Sheffield Mine Homepage

Ruby, Rubies, Sapphire, Sapphires, Gem Mining, Mining, Native Stones, Fun, Kids, All Ages, Rocks, Lapidary, Gifts, Gems, NC, Franklin NC, Outdoors, Vacation, Groups, Field Trips, Jewelry, Western North Carolina, Mountains

Open 7 Days a Week
- Rain or Shine -
April 1st thru October 31st
10am to 5pm*

* Because Native Mining takes at least 2 hours,
We accept our Last Customer usually between 2:30 pm & 3 pm
~~~~~~~~
Please DO NOT use Map Quest, Yahoo Maps
or even a GPS to find us - You will most likely get so lost!!!!!!!!!!!

Sure, you can chance it and maybe your GPS is right on, but ... maybe not - and if not, you'll become frustrated and you'll lose as much as one or more hours of trying to figure out on your own just how you do get to us, so really, it's best to follow our diretions in the first place.

If you're coming from the north, they will put you onto an extremely narrow, windy road that ends at a Gated Comunity - high upon a
mountain in the middle of nowhere and you will have to turn around and go back to Hwy 441 without a clue as to how to find us from there and if that gate is open, then you'll end up in a maze of roads not knowing for sure which ones to take! From the south you will needlessly travel extra roads that will take up valuable time!

Please Click Here for DIRECTIONS

*******************************************

A Genuine NATIVE
Ruby & Sapphire Mine

- And So Much More!!!

Hey ya'll, we know that the economy isn't as great as it has been, but you still need a vacation, a get-away!

Franklin, NC is one of the most economical destinations for you to consider. Franklin is where the GEMS are and in addition it is just a short hop to several other wonderful places to visit, like Asheville with the Biltmore, or Cherokee with their Casinos and Cherokee History at the Oconoluftee Indian Village, or Helen Georgia which is the birth place of the Cabbage Patch Doll and a life-size re-created German community or Bryson City where you can Ride the Train to Dillsboro and back or Chatanooga with Rock City and it's 2 awesome Aquariums or Highlands where you can see breathtaking Waterfalls or Hike the Apalacian Trails of the Great Smokey Mountains or go Whitewater Rafting in the Nantahala Gorge ---- Franklin NC is home to the Macon County Historical Museum and the Scottish Tartans Museum, as well as the Franklin Gem & Mineral Museum which is housed in a really Old Jail - kids just love being locked up in the "Slammer" -

But Best of All,

Franklin is home to Sheffield Mine where the Honkers are still plentiful!

So stay in Franklin where room rates at the many Motels , B&B's and Campgrounds are reasonable and there are lots of places to eat from Country Cookin' to Gourmet and just about every Ethnic Cuisine you would want - Play in and around Franklin for a day or a weekend or a whole week if you can! We'll all be glad to see you!!!!

Picture of Mine

During the
2008 Season,
690 Honkers
were found along with
33 Super Honkers! -

Jake Hertzog found a 300 ct Ruby

Woa Nellie!!!
- You need to get here SOON
so YOU can find a
HONKER or SUPER HONKER

Hmmm.....Wonder just
how big your Ruby
or Sapphire will be??!!

Open 7 Days a Week
- Rain or Shine -
April 1st thru
October 31st

10am to 5pm

For a comlete list of places to stay in FRANKLIN - Campgrounds Motels, & B&B's click here for the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce

A lady from South Dakota found 2 Squeakers and 1 Honker on August 22, 2004 - A man from Seattle Washington found a Super Honker on October 31, 2007 - so you see, people come from far and wide and many of them leave with a great souvenier!

Shake off that Cabin Fever!
This is a GREAT time for a
Weekend Family Outing!!!

If your kids are grown or you don't yet have any, then a Weekday trip to the mine during the Spring or Fall is advisable.

DIRECTIONS

What Will It Cost?

How to Dress

How Much Time is Required?

"Super Honker"
Hall of Fame
Click here for Pictures of
other Super Honker finders!

Marvin "Bud" Holmes
165 ct Ruby
