News - Masons Ruby & Sapphire Mine

What's going on at Mason's?
If you had a good time with us, let us know with a picture and you could have a place on this page!
Or check our Facebook page for the most up to date information!

Treasures found at Masons!

Some customers are pulling out hundreds of carats of Sapphires in a day! We haven't seen this many sapphires in a coons age! Come on down and find your treasure!

Mason's septic system is installed

Masons mine now has a septic system so we can move forward with the well and bath-house!

Miners of the day

Here is a picture of one of our favorite families, the Taylors, visiting the mine last year! They had so much fun they are returning again this year with more grand kids. We cant wait to see them, and maybe they will find another big stone to make a ring like one of their last trips!

Send Miner Todd some mail!

Todd is a big teddy bear so we changed his email name to toddy.bear@masonsmine.com Everyone needs to send the toddy bear some lovin.

Mining Season 2013 Open March 1st!

Visit us in 2013 and get your first bell-ringer after the end of the world!

Lots of Renovations around Mason's!

We have been really busy this winter getting everything in shape for our opening in March! We have added 2 new indoor spaces in the mining shack and have renovated the flume lines. We also renovated the bridge and got permits for a new well and a septic system. Come check out everything we have changed!

We are still planning to do the bath house!!!

We now have the initial bath house plans. We are revising them as I write this! During the summer we had the well drilled and the Health Department has recently approved our water! Thanks for bearing with us on the bath house. The slow economy, bureaucracy, and working in an area with unconsolidated overburden has been tough obstacles to overcome. With any luck by next spring(2013) we will break ground!

Paranormals Come Out To Mason's!!!

I'm not afraid of any ghosts!

Roger on that! I see it too!

Got orbs?

What do you see?

The hub of activity. This is paranormal central!

I know you're out there!

We had very interesting results for the paranormal investigation. Later on when the video footage is screened and edited we will show some pics!!!

Spring Dig 2013!!!

Starting the dig!

Right side digging area was prepped and refreshed.

Right side area before the dig.

Prepping for the catchment basin clean out.

UV tour area was prepped and refreshed!

New emergency catchment basin was enlarged.

Miner Al supervising!

Toddy Bear helping with the dig! Lol!

Putting the catchment basin sediment into a temporary holding area to dry.

Interesting geology exposed in the back wall. A faulted and sheared zone intruded by pegmatites. Sometimes they are corundum bearing!

View of the newly prepped open pit and digging area.

After the dig Burningtown Creek was still clear.

Mason's Mine is not only Fun, but it's Educational!

On October 26th, 2012 we had a group of eighth graders from South Carolina come to our mine. We showed them our facilities and they got to dig for sapphires! A hand out was given out after the mining part was through explaining the geology and history of the mine.

Todd showing a display of our sapphires to the students. He also explained some of the rules and procedures concerning mining at Mason's.

Students going up to the digging area on the left side of the pit.

Todd showing some of the students what to look for and how to wash the soil for sapphires.

"Miner" Al giving a short talk on the history and geology of the mine. A hand out with a summary was given out to the students.

A small sapphire found in a screen of gravel that day.

Luke keeping an eye on the students while they were digging.

Miner Up at Mason's for the Holidays 2012!

Durn turkey missed Christmas dinner!

Turkeys on patrol at the mine.

Luke and Brandon looking festive!

Brandon and Luke working the flumes.

Great hat!

Todd educating miners on meteorites. This is a 21 pound Nantan from China!

The guys are running head on into trouble!

Even the Angry Bird hats got the customers a discount!

Look what Santa put in my ore cart! Could I trade him in for a bell ringer?!!

Miner Al in his holiday best! Lol!

Miner up!!!

Family mining in winter!

Brandon, Luke, and Todd goofing off. Back to the flumes guys. Your break is over!

Sunset and snow falling on the Nantahala Mountains in Burningtown. The final curtain falls on the 2012 season.

Averting a Disaster at the Mine!!!

On January 14th through 17th the Mason's Mine received 6 to 10 inches of rain! There were numerous land slides and flooding in Macon County and surrounding counties. Our catchment basin was at bankful by the 16th and to relieve the pressure we pumped water into a temporary holding pond made from a mine excavation. Fun Friday on the 18th was canceled, but we had bigger fish to fry. That's if they didn't wash away and end up in Tennessee! We pumped water on and off for two days into the temporary basin. After all this Burningtown Creek was still running clear and we all could finally relax by Friday!