Rubies, Sapphires (mostly pink) and quite a few other Gems (semi-precious and precious) can found in and around Franklin and many other areas of North Carolina. Stay away from most of the Pay Mines as many of them only offer imported materials from many parts of the world and these are called Salted Mines. There are a few Pay Mines where you can actually dig, sift and wash material right out of the ground which they dig and pile up for you. Many of the Gems from these locations are of poor quality but every now and then, someone gets lucky and finds a nice or even outstanding specimen. There is a lot of information online and in publications on locations to Gem Prospect in North Carolina, so it is best to do some research. You can prospect in some of the rivers but be careful of doing so in creeks and streams that are not in the National Forests. North Carolina doesn't have the same Laws as some other States which allow you access to creeks and streams running through Private Lands as long as you stay in the water and you could be prosecuted for trespassing as the creek or stream could be owned by the land owner. You might get permission to prospect on someone's land but it is very doubtful as the folks in the areas where the Gems are known to be located, are tired of folks coming in and destroying not only their' creek and streams but also their' lands. Besides having the options of looking for Rubies and Sapphires in the Franklin area, there are many locations within 20 to 50 miles from there, that have many other types of Gems including Emerald, White and Blue Sapphires, Amethyst, Garnets and many others.
If you decide to go to some remote mountain and mountain stream locations, just make sure you wear Snake Gaitors and be prepared for possible snake bites as there are a lot of Rattlesnakes (both Eastern Diamond Back and Black Mountain Timber Rattlesnakes) as well as Copperheads in many locations. Many years ago while prospecting for Rubies and Sapphires on Chunky Gal Mountain about 15 miles or so Southwest of Franklin off Hwy 64 towards Hayesville, I was buzzed 3 times by a Rattlesnake but could never locate it. Not wanting to get bit, I quickly backed out of there and got back to my' car.
Frank
Good luck!
Frank
