This place is loads of fun. Bruce and Eric were helpful and accommodating. I dont know if this place is for everyone -- if you like using a pair of tweezers to pick through some clean, nicely sorted gravel for teeny-tiny sapphires, youre probably better off going to Philipsburg. If, on the other hand, youre willing to do some hard labor to pull out some bigger rocks that might actually be good cutters, this is the place for you.Youre outside shoveling gravel. It might be hot, it might rain, and youll definitely get a little wet and dirty, but this place is hands-down awesome. You can watch Bruce use a bulldozer to move dredge tailings through a grizzly, and then right over to the digging area. This stuff isnt pre-sorted.And you can see his industrial mining set-up where he processes tonnes of the same material per day. Really cool.Thank you!

Eric gave us an excellent history of the area and was very knowledgeable about the different sapphire compositions. Bruce also stopped by during the day. Both were extremely helpful and friendly. They both helped us find sapphires, to include a 10ct yellow sapphire, and made our dig so much fun. Definitely going back next year.

Ive been to several sapphire mines throughout Mt.....and this one takes the cake a million times over. I took my grandkids, they had an amazing time. The owners were more than take your money and fend for yourself. They took the time to engage myself and the kids in the process of mining. We even had the opportunity to see and learn about diffrent fossils. I would highly recommend this amazing place if your a rock enthusiast or simply spending time with family. This wonderful couple offers a variety of stories, education, and hands on experience. They definitely deserve a 10 plus stars:)

What a great experience! Bruce and his family are so kind and helpful...he really wants you to find sapphires. Prepare for weather and lunch and plenty of drinks cause youll be there most of the day. Its a bit of a drive as well but SO worth it!!

We had a great time with Bruce, Bob, and Nina! We were shown the ropes for mining with good instruction and patience. Bruce was particularly interactive and we enjoyed listening to his stories and advice. Out family of five had a nice time and came out with some significant stones! Our kids were 10, 13, & 16 for this. A younger boy (6?) with another family needed a hand keeping entertained. My 16 year old enjoyed the final hunt more than the dusty work required to get there.

The best place to dig sapphires in North America bar none highly recommend them the owner is awesome

Awesome place. Had a great day. Good fun.

The owner.... daughter.....and son in law are the best we found some nice sapphires....if you Google map it you will be led to the first mine on 4Cees road dont stop just keep going a couple more property lines to the end of the road you will see their sign

Off the beaten track and lots of sweat equity needed to get your sapphires and absolutely worth it! Beautiful views and good conversation with the boys and other clients.

Had a great time there! The staff was knowledgeable and helpful. I would go back again.

What a fantastic place. The owner was very helpful and gave us a great tour of his mine. We will be back!

Such a fun place to look for sapphires. The staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. This is the only place we will recommend to our friends and family. We look forward to visiting again.

Our group of nine traveling across the country was looking for something new and exciting to do while near Helena. Mining for Sapphire sounded like a great opportunity for the kids in the group. We called the night before for reservations, and woke up early to head to the mine. Bruce welcomed us and showed everyone the ropes. Within seconds, the kids were all smiles and enjoyed every second of it. We had a blast and can not recommend this enough to anyone interested. Enjoy and dig away... good luck Bruce!

My boyfriend and I absolutely loved this place! Bruce and his son in law Eric are an awesome team and very knowledgeable and excellent teachers and will show you how to find sapphires. Bruce even showed us his personal operation and let us find and keep a few sapphires from his gravel. We found many great sapphires of all colors and sizes. We had so much fun we went back the next day and Bruce was so happy we had such good time, that he let us have 3 buckets for free!! I highly recommend this adventure! The drive up to the mine was a blast as well! Thanks again guys for the great time! UPDATE! We started faceting some of the garnets and sapphires we found. Pictures posted.

We didn’t even end up going here, but they put a bad taste in my mouth just from the call. I understand it’s a busy holiday weekend but basic manners still apply.Maybe we will give it another chance in the future as they had great reviews, but for now we are going to Spokane Bar Sapphire Mines instead Next time, be polite even if you’re full for the weekend.

