Ever fancied trying your hand at mining for your own gemstones? Well if you happen to be in the vicinity of Philipsburg, Montana this summer you can do just that, at Gem Mountain – one of the most abundant sources of sapphires in North America.

Gem Mountain was first established back in 1890, and has since produced over 180 million carats of Montana sapphires of every known color available, including green, blue, yellow, pink and orange.

Recently open again for the 2009 season, Gem Mountain is Montana’s oldest, largest and ‘funnest’ (their word, not mine!) Sapphire Mine, hidden up in the aptly-named Sapphire Mountains between Hamilton and Philipsburg. Open seven days a week until September 30th, Gem Mountain aims to provide a family fun experience, with top-quality facilities providing a unique and memorable experience that will be enjoyed by visitors of all ages.

Sapphire Mining processes have evolved a lot of the last 100 years, and the good news is that the majority of the hard work is done for you. Gem Mountain staff dig up the dirt, remove the big rocks and dump the remaining gravel by the truck load. All that’s left for you to do is grab your provided tools and a bucket of sapphire gravel, head up to the wash trough and see if you can find any Montana Sapphires hidden amongst the dirt.

Staff will help you assess which of your sapphires are gem quality and worth cutting to create a finished gemstone. Gem Mountain owns and operates heat treating furnaces, so can improve the color and clarity of found sapphires, before faceting them to create a beautiful finished product.

Over 20,000 gemstones are faceted here every year, and there is even free camping available for those really determined to find a huge cuttable gem, but those that would rather not root around in the dirt and gravel can head into the shop and purchase loose stones or finished silver and gold sapphire jewelry.

Gem Mountain is located at 21 Sapphire Gulch Lane, Philipsburg, MT 59858. For more details phone Toll-Free on 866-459-GEMS (4367), or visit the website www.gemmountainmt.com.