Keep What You Find
Every gemstone, fossil, shark tooth, and crystal you uncover in your bucket goes home with you. Nothing to hand back.
Family-Owned • Three Generations • Cary, NC
Meet Blue Diamond
Meet Blue Diamond
Gemstone Panning
A hands-on family attraction where kids, school groups, and rock lovers pan for real gemstones, fossils, shark teeth, shells, arrowheads, and treasures they get to keep.
30+Years of Family Fun
100sOf Gems, Fossils & Treasures
4.8★Loved by Families
Our Story
A Local Tradition Built Around Discovery
Blue Diamond Gemstone Panning is a family-owned attraction in Cary, NC, proudly run across three generations. It began more than 30 years ago as Panner’s Creek, and while the name and the property have grown over time, the original idea has never changed.
The goal is simple: help families get outside, try something hands-on, learn a little about rocks and fossils, and feel the excitement of uncovering real treasures they can take home.
What makes it different: guests aren’t buying rocks off a shelf. You pick a bucket, pan at the sluice, sort your finds, ask questions, and keep every gemstone, fossil, shark tooth, shell, and arrowhead you uncover.
Plan Your Visit
Since Panner’s Creek
From an Apex Gem Rush to Blue Diamond
Our roots trace back to Panner’s Creek, one of the Triangle’s original public gem-panning spots — and it’s a genuinely local story.
The Backstory
A Local Tradition, Three Generations Deep
Panner’s Creek got its start in the late 1980s in Apex, right next to the Blue Ridge Stone Co. yard off Old Apex Road. It began as a single indoor sluice where visitors could pan for uncut gems, and demand grew so fast that it expanded into longer outdoor sluices and a gem shop of its own. Run by a working geologist, it quickly became a favorite stop for families, first-time rockhounds, and school and scout groups.
Decades later, that same spirit lives on at Blue Diamond Gemstone Panning in Cary. It’s still family-owned, still hands-on, and still built around the simple thrill of washing away the dirt to see what you uncovered. The owners and their kids are often on-site, keeping it personal and welcoming.
- Late 1980s: Panner’s Creek opens in Apex, beside Blue Ridge Stone Co.
- A gem rush: demand grows it into full outdoor sluices and a gem shop.
- Today: the tradition carries on, family-run, in Cary, NC.
What We’re About
More Than a Bucket of Gems
Blue Diamond works best when a visit feels simple, hands-on, and worth remembering. These are the pieces that turn a bucket of gems into a full family outing.
Hands-On Panning
Pour your bucket, rinse it at the running-water sluice, and watch the treasures appear. Active enough for kids, easy for parents.
Groups Welcome
Field trips, homeschool groups, scouts, camps, and clubs all fit here, with a simple, educational experience for every age.
Made for Celebrations
Birthday parties and special outings get a hands-on treasure hunt kids talk about long after the candles are out.
Meet the Rockhounds
HIRE
TEACH
SHARE
Staff Who Are Learning & Teaching Geology
The people helping you aren’t just handing out buckets. Blue Diamond brings on team members 16 and up who are genuinely curious about rocks — and then teaches them. New staff learn gemstone and fossil identification, a little geology, and how the whole panning process works.
As they learn more, they pass it on. So when a kid wants to know what they found, or a school group needs a simple explanation, there’s usually someone nearby who can turn it into a real teaching moment instead of a shrug.
Curious Minds, Age 16+
We look for people who actually want to learn about rocks, minerals, and fossils.
We Train the Geology
Staff learn identification, minerals, and the panning process so they can help with confidence.
They Pass It On
That knowledge gets shared with guests, so kids leave knowing what they discovered.
Around the Property
Goats, Playgrounds, Caves & More
Families come for gemstone panning, but the property gives kids plenty more ways to play. Use the sluice, visit the goats, explore the man-made cave adventures, run the playgrounds, browse the gift shop, and make an easy outdoor day of it.
Good to know: property admission is $8 on its own, or it’s included free when you buy a gemstone or fossil bucket.
View Pricing & Admission
1
Pick a Bucket
Choose gemstone, fossil, mystery, rockhound, or specialty depending on what you want to find.
2
Pan at the Sluice
Rinse away the sand and river rock in the running water until your hidden finds start to show.
3
Ask What You Found
Bring your finds to the staff and learn about your gemstones, fossils, shark teeth, and shells.
4
Explore the Grounds
Visit the goats, playgrounds, cave adventures, and gift shop before you head home.
Who It’s For
Easy for Families, Great for Groups
Whether you’re local to Cary, visiting from Raleigh or Apex, or planning a group outing in the Triangle, Blue Diamond is built to be simple and memorable.
Drop-In Family Visits
Come during open hours, choose a bucket, and pan at your own pace — no reservation needed for a regular visit.
Birthday Parties & Field Trips
Parties, school field trips, homeschool groups, camps, scouts, and clubs can schedule a guided group experience.
Rockhound Kids & Curious Adults
A great fit for anyone who loves rocks, crystals, fossils, science, nature, and hands-on discovery.
Something a Little Different
A family-friendly Cary activity that beats another trip to the playground, arcade, or movie.
From the Property
See What Families Discover
From colorful gemstones and fossil finds to goats, the sluice, and outdoor exploring, every visit gives families something to discover.
Ready to Visit?
Pick a Bucket, Pan for Treasure, Make a Day of It
Plan a family visit to Blue Diamond Gemstone Panning in Cary, NC for gemstone buckets, fossil hunting, goats, playgrounds, cave adventures, birthday parties, field trips, and hands-on outdoor fun.