5-11-04

This is a rare Twinned Stone
- If they were not conjoined,
you could probably see
6 sides to each one!

Anna Marty Maddox

No matter what your age, when it comes to rocks and dirt, we're all kids again; hoping that the thrill of discovery will brighten our lives!!!

And it DOES!!!

Largest Ruby Found
Since the new
Millenium began -
is 488 Carats
by Eugene King

We open at 10 am daily!
Hope to see you soon!

As Seen on The TRAVEL CHANNEL

Treasure Hunting 3

This site was last updated on
5-2-09

Please understand that you
NEED to arrive at least
2.5 HOURS before closing time!!!!
Actually - the earlier, the better
- you'll have more time for FUN!!!

We are open from 10am to 5pm
and we take our last customer at 3pm

- YES, YES, YES -
it REALLY takes that long for your
2 Starter Buckets of NATIVE DIRT!!!!

Ruby and Sapphire mining is not difficult and you don't need any special or fancy tools that God didn't already give you - Your Hands and Eyes! All you need is TIME - at least 2 and 1/2 hours.

If you only want to do a a couple of quick and easy Enriched RAINBOW Buckets, then 30 minutes before closing is OK - but bear in mind that you won't find NATIVE North Carolina, Sheffield Mine specific, Rubies or Sapphires in a RAINBOW BUCKET - Rainbow Bucket stones are Semi-precious Stones that come from all over the world - Rubies & Sapphires are Precious Stones and OUR Rubies & Sapphires come from this ground, right here -

Sheffield Mine
Rubies & Sapphires
are NOT imported

Rainbow Stones are imported!

Our "Claim to Fame"

is our NATIVE DIRT that might contain a RUBY or SAPPHIRE! And plain and simply, NATIVE Buckets require way more than just a few minutes!!!

- Sadly, if you do arrive late - within 2 hours of normal closing - you'll have a couple of options:

You can mine ONE Native bucket &
One Rainbow Bucket
Or you can mine TWO Rainbow buckets
Or there may only be enough time for you to look around, & we will ask that you return the following day if possible or some other day in the future

By closing time - we have had a very long day that begins well before we open to the public and often ends hours after everyone has gone for the day and on top of that, just like you, we must also manage to eat a meal and get some sleep. So even if you have driven for several hours, please don't expect us to stay open for 1 or 2 more hours just for you - and also remember that while you were driving, at least you were in a climate controlled environment which we weren't and hopefully you enjoyed your drive in the beautiful mountains!

The reason we often have a Waiting List in the Summer is because we are popular - And we are popular because Gem Mining HERE is soooo much FUN and often quite REWARDING - And most people who have to wait will tell you that it was well worth it, but to avoid a wait altogether, just get here at 10am!!!

Don't plan on doing something else in the morning and then mining in the afternoon - if you really have to cram two activities into one day, then GEM MINE FIRST and save your second activity for the afternoon!!!!!!

Picture of Mine

Sheffield Mine - Franklin, NC
828-369-8383

Handfull of Rubies & Sapphires
Scroll down for a Life-size picture.

All Native Rubies & Sapphires!

*************

We're having
a GREAT
2009 Season!

As of 5-2-09
60 Honkers have been found along with
3 Super Honkers
& there's lots more in the dirt still waiting to be found!!

Lapidary Shop

right on premises so
you can watch us
CUT STONES!

* * * * * * *

Please Help us!

We need
empty

FILM
CANISTERS

Film Package

For every Grocery Bag full of FILM CANISTERS,
we'll give you an extra bucket of Native Dirt for FREE!

Please do not bring medicine bottles - it is FILM CANISTERS that we use - medicine bottles are too hard for many people to open.

Come to
Sheffield Mine
Leave your cares behind,
Play in the dirt
& discover that .....

Gem Mining
truly is a
World of FUN
&
it's for EVERYONE!!!

Franklin, NC
is the perfect place to
Stay and Play!!!

There are tons of things
to do and see, all within less than a day's drive of here!!!

