The Greater Foscoe Mining Company

My family had an excellent experience here. We purchased two $ 26 buckets for our sons and had a very helpful employee (long curly hair) give us a demonstration and work with our sons. At the end of the experience the employees helped the boys classify the gems on a chart and point our uniqueness of the stones. We have done gem mining elsewhere (not in Boone area) and this was by far the best experience. Ours sons left with large smiles on their face and a little more knowledge of stones than before. The best part is that they were excited about getting home to read their book on gems. Thanks!

We called the day prior to our visit to ask if rain would affect their hours of operation. We were told rain or shine they would be open but they would sell their last bucket at 4pm. We arrived at 3:15 only to be told they were closing. The long haired employee could have cared less about the two kids he disappointed. This employee treated his job like a chore with no apology. We went the next day to another mining company and were treated with excellent hospitality. I guess this mining company does not like making money. We tell others about which is the best mining company to go to when traveling to Boone, it won’t be this one.

I called here yesterday to confirm that they would be open during the rain. I was told absolutely, rain or shine we will be open. I have been selling my last bucket around 4. It is 3:30, I am here, and I was just told that there was no more gem mining for the day (his money bucket gone). I now get to drive away with two disappointed kids.

If you know what you are getting yourself into (not «real» gem mining) then this place is awesome.
Went with two kids (4 and 6) in May. The staff was insanely courteous and helpful. Bought the small bucket ($ 16 maybe) and kids found tons of small gems (dime to quarter size). We spent about 30 minutes sifting the dirt, then another 30 minutes with an employee who charted all the gems out for the boys.
A month later my kids still talk about it and have their gem charts up in there room.

Five stars for making my kids so happy. We found lots of stones. My 4yo found a 5.2 carat ruby. I had it cut and set into a ring for my wife. Now she’s happy! Good experience, and I’ll have to go back, the kids can’t stop talking about it.

We just visited and stayed in foscoe for five nights. Before we stopped here we visited another gem mine just down the road where we got a bucket twice as big with twice as many and larger gems for the same price. Foscoe mining just sorted gems and sloppily taped to a paper with the type of gem it was and sent u on your way. More bang for buck at other place and they educated u on gems found

I’ve been taking my boys here yearly for the past 3 summers and they always have a blast. As the grownup in the group, I always glance around and wonder why they can’t get that collapsing hillside fixed, or spruce the place up a little bit. But I can guarantee that you’ll be the hero of the day if you take your kids here. They will only see the wonders of the mud-​filled trough, and huge chunks of amethyst in their sifting tray.
They have 4 sizes of buckets, each one full of brown dirt and untold treasure. According to the jeweler next door (Facets of Foscoe) who does the cutting, you get what you pay for. If you’re willing to spring for the $ 100+ bucket, you’re sure to walk out with some stunning jewels (uncut of course). We usually get the $ 26.50 bucket that the three of us sift through as a team. It’s just about the right size for their 9 and 5-​year old attention spans. We always walk away with large hunks of amethyst, rose quartz, citrine, and smokey topaz, along with pieces of sapphire, tourmaline, emerald and aquamarine that are a bit bigger than marbles. If you get lucky you may find a watermelon tourmaline or mexican opal. One year I had my hand in the mud of the trough and found a gorgeous ruby that some unsuspecting kid had dropped!
Be sure to bring a change of clothes for the kids if you’re planning on going somewhere else afterwards!

The Foscoe Gem Mining Company appears to be a thriving business with unknown riches awating every dump of sparkling dirt into your sifter. From the road, the appearance is impressive: a fun «claims office», colorful buldings, sloughs that snake around the property and bright watermill wheel.
How unfortunate, then, for us to arrive and find the mine so run down. Such a clever layout, so unique in presentation! Sad to see the company in such a delapidated state.
The display area was dingy and dirty, wood was rotting on the building, and the watermill wheel didn’t appear to have run in many years.
However — despite all this, I must say that I was truly impressed with the gems that we found… lots, actually: garnets, amethysts, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, topaz, among various varieties of quartz.
Once you have finished your search for riches, a «gemologist» sorts your rocks and tapes them to a gem placemat that identifies each one. Neat!
The company still offers a service to cut and set any of the stones that you find, although I admit I wasn’t impressed with the setting. The cuts looked great, though.
So, even though the Foscoe Gem Mining Company appears to have lost quite a bit of its luster, I still recommend a visit. The sloughs are fun, the kids will get nice and dirty, and everyone will love seeing the results of their hardwork laid out on a spiffy paper placemat!