Has anyone been to the hiddenite mines?

[RockHugger]

I am thinking of going to hiddenite NC for emerald mining. Has anyone been there? Good finds, or seeded junk?

 

[mastercutgems]

RH;

The only mine you can go to that I know of in Hiddenite is the Emerald Hollow mine and i think it is still owned by Mike Watkins. It is the typical salted or enriched mine for lack of better words I did that mine when it first open and did the fee dig in the areas on the 10 acre plot. Found a few rutilated terminated quartz but no emeralds or even Hiddenite. But that was in the novice days

The real areas are privately owned and the Adams farm is the hottest spot but no one will be allowed on that piece as that is where the latest large emerald was found here recently and also where all the true Hidddenite has been found. Very rich spot ; Mr. Adams is a very nice 90 year old man that has Terry Ledford ( a friend ) operating that mine now. But always look to adjoining areas where things are truly found and you will be close.

But as for mining in those areas; the pay or fee mines are really the only places now that will allow you access to property to dig on. There is emerald, hiddenite, and aquamarine, rutilated quartz, etc. still to be found; but getting permission is the tough part. But not impossible. Spend some time in the area, look at geological maps and figure out where the belt lies and go from there. Good ole southern kindness will go a long way

Most respectfully;

Dana

 

[Barrett]

There are no Hiddenite mines open to the public. Emerald Hollow is a rip-off. Just google reviews of the place. Horrible employees..extremely rude. Oh..yea..they are a salted mine. There have been a couple emeralds found on the property before but they are more than likely alluvial from the property next door which has active emerald mining. Here, on there website it states "The Emerald Hollow Mine is the only emerald mine in the United States open to the public for prospecting." Not true..the crabtree emerald mine is another place run by the MAGMA group which I am a member of. You WILL find emerald there if you work hard enough. My buddy Tom has a piece of rough that will facet a 3+ct stone. A fine fine green. Thats along with the other say 500+ emeralds he has found there. Just google Crabtree emerald mine or go to the MAGMA site. You won't find any Hiddenite anywhere as all the locations are on private land. Hiddenite is one of the hardest places to get access to for digging and mining in America. it's like a 50km long Alpine type cleft deposit which gets close to or exposed at the surface in and around Hiddenite It's really long but only hundreds of yards wide at most places. The locals are strict and don't play around..many a mineral collector/prospector has been shot at tramping around where they shouldn't be.