This was a fun day. We were there about 5 hours. You dig and screen your dirt and then they run your material through a concentrator. Then you sit at a table and pick out the sapphires and sometimes garnets. Bruce and Eric were very nice. Bruce showed us the big wash plant and explained the process. We had a great time. Be sure to take lots of water, snacks, and sunscreen...you will be out in the hot sun the whole time. Wear a hat and closed toe shoes. Be prepared to work hard but its worth it. Thanks for a lovely day.

Spent the day mining and learning. Had so much fun. Came home with a handful of sapphires, sunburn and amazing memories.Learned some interesting facts and heard some awesome mining stories.Made some friends. I wish I could recommend this place more.Thanks for a great day.Christina and James from Pennsylvania

Been digging with bruce for over a week total now during the past 2 years. Always great finds and love is attitude towards life. He sure is a great guy to be around and every day we find the coolest sapphires in abundance. You get 5 5 gallon medium screened buckets to run through his machine for 50 dollars or do 10 buckets for 100 and the 11th bucket is free. Found 42 stones worth cutting last year and similar amounts this year. Thanks Bruce for the great experience. The uniminer rockz!!!

Went back again with a couple friends this year and found roughly 160 carats in 10 buckets. It was a blast. Bruce is awesome. Bring sunscreen and Lots of Water.And to those of you who review the place as 1 star due to the weather being too hot?? Seriously?? And yes you do need to have reservations and be ready to work. This isnt some glamorized tourist trap like Spokane Bar or Phillipsburg. (though they are fun too) this is a full on mine.

Awesome experience! The people that own/run it were really great! They were hands on with my family and very personable. We found quite a few sapphires and even a few other types of gem! A definite go to place if your in that area!

My initial reaction after being told about this adventure was total skepticism. However, from the moment we arrived it became the most positive and knowledgable experience of a lifetime. I cannot wait to go back and stay longer.From the moment you arrive Bruce and Eric are friendly, helpful and willing to show you everything you need to know. They are genuinely excited for you to find gems. Its totally worth every penny.Things to know:*Plan on a minimum of 2 hours for this activity.*Its around a 50 minute drive from Helena to the mine. I wont kid you, once you turn onto Nelson Road it turns into dirt roads (that are rough at times, especially after it rains) so, make sure you have an appropriate vehicle.*Pay close attention to Google Maps (download the map to your device) & the website. (Tip: stay on 4 Cees road & look for Blue Jewel signs)*Yes, you do have to shovel the material from a huge pile of dirt into a 5 gallon bucket (so wear appropriate clothing and shoes).*Yes, you do have to physically screen material yourself (that is the exciting part of the hunt & learning experience).*Yes, Bruce will help you with finding gems in the pile (I was not experienced but, learned fast).*Ask Bruce to give you a tour. That is a bonus awesome experience.In short, Just Do It! Five stars!

Fun time with kids!

I have a few pieces made from gems found here.

Hands down this is the best place to mine for gem quality sapphires in the country. My brother and I went to the Montana Blue Jewel Mine for a few days, and we found a bunch of beautiful sapphires. Bruce has excellent knowledge in the mining business, and the process of sorting the material makes it easy to find the gems at the end of the day. It was a blast at the mine, and will be returning in the future. Thanks again Bruce and Nina!

Workers were very friendly and helpful, and we found some nice sapphires and garnets.

My wife and I had a awesome time at blue jewel mine. Bruce showed us how he mines, the stones that come out of the jig all the way to finished and cut. We did pretty good our selves. We bought 6 buckets and came out with 49 grams of saphires Bruce said we hit the motherload lol. We took them to a cutter and had three stones cut. All in all a great experience and I hope to return. Hope to see you soon Ryan and Sarah.

A1 experience. Did Philipsburg earlier this week and had fun but this place was way better. You get to see the whole mining process as well as participating on a small scale in your own mining experience digging your own dirt, seiving it as well as picking out stones. The genuine experience. Sapphires n garnets far larger than we found on Philipsburg. Plus owner Bruce was full of history and stories. Well worth the money.