Come - play in the dirt -
& be a kid again!!!!

We promise you'll have great memories that will last a lifetime!

This is one of only two places in the *Whole WORLD* to find *Native Star Rubies!*
	Largest Ruby found in 2002 was 488 cts!!!
is the *Home of the* *"Honkers"!*

Ti-Lea & Dennis Downing
on their Honeymoon - May 18th 2002

Ti-Lea & Dennis also went thru a Salted Rainbow Bucket - Even adults sometimes enjoy the variety of stones found and how easy a Rainbow Bucket is to work thru, especially compared to a Native Bucket -

But if you want
Rubies & Sapphires,
you still gotta go Native!

Specimen Rock found by Mandy Porter.

While Specimen Rocks do exist, you do NOT need to bust open rocks to discover them!!!! Once your rocks are adequately clean, you'll be able to see a glint of Purple somewhere on the rock if it's a specimen stone and you'll be aware that you have found an interesting stone indeed. Most of the time, it's not a good idea to pop-out the Ruby because they are still under too much pressure and you run the risk of destroying the ruby, so it's usually better to keep your specimen stone as a fabulous conversation peice!

Specimen Stones are best displayed by getting them VERY clean - you can use a wire brush - it won't hurt the ruby. Once the stone is clean and dry, you can spray it with clear acrylic and use it as a paper weight or table top decoration and enjoy! And YES, even Specimen Stones have VALUE!

We can Cut & Polish almost any Stone that you find (some stones are too small or too scragly) - whether you found them here or even if you happened to find them somewhere else.

All Stone Cutting is at

VERY REASONABLE PRICES!

You can schedule a Field Trip
(15 or more actual Paid-Up Miners - $1 off per person)
In the SUMMER you can only schedule a Field Trip if your group is willing
to arrive no later than 9am - otherwise, you may have to wait like everyone else
and instead of sitting together, your group is subject to being split up ( 3 here, 4 there , etc)

1-828-369-8383

* Hunting for Rubies &/or Sapphires takes
a Minimum of 2 hours
- so plan your trip accordingly and
don't get here too late!

We absolutely sell NO Native Dirt one hour before closing! But you have until closing to finish up the buckets you already have or go thru Rainbow Dirt or Emerald Dirt.

Rubies are Red,
Sapphires are Blue,
Hmmm, that statement
Is not always true!

Sapphires come in every color of the rainbow and technically, all Rubies are actually Sapphires.

Rubies from Sheffield Mine tend to be "Pigeon Blood Red" or in other words a Reddish Purple. Our Sapphires are Pink.

Many of our Rubies produce a "Star" which dramatically increases their value. The "Star" can best be seen in sunshine or under a halogen lightbulb.

Jordan Fox
- 1999 -

Yeah, its a dirty job,
but hey, someone's
gotta have fun!

If your age is above 20, we dare you to forget it and join us for some fun playing in the dirt and being a kid once more - no experience necessary just listen to our 10 minute Introduction then go out there, shed your worries and your cares and have yourself some Mountain Fun!!!

So just what do Rubies
look like in the rough???

Here's a handfull of Rubies found
by Jack Porter in April 2002.
Notice that the picture is lifesize!

Jack is one of the ones who seem to have a
ruby-magnet somewhere in his genes!

Notice the PURPLE color peeping out thru the muddy outer crust!

To find Rubies & Sapphires like these requires a lot of patience and perserverance and scrubbing and rinsing and scrubbing and rinsing of the rocks in your tray. The average person needs to Scrub-Rinse about 4-5 times per tray load, otherwise you will NOT get the rocks clean enough to discover that some of those rocks are actually RUBIES & SAPPHIRES!!!!!!!!

