Diamond Hill Mine
Diamond Hill Mine
4
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Diamond Hill Mine is one of the premier Quartz mines in the south. Among the varieties of Quartz that can be found here include Our legendary Skeletal Quartz as well as Amethyst, Milkey and Smokey Quartz. On occasion guests may also find Aquamarine, Garnet and Epidote. We offer guest the opportunity to experience the thrill of finding their own beautiful crystals from the earth. All crystals found at the mine are native to Diamond Hill, this is not a "salted mine'. We have an excavator dig twice a year to expose new crystals. Guests are allowed to keep everything they find. We are open 365 days a year to Rockhounds and treasure seekers. Sign in is at the mine daily from 9-12 and guests may collect until dusk. Camping is allowed but we do not have electrical or water available. Pets are allowed.
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4.0
62 reviews
Excellent
36
Very good
10
Average
2
Poor
5
Terrible
9
SC Mama
1 contribution
Apr 2021 • Family
Went with a group to get the discounted rate of $10 per chaperone that is listed on the website and was also confirmed to our leader by email but the older man checking us in refused to honor the price, said groups only get $5 off so we paid $15 each. Then we talked to other people in our group and found out they all paid only $10 per person. We went back to the man to correct the matter and he still refused to give us the correct rate. We showed him the email conforming the rate and the website showing the rate. He said no way, we've never done that price it's always only $5 off and that the website isn't even their website and just walked off. Not good customer service and also a liar since he clearly gave other people in our group the correct group rate of $10.
Written 1 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sherry S
2 contributions
Jun 2020 • Family
I gave it a one only because I couldn’t give a zero. It was our first time there and the man working was so rude we left before we could pay or do any digging. This man should not working with the public. Our son was with us and even he didn’t understand how someone could be so rude.
Written 22 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kristie W
1 contribution
Mar 2020
I believe the owner has about dug all the good stuff up in her private digs. I have seen her ex-boyfriend cleaning a lot of real nice pieces at her house. I have been to diamond hill many times now each year and in the last 8 years I have seen how the dirt got turned over. To me it is no longer worth my time. 20 dollars a head is outrageous. It use to be cheaper and you could find a rare one every blue moon, but not any more. Now all you find is the cheap small crystals
Written 9 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
C. Hudson
1 contribution
Oct 2020
I want to thank Diamond Hill Mine for ruining my wife's first day out in over a year. She is partially disabled and I finally got her healthy enough to have her do her favorite pastime. Rock hounding. We drove from Charleston and got there at noonish and was told by a older ....person. Cant go in. Come back tomorrow. If you aint here early you aint getting in. Would not listen to me as I tried to explain we just did a 4 hour drive, and my wife is not healthy, and this is the first time in a year she has been out of the city.
Thank you so very much for a WONDERFUL DAY. NOT!
Thank you so very much for a WONDERFUL DAY. NOT!
Written 17 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Devon W
St. Petersburg, FL16 contributions
Jul 2020 • Couples
Note: the man who checks you in is fine, I think if you are looking for a rude experience you will find it, I read reviews about him and just wore my mask and was nice and he was fine.
Also the mine is in no way “all dug out” it is loaded with crystals everywhere... in the old piles and the new ones they have turned over.
Diamond hill mine is So great! Read the reviews and do your homework and you will have an amazing experience.
You must bring your own tools (screwdriver, pickax, rock hammer, sifter, scrub brush and shovel were all helpful for us)
You must wear a mask when checking in (but not while digging)
There is no re-entry allowed so be sure to bring all you need. (Lunch, snacks, TONS of water like 2 or 3 gallons per person is what we brought and used it all, umbrella, hat, SUNSCREEN)
You WILL find tons of cool stuff both big and little. The reviews that say they didn’t find anything are scam reviews or extremely lazy people that must have looked for 2 minutes. There is so much to find here!
You can find a lot just walking around and looking. If it’s shiny, check it out! And of course if you’re digging you will find stuff too. If u find something great, look around in that area for more.
We found smoky, milky, skeletal, and tons of Small amethyst.
I had been wanting to come here for a while and I was well prepared. That being said the heat is extreme and I did end up pretty heat exhausted and sunburned, even with 2 applications of sunscreen and drinking over a gallon of water. It is HOT! Next time I will come in the winter!
Also the mine is in no way “all dug out” it is loaded with crystals everywhere... in the old piles and the new ones they have turned over.
Diamond hill mine is So great! Read the reviews and do your homework and you will have an amazing experience.