We love going to Montana Blue Jewel Mine. Weve gone to all the Helena area sapphire mines and Blue Jewel Mine is by far the best! Bruce and Eric are extremely nice and make it fun for everyone. Even our small kid have so much fun and cant wait to go back! If youre looking for a place to dig sapphires, this is the place for you.

Just got back from the Blue Jewel Mine and had a great time. This is our 5th year in a row. See you for #6 in 2020. Hal and Susan from Coeur d Alene, ID.

Thus place is spectacular. If you want to find genuine real sapphire in the rough... this is your spot. Not a salted mine... the real deal here. It is a lot of work but that should be expected when one is searching for gemstones. Blaze and the crew are the nicest people that are willing to help. Highly highly recommended

The person on the phone was really rude to me when I asked a few simple questions like if they sell gravel in the mail. The people at Gem Mountain are always professional and nice to me when I call

Awesome

These people are truly authentic experienced miners, not wanna bes. Organized and engineered mining site, yard with all equipment running and producing stones like mining should be. Genuine generous people with a desire to share the stones they love. The only place to mine sapphires in our opinion. Dewey and Dena 7-17.

Cool place, Blaze answered alot of questions pertaining to the gems and geology. Super nice guy.

Such a cool place, we learned a ton. I would definitely call ahead first though, since it is a small operation.

We have stopped at almost every place in Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming and this place is at the top of our Favorites List! Bruce and his family are the Best! We didnt spend much money and had the best time, even walked away with a small bag of sapphires. if you are in the area, it is a MUST STOP!Thanks Bruce for the great time, education, and your generosity. if we make it back to Montana, we will stop again.

My easy going family went there to have a good experience and were told by other freinds you could go have fun. They drove the rough roads up there and did no mining. You have to have reservations?? Wear mining clothes??( no sandles) Not impressed at all and I would not recommend for family and kids. Only serious miners should attend. I dont do many reviews only when things are really good or really bad. This one is bad!!

To hot to work. By myself, no help. Approximately 10 stones from 5 5gallon buckets. Not worth the drive or work. Good experience, never again.

NOT FOR FAMILIES! Call ahead, as reservations are required and the owner will NOT let you mine wo them. Its a long 40 minute drive on unpaved roads for nothing. Owner saw my kids in the car and said this was not the place for us and directed us to another place 30 minutes back closer to town. Wish I would have seen the similar review posted yesterday. His web site is very deceiving so dont believe it.

I was unaware that you have to have reservations for this mine, so we didnt get to dig anything. However, we had stopped at the Eldarado mine and asked for directions. The young man stated that he had no idea where the Blue Jewel Mine was. When we spoke to the owner of the Blue Jewel, Bruce, I told him what we had been told. I think it was pretty bad of another business to do such a thing, especially since he knew exactly what we were talking about!

I have tried other popular sapphire places. This one has much better, bigger more cuttable gems than I have found anywhere else. I liked it so much I went back a week later.

The Montana Blue Jewel Mine is a good time and truly a historic adventure in mining history.With hands on work.The end result is well worth the efforts.

Me and my girlfriend went there today and they were closed after the owners saw us on the property the brought us up to still take a look and hooked us up with an awesome experience. What amazing people thank you very much..

Friendly owner, nice gems.

Very nice experience. Bruce (the owner) is the best host I ever met.

Went to the mine yesterday and had an excellent time. We found over 50 stones. Bruce was so helpful and showed us a great time, digging in the dirt.

Awesome, for the real miner. Do all the work yourself. Wouldnt say it is family oriented. Can handle a dozen people on the high side . Best time ive had since the mines in North Carolina closed. I will be back. At first glance I didnt do very well but I brought my gravel concentrate home and searched it slowly and came away with three nice stones all stained very black so look closely. Very nice blues, used muratic acid to clean. Should each produce a gem over one carat with my faceting skills. One weighed 3.8, one 3.8, and one 2.9. Found thirty five pieces that averaged 2 carats.Rock Creek produced seventy pieces that averaged 1/2 carat.Very good color saturation, no heat treating required. Be prepared to work. Again, awesome owners, awessome experience. Vaughn Hobe

Great time expect to work

Love visiting Bruce! This is the real deal!

Too hot the scene was beautiful

Rare look at sapphire mining.