LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Gem Mountain Gemstone Mines

Along with panning for gemstone, students will learn about gems and the rich mining heritage in North Carolina.

Preview your trip on the web: Gem Mountain Gemstone Mines

Learn more

  • Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum Gems, minerals, fossils, Indian artifacts, and much more can be found at the Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum.
  • National Museum of Natural History Visit the museum online. Here you can take a virtual tour and explore exhibits full of gigantic dinosaurs, precious gems and minerals, and Hawaiian treasures...and a lot more! Find out about the research conducted by the museum and link to many of their in-depth natural history websites.
  • Lesson plan: Learning about rocks In this lesson, students will be engaged in hands-on experiences while they explore rocks.
  • Lesson plan: Minerals and math Students will develop ways to create self-devised rules for classifying minerals and relate this information to scientific ways of classifying minerals according to their characteristics. They will then compile this information into a chart and convert parts of the chart into a line or bar graph.

Related pages

  • Blue Ridge Parkway and Museum of North Carolina Minerals: Students from a five county region actively attend this Museum for experiential learning and are introduced to the wealth of cultural and natural resources of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
  • Old Pressley Sapphire Mine: Students can try doing some mining and learn how the rocks and gemstones were formed.
  • Colburn Earth Science Museum: The best rock and mineral specimens from the Burnham Standish Colburn collection are housed in the Colburn Earth Science Museum. Students will enjoy the programs that are centered around this collection of fossils, gems, and North Carolina minerals.

Related topics

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Gem Mountain shares the rich history and tradition of mining in Mitchell County. Students can experience the wonder and excitement of prospecting for gemstones.

Open March 1st through December 31st, Gem Mountain is located on Route 226 near Spruce Pine. Call (828) 765-6130 or Toll Free at 1-888-817-5829 to schedule a visit.

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