Guess how we find our Sample Stones! - Too many of our customers half clean the rocks, decide there isn't anything worthwhile in the tray, throw out the half-washed rocks and leave discouraged. Then when a heavy rain comes to finish the washing job, we find the discarded Squeakers and Honkers on the other side of the flume line! - It's too true!!! So please pay attention to us when we try to show you what to do and feel free to ask us questions at any time - that's what we're here for!!!

And while they just look like a bunch of purple rocks when you find them, they turn into beauties like these when they are cut and polished!

Can you see the STAR in the Man's Ring - 2nd picture from the right?

We take orders for Cutting & Polishing your stone.
Lapidary right on premises! Most Reasonable Rates around!!!!!

Charlotte with her Daughter Zoe -
of Robins, NC

Helping out is Mike Kovtuschenko
Summer 2001

As you can see, at Sheffield Mine, we like to
get 'em hooked on Rocks when they're
really quite young!

Zoe is is just 2 1/2 months old.
And what a cutie-patootie!!

And here's another cutie-patootie -

2 year old Jason
of Orlando, Florida
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

We can always tell how much fun a child has had by how dirty they are when they're done!!!!

- Heck -
That's true for the adults as well!!!
Seriously!!!!

Meet the "Board of Directors" of
Bucket-Pounders Annonymous

Left to Right - Vice President, Scott Franklin -
Secretary, Bill Stine - President, Eugene King

These fellows are addicted!!!
or maybe it's afflicted - we're not sure which!!!

Bill, of Norfolk, VA comes as often as possible and goes through 20 to 30 buckets in a day. He's fast because he knows just what he's doing and just what to look for. Most people should only attempt 10-15 buckets in an 8 hour day. Trust us! Most people who attempt to rush through the buckets at break neck speeds throw out most of the good stuff and we find them later after a heavy rain has finished the job, that in reality, they only started! Rocks need to be really really clean to be sure that you aren't overlooking any rubies or sapphires!

Scott, all the way from Maine, came vowing not to leave until he had found a Super Honker, which he did - 116cts, and then he stayed another couple of weeks just because, and of course found more rubies and sapphires! He estimated going through nearly 300 buckets of dirt including a tractor load, (he decided that the tractor load was too stressful and went to the buckets like everyone else - [We no longer sell tractor loads.]) Occassionally, he'd skip a few days of coming to the mine to rest or do laundry. Scott was here from late July through mid September. His dilligence paid off! Scott left Sheffield Mine with well over 600 cts of Rubies & Sapphires including his Super Honker and an absolutely classic six sided beauty of a Honker that I was more impressed with than the Super Honker that he found.

And then there's Eugene from Canton, NC.
Scroll down to read more about Eugene.

We Love Field Trips !!!!
in Spring or Fall

Gem Mining can be both
FUN & EDUCATIONAL
for people of all ages!

Let us show you how. - Groups of 15 or more receive $1 off admission per person!
Scout Groups of 5 or more also qualify for the discount! Each member of a Field Trip also recieves a Rock Hound Button souvenier. And School Groups also recieve a brief history of Sheffield Mine and the Cowee Valley of NC.

Reservations required for FIELD TRIPS!

Meet Eugene -
The Ruby King!

He's a real Rock Hound's, Rock Hound.
A Bucket Pounder Extrordinaire!

From July 4th, 2001 until Nov.18th, 2001
this man has averaged visiting Sheffield Mine at least once a week. On Nov.18th, 2001 we weighed out his finds and you just won't believe it!

Eugene found over 5997 cts
of Rubies and Sapphires!

This was NOT from just one trip to the mine,
but from about 18 trips to the mine in the 2000 Season.

*~*~*~*~*

on May 2,2002 Eugene found a 488ct Ruby

5997 cts
of Rubies and Sapphires

The largest ruby that Eugene
found during the 2001 season
was a Super Honker that weighed
242 cts!
While not the largest of the season,
he is still a happy man!

The bottle contains his Squeakers and Honkers, and you'll note 100's of chips and Pip Squeaks and his Super Honkers.
~~~

