Where to Find Ruby in North Carolina

North Carolina has 9 mapped collecting spots that report ruby, spread across 4 counties. The largest share sits in Macon County County with 6 spots. 8 of the spots are on land mapped as publicly accessible, and 1 is a fee-dig site.

Spot list checked against source data on April 1, 2026.

Standout ruby spots in North Carolina

Hand-picked from the full list below, with the reason each one earns a trip.

Corundum Hill
Macon County County
Corundum Hill belongs to the Cowee Valley ruby and sapphire belt, one of the classic eastern U.S. corundum districts described in early USGS work. The appeal is specific rather than general: pink, blue, and green corundum occurs with chromite and olivine in a named Macon County ultramafic setting.

Best counties for ruby in North Carolina

Ranked by the number of mapped ruby spots. County links open the full rockhounding page for that county.

Every ruby spot we track in North Carolina

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
MontvaleIndian Creek Lane	Chatham County	Ruby Sapphire	35.8149, -78.9372	Public
Newfound GapNewfound Road	Haywood County	Ruby	35.5748, -82.7717	Public
Elijah Mountain Gem MineBrevard Road	Henderson County	Ruby Sapphire Emerald Quartz Citrine Amethyst Garnet Aventurine +10 more	35.3244, -82.5034	Public
Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire MineCrestview Heights	Macon County	Ruby Sapphire Garnet Quartz	35.1700, -83.3800	Paid / fee
Cherokee Ruby and Sapphire MineRuby Mine Road	Macon County	Ruby Sapphire	35.2729, -83.3517	Public
Corundum HillMount Laurel Road	Macon County	Corundum Ruby Blue Sapphire Green Sapphire Pink Sapphire Chromite Olivine	35.1500, -83.2883	Public
Cowee CreekSheffield Farms Road	Macon County	Garnet Ruby Sapphire Corundum Beryl Hornblende Kyanite Pyrite +3 more	35.2721, -83.3936	Public
FranklinLyle Mill Road	Macon County	Amethyst Bronzite Epidote Fibrolite Garnet Jasper Kyanite Quartz +6 more	35.2261, -83.3606	Public
Higdon MountainForest Drive	Macon County	Actinolite Chalcedony Chromite Corundum Enstatite Magnetite Opal Quartz +5 more	35.1484, -83.2907	Public

Before you go

Read the ruby identification guide so you know what a keeper looks like in the field: Ruby in the encyclopedia.

Ruby in North Carolina FAQ

Where can you find ruby in North Carolina?+

The mapped spots concentrate in Macon County County, Chatham County County, and Haywood County County. Every spot on this page appears on the map above with coordinates and access notes.

How many ruby spots are mapped in North Carolina?+

9 spots across 4 counties. The RockHoundR app keeps the same spots on an offline map with public land overlays, geology layers, and your saved finds.

Is it legal to collect ruby in North Carolina?+

Hand collecting of common rocks and minerals in small amounts for personal use is generally allowed on BLM and U.S. Forest Service land, with limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are closed to collecting. 8 of the 9 mapped spots here sit on land marked public, and 1 is a fee-dig operation where you pay for access and keep what you find. Always confirm current rules with the managing agency before you dig.

Where else to find ruby

Georgia5 spots

More minerals to hunt in North Carolina

Hunt ruby in North Carolina with the map in your pocket

RockHoundR puts these spots on an offline map with BLM and Forest Service overlays, geology layers, and a log for your finds.