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Questions Frequently Asked1. What gems can one find in your native mix? Garnets are your number one best find in Ashe County. Also in the native buckets we have found lovely emerald, topaz, tourmaline, citrine, aquamarine, amethyst, smokey, rose and clear quartz, and some chalcedony, agates & calcite (a little sapphire and ruby has also been found) and gold has been found quite a bit in the mining buckets as well. 2. How big are the buckets of ore? Are those plastic buckets I saw on the website (which look like about 1 gallon buckets) the actual buckets that we would be paying for? The small buckets you saw on the web-site are the complementary buckets that we give out with the paid admission price. The purchased buckets of ore are in 5-gallon buckets and vary in size from there. You will find gems in ALL of our buckets, including our complimentary pails. We have a $25.00 pail either in Native or Enriched as well as a Mountain Monster pail, ($100.00) that is full of gems, plus you'll receive a Free faceted gemstone of your choice with the hundred dollar pail purchase. 3. Do you actually have a mine, or do you buy your ore from another location? We have a working private mine that we dig from, but it is not open to the public as of yet. We dig from several mining spots in the old "Ore Knob Mine" territory. We do not have a mine that you can tour. We have purchased some material for our salted buckets...but mostly; the majority of gems are from our very own mine. 4. Do you give a discount for groups? If so, how many people are required? Yes, we give a group discount of 10% off the $10.00 admission price for groups over 10. We also give the same 10% off for seniors over 65 and active military. Children under 5 can get in free with paid adult, however, children under 5 who get in free do not get a complimentary bucket of ore. We do have Small Kid's pails for small kids for $5.00 and $10.00 each designed for the little ones. 5. Is your mine "Handicapped friendly?" My wife/husband/child is handicapped and uses a wheelchair or motorized scooter. Yes, we think it is. Even though our flumes are outside, we have made them in a way that a wheelchair can go directly to the flumes and still mine comfortable. Also the Gem Shop has handicap accessible restrooms. Do keep in mind though the grounds and flumes are outside, but we do have handicap transportation on the grounds to take our guest to the picnic areas and flumes, restrooms etc, if you so request it. 6. Can we camp on site? No, not at the present time, as we do not have the facilities for camping in place yet. 7. Can I dig for my own gems? We do not allow anyone on the actual mine area due to safety concerns, however we do allow you to dig for your own gemstones on the large creek banks and in other designated areas, where many wonderful gems have already been found. 8. Can we pan for gold and can you find gold? Yes, the large creek area at Gem-Valley has quite a bit of gold in it and is a good location to pan in. You will still have to pay the entrance price to Gem Valley for the day, but we have gold pans you can use on site if you choose to pan. Gem-Valley can even test your gold for you. 9. Can we bring in our own equipment? Sorry, No! We supply all equipment needed to mine for gems and pan for gold. We do not allow anyone to bring his or her tools and equipment to Gem-Valley. 10. Do you accept Credit Cards? Yes, we accept Visa, Master-card, American Express and Discover, Checking Debit Cards as well as cash, but we do not accept checks. Gift Certificates are available in the Gem Shop. 11. Can big groups like school groups come to Gem-Valley? Yes, we encourage school and other large groups to come visit Gem-Valley. If you are a group of 25 or more, please consider booking your visit in advance for a Tuesday or Wednesday, so we can give your group full private access to Gem-Valley, including gem mining, gold panning, and educational geological tour and information. Large groups get a 10% discount on all entrance fees, bucket purchases and gem shop purchases, and drivers/chaperons get in free. 12. Do you have grills and picnic tables? Yes, Gem-Valley has a full park area, including outdoor grills and tables…so plan to bring a picnic lunch with you when you visit. Snacks & drinks are also sold in Gem-Shop. Alcohol is strictly prohibited on Gem Valley grounds. 13. Can you identify rocks, or cut rocks? Yes! We have gemologist at Gem Valley ready to help you identify your stones. We can facet or cab your material and even place your stones in jewelry of your choice for a reasonable price. If you found the stone at Gem-Valley we will identify it for you for free. If you bring in a stone or gold from somewhere else to be tested, we do charge a small fee. Employees at Gem Valley are there to help you learn and enjoy your mining experience. 14. What times are you open? We are open for the 2009 season May 1st through October 18th. Thursday-Monday 9:00AM-5:00PM (Closed on Tuesday and Wednesdays) Please note that no new miners are allowed at the flumes after 4 PM. Is your question not on here? Feel free to contact us! |