You must bring your own tools (screwdriver, pickax, rock hammer, sifter, scrub brush and shovel were all helpful for us)
You must wear a mask when checking in (but not while digging)
There is no re-entry allowed so be sure to bring all you need. (Lunch, snacks, TONS of water like 2 or 3 gallons per person is what we brought and used it all, umbrella, hat, SUNSCREEN)
You WILL find tons of cool stuff both big and little. The reviews that say they didn’t find anything are scam reviews or extremely lazy people that must have looked for 2 minutes. There is so much to find here!
You can find a lot just walking around and looking. If it’s shiny, check it out! And of course if you’re digging you will find stuff too. If u find something great, look around in that area for more.
We found smoky, milky, skeletal, and tons of Small amethyst.
I had been wanting to come here for a while and I was well prepared. That being said the heat is extreme and I did end up pretty heat exhausted and sunburned, even with 2 applications of sunscreen and drinking over a gallon of water. It is HOT! Next time I will come in the winter!
Written 25 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tclark143
Grand Forks, ND74 contributions
Jun 2020 • Family
I rarely leave below a four, but I’m giving this a one simply because of the man that works there and possibly is the owner. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered such a rude person. Right now you have to wear a mask or he won’t let you check in. That’s fine. I was wearing my mask to give him our ages and money. My young son opened the door to get out and the old guy barked “get away from me without a mask.” I gave him the ages for my vehicle and then pointed to my sisters car and said “she’s with me and she got two adults” .... he bit my head off by saying “lady I don’t care whose in her car I’m dealing with you.” I said “I’m paying for them so yes you do need to know!” Again, just super nasty and uncalled for. I was telling him kids ages on her car and I broke it down into one teen , three kids, and one six year old. Again he almost yelled at me “how many kids do you have?” I said “I broke it down since they all cost differently.” He said they are the same. I said according to the website six year olds are free. “Lady I don’t care what the website says I run it out here and do what I want!” He charged me for the 6 year old. Lastly, he was going through the rules. “You can’t leave and come back.” The website doesn’t say that and implies that you’re able to leave the premises by saying that they don’t have running water but that there’s a gas station five minutes away. We told him we didn’t realize that and had planned to go there for lunch and drinks. He said “nope you leave you pay again.” He was writing down tag numbers so there’s really no reason he couldn’t work with people but I get it a rule is a rule. Just make it known. Also, the website states that digging takes place until dusk. He adamantly told us that we must be off the property at six, which is nowhere near dusk in S.C. in June. We weren’t the only ones we heard him being rude to so I guess it’s just who he is. They don’t take cash so plan ahead. Besides the terrible customer service, we enjoyed the day. We found nice rocks especially after taking big rocks and breaking them open. You’ll get dirty and sweaty, but there are spots to dig in the shade. It was an unusual thing that we had fun doing. I would recommend it if you like different activities Just know that you’re probably going to be talked down to and have a bad first impression, but once you’re on your own and digging, it’s better.
Written 13 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sharon M
3 contributions
Mar 2024 • Solo
I heard about this mine when I was rockhounding in Franklin NC. It’s easy to find and the parking lot is cleared of holes and big rocks and is safe for cars and tires. This is an open area (not underground) with mounds of dirt that are full of crystals. Had a blast! I started digging into the tailings mound near the stream and found a few pretty rocks, but I found much more right on the surface. The best find was an upside down quartz cluster with many big points in the parking lot.
The owners, David and his wife, are wonderful people and they are so helpful. You WILL get dirty and you need to wear closed tie-on shoes or boots. There are two porta potties, which come in handy. Don’t cross the stream, but check out the big rocks at the edge. Look closely and you will often find hollow parts with crystals in the depression. I recommend a tarp or kneeling pad, a bucket you can put water in from the stream to rinse off rocks enough to see what you have, a shovel, leather gloves, dishwashing gloves and a stiff brush for cleaning. There’s a lot of red clay that covers the crystals, so you’ll want to be able to rinse what you find. Go early and spend the whole day. Very reasonable entry fees, especially for seniors like me. I was quite happy with all the points, clusters, and quartz I found. I even found an amethyst, which David said was in all parts of the mine. The aquamarines are extremely rare, but some have been found there. You can clean quartz with Iron Out or oxalic acid to get the iron stains off. I highly recommend this mine for all ages. Those who are not steady on their feet will need to stay in the more level areas. This area is open every day of the year from 9-5:00. Going after a rainstorm is best since the rain helps the crystals surface.
