The Gem Museum and Mines of America
The Gem Museums and Mines of America
There are many great museums in the United States that display and promote the beauty of gems and minerals. Most people know of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, which is world famous. But there are many lesser known but just as interesting places to enjoy. Here’s a partial list:
North Carolina: The Cherokee Ruby and Sapphire Mine
The Reed Gold Mine
Georgia: Consolidated Gold Mine (Georgia was the first Gold Rush in America)
Mississippi: Mississippi Petrified Forest in Madison County
Illinois: The Field Museum of Natural History (with a jade vessel five feet tall)
The Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art in Elmhurst
New Mexico: Turquoise mining in Cerrilos
California: Fallbrook Gem and Mineral Museum
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
The Gemological Institute of America
Arkansas: Crater of Diamonds State Park (where you can pan for real diamonds)
Nevada: Royal Peacock Opal Mine in Denio
There are many more places to see and mines to visit. Harvard, Yale and the Carnegie Museum are all in New England. Lake Superior agates can be found along the shore. There’s gold panning in Alaska and the Tucson Gem Shows in February, the biggest collection of gem shows in the world.
The United States is fortunate to have many gem and mineral deposits, and most of them are open to visiting and in many instances you can search for gems yourself.
Or you can always come into Wahl Jewelers and see the finished products after polishing and setting.