We say over, because Eugene had given away a lot of what he had found during the season to other miners who weren't having quite as much luck as he was having! And several of the stones that he gave away were Pip Squeaks and even some very nice Squeakers, so that would easily bring his total to probably well over 6200 cts!

And ironically, Eugene really is a King, since his full name is Eugene King! And if not a King, he is at least a Prince! One of the nicest men you could meet. Soft-spoken, intelligent, very generous and kind. We always look forward to a visit from Eugene!

Eugene has found the largest stones for 2 seasons in a row! Well, we told you that Eugene was KING
.... and we meant it!!

This Native Mine yields precious Star Rubies, & Star Sapphires - Our Rubies tend to be Purple/Pink, Purple/Red or Purple/Purple -
think PURPLE and our Sapphires, (though they can be any color in the

rainbow and not just the traditional blue) tend to be Pink! Remember, ALL RUBIES are actually Sapphires, though not all Sapphires are Rubies - It's just a matter of color!

Rainbow Buckets as well as Emerald Buckets and other Specialty Buckets are also available ranging

This mine is for both Seasoned and Amateur Rock Hounds of all ages!

Two Partially Covered Flume Lines.

Here you can see a covered portion of the 2nd Flume Line in addition to a corner on the right-hand side that is part of the 1st Flume Line. We leave a portion of each Flume Line uncovered intentionally because there are some people who really like to be in the full sun. Full sun really helps you spot those rubies too!

We Supply Equipment & Show you just what to look for.
Even if you came last season, please let us give you a refresher course - you'd be absolutely amazed at what some "experienced" miners have throw over

the sides!!!!

Gem Cutting in our NEW LAPIDARY SHOP & Ready Made Jewelry available too.
Most Reasonable Rates around!!!!
Picnic Tables in the shade.

Snacks and Cold Drinks available at the Mine -
Hot Dogs & Frozen Entrees available also (we have a Microwave)

Or you might want to pack your own lunch, or stop at the
BP Gas Station on the way - they have a great deli!

Gift Shop - Jewelry, Tumbled Stones, Specimen Stones, Rubber Gloves, etc.

You want rocks?...
We Got Rocks!!!!
And some Fossils too!
As well as Bookends,
Cut Slabs, Rough Rocks,
Crystal Towers, and more!

If you need them,
we have Rubber Gloves,
Disposable Aprons
& Rain Ponchos
at reasonable prices!

Clean Restrooms
We are Licensed by the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and comply with all EPA regulations

We are members of the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce

IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE
FROM THE PARKING LOT

BEEP 3 TIMES

and we'll send someone up in the
Red Mule to pick you up &
bring you on down!!!
- This Mule doesn't go "hee-haw" -
It actually has 4 wheels
& seats 4 people!

Red Mule

More Information &
Sheffield Mine History

DIRECTIONS

What Will
It Cost?

Lapidary Shop

(Stone Cutting)

Gary Dreading
with

743 Carat Ruby!

May 27,1990

Clidk below to meet others in the

"Super Honker"

Hall of Fame

Maybe you'll be the one to find the next
"Super Honker"!

You don't have to be a grown up to find Rubies, or even a
"Honker" of a Ruby! Alexis of Dunedin, Fla is proof of that!
She's only 9 years old, but her eyes were good enough to spot a 78ct Ruby on June 24th, 2001!
Alexis is holding her Honker and Certificate -
(The other young lady is her sister, Courtney)

How Should
You Dress?!

Wear OLD Clothes! And OLD Shoes too! After all, this is not the Opera! You are going to get wet and anywhere from a little bit dirty to very dirty! We promise that you'll have so much fun, that you won't mind a bit!

How Long does
Gem Mining Take?

Plan on at least 2 hours! The time passes very quickly! If you don't have at least that much time, then come another day. Many people arrive at 9am and stay until 5pm and even come back a second day! It's very relaxing and very addictive.

Looking for rubies and sapphires in Native dirt takes about 4 times longer than going thru Salted dirt - unless you don't care if you throw out "Honkers" and lots of smaller stones. You see, all Salted Stones have only been in the dirt you are sifting through for a matter of days, whereas Native stones have been in the same dirt for millions of years! The dirt with Native Stones in it really doesn't want to let loose of it's treasure - they have become good friends! So Scrub, Rinse, Scrub, Rinse, over and over again until the rocks are really good and CLEAN! And they look clean before they really are, so you always have to scrub and rinse at least 2 more times than you would expect - but it's not difficult and if you do it the way we show you, it's not hard on your hands either.

Gary & Donna Wood
with daughter
Leeann (age 9)
Gary Donna Leeann Wood
The Wood Family of Buchanan, GA found over 482 carats of Rubies and Sapphires on March 24th 2001 during a special Gold Prospectors Field Trip - The Western North Carolina, Otto Chapter of the Gold Prospectors Association of America, had the whole mine to themselves. The Gold Prospectors had so much fun hunting for Rubies that they return to Sheffield Mine year after year!

