lucky lake gem mine

Wow, this turned out MUCH better than I ever expected. We stopped by on our way back from Williamsburg and we were so impressed with the gems we found...but especially how nice and HELPFUL the owners were, and Miss Beth the GIA (Gemologist Institute of America) certified jewel cutter. She sat down with my girls age 7 & 9 and went through all the rocks and gems they found to help us pick the stones to have cut. Kids and parents truly LOVED it. Ironically each of my girls found there birthstones and that is what she is cutting for us and shipping to us. They even stayed 30 minutes after closing to TRULY help my girls and also to look through what they discarded initially. The owners found 3 more garnets on the ground that we missed! Great trip!

We went with another family to Lucky Lake. Our kids (8 & 10) loved the little flume mining at Busch Gardens (France) and wanted to do it at a real mine. It was about 2 hours from Va Beach. Driving up, we were a little worried as it "appears" to be a small operation. We were quickly greeted by the owners who were exceptionally nice and full of southern hospitality and charm. Unfortunately, you aren't allowed to the visit the gem onsite due to the OSHA rules and mining regulations.After browsing the small store, the owner explained the different buckets of dirt we could buy. We ended up getting the $110 5 gallon bucket for the kids to share, which includes two free gem cuts. The owner's daughter cuts the gems onsite and she is really helpful. Trust me, there are plenty of gems you'll find to be cut. You'll have a hard time deciding. Between the two kids, it took about 45 min or so to make it through the bucket. The entire time, the owner shared with us the story of the mine and pointed out the different types of rocks the kids were finding. You can tell they enjoy having the mine and meeting new people. Once we gathered all the rocks, the owner sat with us for about 30 minutes and told us the story of each rock we found because we had to decide which ones to cut. My son choose a tourmaline and my daughter choose a amethyst. Then, we had a little picnic there since there were several picnic benches.After lunch, each kid got a $60 bucket which included one cut each. This time, my daughter decided to get an aquamarine cut and my son got an amethyst. It takes about 2-3 weeks to get the gems cut.We ended up staying there from 10:30 to about 2 or so. It was a great time and we can't wait to see what our gems look like. The other folks we saw there were regulars and they all brought their proudly cut gems from previous visits.

Took my two boys, ages 5 and 8, because the older one collects rocks and crystals and has been wanting to go to a mine. They have different sizes/prices of buckets starting at $15. We got two $20 buckets. The kids enjoyed washing the dirt away in the flue to reveal their treasures. I was impressed at the variety and amount of rocks and crystals they each got from their bucket! I wish I had gotten a bucket for me. After you are finished, they identify your stones, tell you what that stone helps with, and show you cut and polished versions. You can pay them to cut and polish any of the stones you find. It took about 40 minutes for my boys to go through their buckets. It would take longer if you spend more time examining each rock but they wanted to see what they would find next.My boys also each bought a geode to crack. I was impressed with how beautiful they were when opened. Much better value than the stands we've seen in museums with ping pong size geodes for the same price ($10). They sell snacks and have indoor bathrooms and a gift shop. The flue is covered so don't let rain keep you away. It's a little off the beaten path, but the drive is through some beautiful farmland (we saw bearded goats, sheep, ducks, and a donkey). We will definitely go back!

We found really cool gems! They are cutting them for us. We bought a 5 gallon bucket for 110.00 that included 2 gem cuts. We got a 2 ct Garnett and 3 ct ruby! We got really lucky! Super fun. They tell you all about your finds. Worth it! Get the big bucket!