The owners, David and his wife, are wonderful people and they are so helpful. You WILL get dirty and you need to wear closed tie-on shoes or boots. There are two porta potties, which come in handy. Don’t cross the stream, but check out the big rocks at the edge. Look closely and you will often find hollow parts with crystals in the depression. I recommend a tarp or kneeling pad, a bucket you can put water in from the stream to rinse off rocks enough to see what you have, a shovel, leather gloves, dishwashing gloves and a stiff brush for cleaning. There’s a lot of red clay that covers the crystals, so you’ll want to be able to rinse what you find. Go early and spend the whole day. Very reasonable entry fees, especially for seniors like me. I was quite happy with all the points, clusters, and quartz I found. I even found an amethyst, which David said was in all parts of the mine. The aquamarines are extremely rare, but some have been found there. You can clean quartz with Iron Out or oxalic acid to get the iron stains off. I highly recommend this mine for all ages. Those who are not steady on their feet will need to stay in the more level areas. This area is open every day of the year from 9-5:00. Going after a rainstorm is best since the rain helps the crystals surface.
Written 27 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Boymom4
4 contributions
May 2020 • Family
We were very disappointed when after having several correspondence with a women at the location we were told we could camp on site (boondocks). We drove 3 hours one way with 2 trucks , 2 pull behind campers and 9 people to be told at the entrance there was no place for us to park much less camp. So disappointing considering we bought supplies and our kids were really excited to gem mine.
Written 29 May 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
livelife h
Atlanta, GA5,279 contributions
Nov 2020 • Friends
Had a great time searching for gems. It's $20 per person(cash only). The have porta potty if you need to use the bathroom. If you leave you will have to pay again so make sure you have everything you need. The guy collecting the money was friendly and showed us where we can find gems. You keep what you find. Would definitely do it again.
Written 1 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adam R
1 contribution
Nov 2020 • Couples
My wife and i are new to rock hounding, geology,wandering aimlessly enjoying nature, whatever you call it, diamond hill is our only "local" mine, so weve been 7 or 8 times. We always bring home tons of stuff. Literally, as Billy lets you take whatever you want, and you can manage to load manually. He is a cool old cat, but remember, he's 900 years old, country as heck,and has to deal with all types of people, while making sure everyone follows the rules, does paperwork, collects $ , and cleans up trash that some people drop on the ground, all while the stupid covid thing looms in everyone's mind.
My wife has dug or surface found amethyst, smoky, clear. milky, druzy, iron ore, skeletal, a vivid blue which may be aquamarine or a sapphire and more, lots and lots and lots of stuff, all shapes and sizes, from a single tiny crystal, to a 200 lb piece of rubble.
But you cant be lazy, you have to look and dig and clean lots of dirt.
So If youre put off by getting dirty, it probably aint for you.
If you dont mind gettin down and dirty, do like the wife and i did , get a brand new f150, a few shovels , spades,rakes gloves, & buckets and get out there and embrace the dirt & do truck stuff.
My wife has dug or surface found amethyst, smoky, clear. milky, druzy, iron ore, skeletal, a vivid blue which may be aquamarine or a sapphire and more, lots and lots and lots of stuff, all shapes and sizes, from a single tiny crystal, to a 200 lb piece of rubble.
But you cant be lazy, you have to look and dig and clean lots of dirt.
So If youre put off by getting dirty, it probably aint for you.
If you dont mind gettin down and dirty, do like the wife and i did , get a brand new f150, a few shovels , spades,rakes gloves, & buckets and get out there and embrace the dirt & do truck stuff.
Written 11 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is the driveway and parking area easily accessible for a small compact car or do you need to drive a truck or 4x4 SUV? Do you need to call ahead to make a reservation? Thanks.
Written 21 October 2020
Oh most certainly, it isn’t rugged and rough terrain. It is a gravel/dirt road but especially in fair, non rainy weather you’ll be more than fine.
And no, no reservations are needed.
Written 21 October 2020
I can’t leave until around noon and it’s a 3 hour drive. Can I still get in after two pm?
Written 12 January 2020
The town of Abbeville is a little gem. Great downtown, town square and some good restaurants.
Written 13 January 2020
It is 20 per day for adults
15 per day for veterans
10 per day for over 65
10 per day for teens 13-17
5 per day for children 6-12
You do get to keep everything that you find!!
Written 22 September 2019
I didn’t see any tools for rent. We brought hammers and screwdrivers. I saw others with shovels and pick axes
Written 25 July 2019
If I am traveling a long distance may I just camp in my own car?
Written 15 March 2019
Yes, that will be fine! Hope to see you soon.
Gina
Written 16 March 2019
How many rock/minerals are we allowed to take? Was thinking of bringing a 5 gallon bucket, this ok?
Written 10 November 2017
You are allowed to keep
What you find. A couple of five gallon buckets will be better. Lol! bring paper to wrap the in undamaged crystals in.
Written 29 December 2017
theblackchicken812
Saint Augustine Beach, Florida
When do you add new dirt to the dig site?
Written 4 August 2017
We usually do 3-4 machine digs a year. The next one will be in late September to early October.
Written 9 August 2017
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