The Woods Family are what we at the Mine call "Bucket Pounders", meaning that they come at 9am and stay till 5pm and go thru as many buckets as possible - so don't expect these results with just one or two buckets! And even if you stay and "pound buckets" all day, we still can't gaurantee that you'll have the same results - but we hope you do and we'll do what we can to show you how to find what you're looking for! 482 Carats of Rubies Sapphires A Whopping 482 carats of Rubies & Sapphires!!!!
Even if you aren't as lucky as these folks, you'll at least have fun and make wonderful family memories!

What Should you do with the
stones that you find?

The best thing to do is to have them Cut & Polished to bring out their true beauty - otherwise, it's not much better than a peice of driveway gravel and it doesn't do you much good to have it stuck away in a drawer somewhere either! Cutting prices are really quite reasonable and it's only when a stone is Cut & Polished that it's true value & beauty can be revealed.

Stones Cleaned in Muratic Acid

But - if you don't want to or can't afford to have them cut right now, then you can clean them up somewhat by soaking them for 24 hours in any Cola product. Finish getting out any dirt with a wire brush (a Dremel works very well).

We Love Field Trips !!!!

Gem Mining can be both
FUN & EDUCATIONAL!

Let us show you how.

Sorry, but we don't have pictures of every group, but we'll show you what we
have. Click on a Group Name that is highlighted and enjoy the pictures.

2001 Field Trips

The Western North Carolina, Otto Chapter of the
Gold Prospectors Association of America - See pictures above

Girl Scout Troop (sorry, we didn't get the troop number -
we just thought of this after the fact)

Whites Creek Christian Academy from Cleveland, Georgia

Waynesville Middle School from Waynesville, NC

Grandma's Retreat (This wasn't the kids, it was the Grannys,
though in fact, most of them didn't look nearly that old!)

2002 Field Trips

The Western North Carolina, Otto Chapter of the
Gold Prospectors Association of America

The Body, Mind & Spirit Adventure Group -
Great Folks from all over!

Boy Scout Troop from South Carolina -
(Prefered Anonimity)

Macon County Center for Progress -
New Horizon's Head Start Program from Franklin, NC

The Atlanta School from - Atlanta, GA

Girl Scout Troop #112 from Snellville, GA

The Hermitage Church from Hermitage, TN
( Nashville, TN suburb)

UNC-Asheville Retirement Party from Asheville, NC

Franklin Highschool Earth Sciences Class
from Franklin, NC

The Nantahala School from Nantahala, NC

2003 Field Trips

Boy Scout Troop #158 from Simpsonville, SC

North East Georgia Mineral Society of Cornelia, GA

Franklin Highschool Earth Sciences Class
from Franklin, NC

The Western North Carolina, Otto Chapter of the
Gold Prospectors Association of America

T C Roberson Highschool from Asheville, NC

Boy Scout Troop 616 from Calhoun, TN

Cadette Scout Troop # 705 from Orlando , FL

Girl Scout Troop # 635 of Citrus Spring, FL

Camp Broadstone from Boone, NC

Hermitage Church from Hermitage, TN

Burke Tours

2004 Field Trips

Boy Scout Troop #159 of Simpsonville, SC

Heart of Florida Girl Scout Troop #83 of Dunnellon, FL

May 2nd, 2002
Eugene tops himself and everyone
else by finding a 488 ct Ruby!!!!

That Ruby is in the
X-TRA Large Category !!

"Honker"
Score Board
This Score Board was
Last Updated 5-2-09
(2000 thru 2008 reflect a whole season!)

Year	Honkers	Super Honkers
2000	265	11
2001	325	17
2002	250	13
2003	283	16
2004	214	11
2005	383	13
2006	485	22
2007	502	23
2008	690	33
2009	60	3

There are thousands of stones found that are large enough to cut and polish, but we only record the ones that are 30 carats or larger. A stone that is about 5 carats is usually large enough to cut, unless it is too thin or fractured.

Largest Ruby Found
During the 2003 Season -
238 Carats!

