Just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, about 1 hour from Asheville, NC, is Emerald Village, NC's #1 gem mining attraction! Go underground in a real mine at the NC Mining Museum. See old mining equipment and displays, and enjoy the splashing waterfall! Tour the Company Store, re-creating an old mining town. Visit Discovery Mill, with free displays, including the Music Museum, the Homestead Museum, the Blue Ridge model railroad display, and gift and snack shops. Spend time at our spectacular Gemstone Mine where you'll have "buckets" of fun searching for real gems. Find colorful gems and keep them all! Have your gems identified by our experts, who can also cut, polish, and mount them into exquisite jewelry. It's great fun for the entire family!