Open Ground
Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine
Fee dig · native unsalted gravel · Cowee Valley, Franklin, NC
Open groundThe prize. Rubies and sapphires straight from the valley that grew them
Where. Cowee Valley, Franklin, NC
Status. Open ground
Where. Cowee Valley, Franklin, NC
Status. Open ground
The account
Most gem mines salt their buckets with stones trucked in from abroad. Not this one, Cherokee runs only native Cowee Valley dirt, so every ruby that winks out of the screen actually came from the ground under your feet. The valley has given corundum since the 1870s. You sluice it cold and keep what the water leaves behind.
Leads, where the trail points now
- What you can keep: Rubies and sapphires straight from the valley that grew them. Confirm the site's current rules and any day fee before you go.
- Where: Cowee Valley, Franklin, NC. Private fee mine, unsalted native gravel; all finds are yours to keep.
- Best practice: record anything notable, leave the ground as you found it, and check the latest access notices before you travel.
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