The largest Ruby found during the 2002 season was a 488 carat Ruby
found by Eugene King (above)

The largest Ruby found during the 2001 season was a 472 carat Ruby
found by Fred Speier!!!

The largest Ruby found during the 2000 season was a 320 carat Ruby
found by Alex Groves !!!

Squeaker -
Ruby or Sapphire that weighs
between 15 and 30 carats

Honker -
Ruby or Sapphire that is
30 carats or larger!

Super Honker -
Ruby or Sapphire that is
100 carats or larger!

MANY smaller stones are found that are large enough to cut, polish and turn into absolutely stunning jewelry!

Come find a Ruby or Sapphire - maybe you'll even find a "Honker" for yourself !

Stone Size Chart

Donna Wood at left, found the 77 carat "Honker"!

The rest of these stones are just some of the ones pictured on the left, found by the whole family. Note the sizes are from itty bitty, all the way to quite substantial! But not a one of them qualifies as a
"SUPER HONKER"!
Beleive it or not, some of the smaller stones on the right hand side are still large enough to be cut and polished and set into jewelry!

Remember,
Don't expect these results
with just one or two buckets!

Keep in mind, this was 3 VERY LUCKY people, working really hard all day long - and while most people, though not all, find something, it's a bit unusual to find this much - but it did happen for the Woods Family and who knows, maybe it could happen to you too!!

When Marty Maddox of St. Pete, Fla. arrived, she told me that Gem Mining wasn't really her "cup of tea", but within an hour - she was hooked!!!! And for good reason - she found a "Honker" nearly right away. Well that got her fired up and she went to scrubbing dirt like there was no tomorrow! Good thing, because all that scrubbing paid off big time, as you can see at the right!	That larger stone is 6 sided and just might produce a STAR when it's cut and polished!
	This is most, but not all, of what Marty, daughter Anna, and husband Joe found during their 3 day visit. Rubies and Sapphires - all! Can you beleive it! They were actually getting embarassed to come to the office to have them weighed!
Anna & Marty Maddox with their not so modest finds.	Poor Marty! After Anna and Joe stake their claims - pilfering Marty's stones as well as their own, she's left with an empty hand and a sad frown!
John Allen with Anna, Marty and Joe Maddox. John picked out buckets for his friends but didn't manage to find any "Honkers" himself - he just loves gem mining and wanted to share the fun with his friends! John - Thanks a million for coming back and bringing us some new friends too!!!! These people are real BUCKET POUNDERS!!!

2005 Field Trips

Peachtree Elementary of Murphy, NC

White Creek Christian Academy
from Cleveland, GA

Miata Car Club

Norfolk Geology Club from Arkansas

YMCA Summer Program from Greenville, SC

The Hermitage Church from Hermitage, TN
( Nashville, TN suburb)

Boy Scout Troop #451 from Pace, FL

2006 & 2007 & 2008 Field Trips

We had 'em, but we were so busy,
that sadly, we didn't get them recorded.

Franklin, NC is Truly a
Vacation Destination
Extrordinaire!

In The Franklin Area
So Much To See - So Much To Do - So Little Time

HIKING- CANOEING -

WHITE WATER RAFTING -

GOLFING - HORSEBACK RIDING - HUNTING - FISHING -

ANTIQUING or ARTS & CRAFTS?

There's even a SCOTTISH TARTAN MUSEUM in downtown Franklin! It's quite good and complete with a gift shop. If you are unaware of your Tartan pattern, they will be glad to help you. And if you think that your name doesn't sound Scottish and so therefore there is no Scottish in your ancestry, well you just might find yourself very surprised!

And don't forget about the WHISTLE STOP MALL; your one-stop Antique, Arts & Craft destination on Hwy 441 on the southside of Franklin! Just look for the Red Railroad Car! The building is huge - you can't miss it!

And practically right across the street from us, on Leatherman Gap Rd., is the world famous PERRY'S WATER GARDEN where you can view acres and acres of the most beautiful Water Lillies on the planet - Like what you see? They ship Water Lillies all over the world! When leaving the mine, turn left and the next drive on the right will take you there.

