One-Tank Trip: Dig for gems at this mine in South Carolina
ABBEVILLE, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Piedmont region of South Carolina is home to an area that is rich in gems.
We visited Diamond Hill Mine in Abbeville for this week’s One Tank Trip.
Carol Sauercorwin and her husband love it here.
“We had to come back here. This is our second trip,” she said.
They’re on a trip from the Charleston area. Since they’re close by, they want to see what they could find at Diamond Hill Mine.
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- Take a roller-coaster ride down a mountain
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- Visit the oldest bridge in South Carolina
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“You see what other people are finding and you just want to come back and find it yourself,” said Sauercorwin.
Finding it yourself is what this place is all about.
“There used to be a really big hill right here, and people would ride by it and say look at the diamonds on the hill,” said volunteer David Brown.
What they actually saw were many different types of crystals.
There are still about a dozen types of crystals here and you can dig for them yourself.
Brown says it’s therapeutic.
“It’s fun. You get in there and you get in a zone, and you forget about all your troubles behind you,” he said.
When our Will Volk visited, the mine was muddy from recent rain, but he didn’t let that stop him.
“You’re gonna be dirty,” Sauercorwin told him.
Brown told him: “Wear your worst clothes, so you’re in trouble today.”
As it turns out, Volk was just fine. The rain helped bring crystals in the pile closer to the surface, meaning he didn’t have to dig deep to find something.
He found a couple of nice pieces.
At Diamond Hill Mine, you can try finding your own.
“Mother Nature’s just amazing,” said Sauercorwin.
Diamond Hill Mine is open every day, including holidays.
You pay one price for the day, and you keep everything you find. It’s $20 for adults, $10 for teenagers 13-17, $5 for kids 6-12, kids 5 and under are free, seniors 65 and older are $10, veterans are $15.
They suggest bringing your own tools to dig, or you can rent some.
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