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Gold and Gems in Western North Carolina

During a break from grading our new driveway, I joked with Joe, the back hoe man, that if he found gold or gems whilst working on my land, he should announce his bounty. He then in all seriousness proceeded to tell a story that his great grandmother had related to him. "She lived out here in Barnardsville, just a few miles from where we were standing," he said. She recalled the native people riding past her home down the long winding dirt road on their ponies into the Coleman Boundary. The road ended at Douglas Falls, which is now a part of The Pisgah National Forest. They would return the same way carrying just enough gold from the mountains to enable them to trade for goods for a whole year. One spring, with anticipation, she stood by the door looking for them but they didn't return.

Contractors in this area are enthusiastic to reminisce about childhood stories. Steven and Rober,t the electricians, remember as youths fishing for trout in our stream and helping the farmers harvest their tobacco. They shared that an old man who made a home in the forest had discovered the native people's mine. He mined a little bit of gold each year to sustain himself. Long after his death, a neighbor hiking near the falls found the miner's saddle. Looking up he saw the hole in the cliff where the gold mine was. On the day he intended showing off his discovery he took ill and died, and all knowledge of this gold mine's whereabouts died with him. Locals say that gold can be panned and there is still enough to be found in one day's panning to just about buy a loaf of bread.

Robert then went on to tell me the story of a Canton (West Asheville) man who was visited by a friend who had some knowledge of local mineralogy. Looking at what was being used as a door stop, the friend told his host that he had hit the jackpot as his door stop was no less that a huge ruby.

I recall being told of an Asheville Citizen Times article about a man hiking on the Blue Ridge Parkway just past Craggy Gardens. A storm had just passed through so the trails revealed more upturned ground than usual. He bent over and picked up a ruby the size of a grapefruit. He purchased an island in the Caribbean and lived happy ever after. We haven't found a gold nugget yet but have found the riches of these mountains to be perpetual. The silence is louder than the occasional grasshopper finding his home on our bedroom window, or the deluge of happy, contented butterflies that have been so thick the cars have to stop, or the hummingbirds that come to wake us up in the morning. The National Forest annually releases millions of lady bugs in order to assist Mother Nature in protecting the hemlock. In honor of these friendly creatures, the local Tractor Supply sells yellow rubber boots with red ladybugs which I am sure to acquire every season. One day, I walked over to the front door and spied a white-tail deer waiting for my fiancée to come out and play. The deer gently waited patiently until Peter went out and spoke to him. Every day brings more and more joy. Never taking these mountains for granted, we do our best to be mindful of caring for our precious environment. I love living in the mountains. Asheville is truly "home".

-Arrachme
Carolinia Mountain Rentals

Did You Know?

• North Carolina leads the nation in the production of feldspar, mica and pyrophyllite.
• Mining is a half-billion-dollar industry in North Carolina.
• The largest emerald crystal ever found in North America came from North Carolina.
• In 1823, North Carolina became the first state to fund a geological and mineralogical survey.

-Source: N.C. Geological Survey

Western NC Blue Ridge Gem Mines:

Cherokee Ruby and Sapphire Mine, 41 Cherokee Mine Road off Ruby Mine Road, 349-2941.

Cowee Mountain Ruby Mine, U.S. 441, Franklin, 369-5271.

Gold City Gem Mine, 9410 Sylva Road, Franklin, 369-3905.

Jackson Hole, N.C. 28 and U.S. 64 between Franklin and Highlands, 524-5850.

Mason Mountain Mine and Cowee Gift Shop, 5315 Bryson City Road, Franklin, 524-4570.

Mason’s Ruby and Sapphire Mine, 6961 Upper Burningtown Road, Franklin, 369-9742.

Moon Stone Gem Mine,8312 Old Burningtown Road, Franklin, 524-7764.

Rose Creek Mine, 115 Terrace Ridge Drive, 349-3774.

Rocky Face Gem Mine, 260 Sanderstown Road, Franklin, 524-3148.

Gold City, Sylva Highway (U.S. 441 north), Franklin, 369-3905.

Sheffield Mine, 385 Sheffield Farms Road, Franklin, 369-8383.

Blue Ridge Gemstone Mine, P.O. Box 327, Little Switzerland, 765-5264.

Emerald Village, P.O. Box 98, Little Switzerland, 765-6463.

Gem Mountain Gemstone Mine, P.O. Box 488 Spruce Pine, 765-6130.

Jerry Call, Inc., P.O. Box 296, Little Switzerland, 765-2099.

Gems For You, P.O. Box 483 Little Switzerland, 888-390-GEMS.

Spruce Pine Gem and Gold Mine, 15090 N.C. 226, at the Blue Ridge Parkway Spruce Pine, 765-7981.

World of Gems, P.O. Box 249 Little Switzerland, 765-6832.

Gem Mine at Gem World, 1884 Georgia Road, 349-5411.

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Carolina Mountain Rentals
828-230-6613
P.O. Box 7095
Asheville, NC 28802

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Last Updated: Monday, February 26, 2007