Or take a TRAIN RIDE in Dillsboro or Bryson City, on The Great Smokey Mtn. Railway and then visit one of the many quaint little shops in either of those communities.

Or visit nearby Cherokee, NC - The OCONOLUFTEE INDIAN VILLAGE is awesome! &/or visit THE MUSEUM OF THE CHEROKEE to learn the history of the Cherokee People, or if you're feeling lucky while in Cherokee, then visit HARRAH'S CASINO - but come here first while you still have some money ;)

If you like Breathtaking Waterfalls, then travel over to Highlands - but drive slowly - Hwy 64 is really twisty! Once you're in Highlands, be sure to visit Kilwin's Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop. It's on the left side of the street as you go into Highlands from Franklin, and the Ice Cream is heavenly! - The candy is excellent also! - but the ICE CREAM yum yum yum!!! and yum!!!! And there are some great restaurants and boutiques in Highlands as well as a world famous Botanical Garden.

Or go a little further (ABOUT AN HOUR & 1/2) and see the BILTMORE ESTATE and GARDENS in Asheville, NC. Be sure to visit Downtown Asheville too. This is a very eclectic, Arts & Crafts Community that you will most certainly enjoy!

How about visiting a German Community? Travel just a little south of here (about an hour) on Hwy 441 and follow the signs to Helen, GA - where you'll find that the whole town looks like you just crossed the ocean and landed in a quaint little "Old World" German Village. There are several boutiques in town and places to down a stein of beer and enjoy bratwurst and saurkraut as well as several other tasty German foods. Even the grocery store is "Old World" and whether you need a loaf of bread or not, it's well worth a stop!

Speaking of German Communities; just to the north of us (about an hour) on Hwy 441 on the other side of the mountain from Cherokee, NC is Gatlinburg, TN - another recreation of a German community, but this one has taken on a definite 21st century look. Here you'll find the RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT MUSEUM, RIPLEY'S AQUARIUM OF THE SMOKEYS, the GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS MUSEUM, CHRISTUS GARDENS (a Biblical Wax Museum) and soooo much more including helicopter rides and bungee jumping!!!! Restaurants and boutiques are everywhere you look. This is not exactly the place for Nature Lovers, though the nearby surroundings are quite breathtaking! And if you want even more glitz and electronic amusements, go 15 more minutes north on Hwy 441 into Pigeon Forge, TN, the home of DOLLYWOOD and so much entertainment, you won't know where to start having fun!

What People Are Saying About Sheffield Mine

How do I find Rubies & Sapphires?

How to Remove Mud Stains
from your clothing

Rock Hound Terms

Hungry?

Franklin has food for any appetite, from burgers to gourmet!
You won't go hungry, unless you just forget to eat!

Sleepy?

There are tons of Motels, Campgrounds and Cottages in the area!
Just check with the Franklin Chamber of Commerce

Fun Factoids for Kids

Coming Soon

Our Favorite Web Sites

Want to learn more about the various
Lapidary Arts?
(Stone Cutting, Jewelry Making and the like)

Spend a week at
Young Harris, GA
at the
William Holland School of Lapidary

Learn how to cut your own stones or learn intarsia or silver-smithing or several other gemstone related crafts! You won't believe how reasonable their rates are! And what you learn will be with you for life, not to mention the friends that you'll meet! People come from all over the country to attend this school!

OR -

	You can take a *Beginner's Wire Wrap Class* right here at Sheffield Mine $50 covers the cost of Supplies and Instruction. Make a Pair of Earrings complete with Earwires or a Butterfly Pendant and take them home! Class must be scheduled at least one day in advance. Up to 4 students per class or as few as 1 student at a time. Must be at least 15 years old. Materials used include Sterling Silver or 14kt Gold Filled Wire You will be using tools provided by your instructor. Tools will remain with instructor when class is over. Classes last about 6 hours with a lunch break included You'll be given an information sheet and an instruction sheet for the project that you just completed to take with you. (A very Uncommon practice - usually its take pictures and scribble your own notes - good luck) To Schedule a class, call 828-369-8383
	MORE INFO & HISTORY
	DIRECTIONS
	WHAT WILL IT COST

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