful work. They exceeded my expectations! This is a necklace made for my mom from the gems I found for my parents 40 year anniversary gift (ruby is 40 year gem)I sent them a picture of the setting I was looking for, and they were very accommodating! Very nice experience! Not to mention, this is a heirloom piece, that will be handed down & holds so much sediment. The piece says it all! But I highly recommend them. I will be having more jewelry with my other rocks made in the near future! Thank you Chris & Linda! And any others that helped me with my order!
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April 2023 by Garrett Galloway
I went with my 4 kids, wife, and mother-in-law. We did a giant 5gallon random bucket and 4 ruby buckets. Do I think I made money? Nah, that's not the intention. The intention was to get my kids interested in the natural world even though this is highly staged and controlled. We had a blast and the miner/attendants were super helpful and pleasant. The place was packed and we still managed to get some help in the beginning to get us going. Totally worth it if you set reasonable expectations that you aren't there to make money off the dirt, but to have a good time. Some of the dirt has lots of crystals and gems, some doesn't. This is life.The pic is about 1.5 of the ruby buckets. Key fob for scale. We ended up with tons of crystals, amethysts, topaz, and other rocks/crystals the kids enjoyed. I've got a brand new rock tumbler at home to take some of these back to.
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April 2023 by Angie Field
Our kids had a blast searching for gemstones. We had so much fun, we came back again a few days later. They found really large, interesting gemstones to add to their collections. I found the prices to be very reasonable. We stopped at another mine along the way and this one superior and less expensive. The man working outside was super helpful, knowledgeable and kind. I would highly recommend stopping by.
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March 2023 by Amber Graddy
Loved it the kids had a lot of fun for sure
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February 2023 by S.Q Wiggens
It was a nice experience with me and my partner. A little pricey I think for the amount of things you’ll end up finding. There was a guy who scored big before we came up. The best thing we got was a nice sized amethyst. Don’t know if I’ll end up doing it again but it was a fun little thing.
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February 2023 by Jacob Madden
Kids had a great time sifting out and cleaning their gems! Adults may have enjoyed it just as much! 2 thumbs up! Staff is very friendly and helpful!!
