If you have some plans to experience gem mining, and if you're in Branson, you don't need to go far because you can enjoy it at Branson Mountain Mining. As the longest gem mine in the Ozarks, it sits near the banks of Fall Creek. What you need to do is to choose the kind of gems you would like to mine. Fossils and gems, and much more are available at Branson Mountain Mining. It's an enjoyable activity for every age.

Gen mining is like playing a lottery. You can spend hours performing backbreaking work only to find a few semi-precious stones that don't have much value. Some others may randomly reach into a pile of dirt and pull out gold worth hundreds of dollars.

Hunting for interesting gems and crystals at Branson Mountain Mining can be rewarding, even if you don't find a precious gem. Many recreational gem hunters enjoy spending time outdoors, learning about geology, and socializing with other gem hunters. Others are more goal-oriented; they look for their birthstones or attractive gems to make into jewelry. Some collectors want to find as many different types of gems and rocks as possible to catalog and display.

There are many ways to get involved in gem mining, ranging from fee digs to staking your mining claim. You must first learn more about geology before you can achieve geologic glory. You can't just go outside and start poking around in the rocks, hoping to find specific types of gems and crystals.

Minerals formed in the Earth's mantle can make their way to the surface over millions of years due to massive geologic effects like tectonic plate upheaval. Deep rocks can be brought to the surface by earthquakes and volcanoes, while wind and water erosion gradually wears down surface soils to reveal buried bedrock. Humans can also show bedrock, so looking for gems near tunnels, railroads, or construction sites can be very rewarding.

There are different ways to find each gem in the world. Australian sapphires are found in a specific area with alluvial deposits. They're scattered across the ground of gravel under the soil. Gem hunters dig through the gravel ground and filter the rocks by shaking them in water in a pan. Sapphires settle to the bottom of the pan because they are heavier than most rocks. Any sapphires on top will be visible when the pan is flipped over and emptied.

There are tens of thousands of different types of minerals. Even though the varieties of gems are fewer, they are created under conditions so diverse as nearly infinite. The hardness, clarity, crystalline structure, and color of gems and minerals are all affected by pressure, heat, location, the presence of other minerals and impurities, water, and later geologic forces. That is why they are so uncommon.

You'll delight in gemstone panning and exploration adventures at Branson Mountain Mining if you appreciate gemstones, rocks, minerals, crystals and fossils. People of all ages equally enjoy the panning experience! Whether it's your first time in gem panning or you are an expert, we are here to assist in your experience. No matter how often your pan, you will always take something different home. Each discovery station offers a different experience in the reveal process. It's always an adventure!

At Branson Mountain Mining, we carefully select and create our unique blend of gemstones, crystals, and fossils from around the world, which we then combine into unique concentrations of mining dirt to represent each "theme" they offer. These beautiful earth elements come in various sizes, shapes, natural and enhanced, just like our options.

Even within the same theme, no two mixes are identical. Your treasure may include natural and enhanced semi-precious gems such as amethyst, quartz, rose quartz, citrine, emeralds, obsidian, crystal points, jaspers, agates, calcites, arrowheads, shells, fossils, and many more not listed! Our staff will assist you in locating all of the treasures.

Your panning adventure begins with a bucket of gem mining dirt and a screened wooden box at Branson Mountain Mining's custom running water trough. Scoop the mixture onto the screen, lower your screen box into the water, shaking the tray to separate the mining dirt from the gems. As the gems appear, you will be amazed.

When you're done panning at the water trough, take your gems to a table to sort and continue identifying your gemstones with the specimen identification chart that comes with the package. Then you can take your finds home to add to your collection, start a new one, or admire them for years to come.

Go gem mining at Branson Mountain Mining Adventure Park. You will undoubtedly enjoy this unique adventure once you have the opportunity to find semi-precious stones, even if you believe they are of little value.