How to Mine Sapphire

Sapphire miners often dig up old deposits or alluvials transported to the area by rivers.

In 1865, the first sapphires found in the U.S. were discovered in Montana. Subsequently, sapphires have been found in North Carolina. Both states have popular sapphire-producing sites that offer fee mining in which miners pay a fee to mine the sapphire. Miners also can order sapphire concentrates or dirt with sapphire content through the mail.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Bucket
• Screen
• Light-box
• Gem pick-up tool

Instructions

1. Dig for sapphire-producing material. Dump the dirt into a bucket. Continue to dig until you are ready to screen the material.

2. Sift through the material. Use screens to sift dirt and gravel to find the sapphires. Use a gem pick-up tool or tweezers to pick the gems out of the screen.

3. Place sapphires and other gems in a clear dish with a light source like a flashlight underneath. Or, use a light-box to look closely at the sapphires to determine the color and clarity.

4. Send sapphires to be faceted and polished. Faceted sapphires or cut gems are worth much more than rough sapphires.

5. Order sapphire concentrates through the mail. Try virtual mining by ordering concentrates and sifting through the dirt to find sapphires at home.

Tips & Warnings

• Some quartz rocks look like sapphires.

References

• Sapphiremine.com: Here's How The Mining Works
• USGS: Sapphires