Hiddenite Gems Inc.

Currently in North Carolina there are only a few major mines that produce significant amounts of emerald stones. Three of the larger mines in Hiddenite, NC, include Adams Mine, NAEM, and the Emerald Hollow Mine. They are all collectively known as the Hiddenite Gem Mines.

The first discovery of the hiddenite stone was made in 1879. The stone was revealed to Mr. W. E. Hidden. The samples were sent to Dr. J. Lawrence Smith in Louisville, Kentucky, who determined that the stone Mr. Hidden had collected was spodumene. The variety of the stone that was found was given the name Hiddenite in honor of the finder. This was a good reason for locals and others to look for the gem themselves.

Emerald Hollow Mine
One of the major mines in the county is the Emerald Hollow Mine. This a public gem mine located in the Piedmont of North Carolina in Alexander County, specifically in the town of Hiddenite. Throughout the entire United States, this is one of the only emerald mines that is open to the public to search for emeralds.

At the mine, more than 63 different types of gems and minerals can be found including emeralds, amethyst, sapphire, aquamarine, topaz, garnet, as well as the stone Hiddenite, which is a stone only found in this local area. The ways in which gems can be uncovered in this mine is by sluicing, creeking, or digging. Sluicing is the process of taking a small amount of dirt or soil removed from the mine and sifting through it with a stream of running water known as a sluiceway. As the dirt is washed down the trough, the larger pieces of gems, minerals, and other stones are left in the sifter.