Smaragdgruvene sits by Mjøsa lake near Minnesund. This is Northern Europe's only emerald mine and one of the few places in Norway where they actually made money from gemstone mining.
The story begins with Maud Evelyn Aston in 1898. She skied to a cave on the west side of Mjøsa to investigate some geology. When she loosened a few stones from a recent rockfall, she found green crystals.
The next day she took them to jeweller David Andersen in Oslo. He confirmed they were emeralds and bought them immediately. From 1899 to 1909, about thirty men worked these tunnels. They used dynamite and gunpowder to blast out the gems. The largest emerald found was the thickness of a pencil. Most were sold to Britain, Germany and America.
Some say emeralds from here ended up in the British crown jewels, though that is disputed. The mine closed in 1909 for unclear reasons.
Since 1992 it has been a tourist attraction with up to six thousand visitors yearly. You can search for emeralds in the waste rock along the shore. The entry fee gives you mining rights for the day, and you can keep all stones you find. The site is open from mid-April to October.
The story begins with Maud Evelyn Aston in 1898. She skied to a cave on the west side of Mjøsa to investigate some geology. When she loosened a few stones from a recent rockfall, she found green crystals.
The next day she took them to jeweller David Andersen in Oslo. He confirmed they were emeralds and bought them immediately. From 1899 to 1909, about thirty men worked these tunnels. They used dynamite and gunpowder to blast out the gems. The largest emerald found was the thickness of a pencil. Most were sold to Britain, Germany and America.
Some say emeralds from here ended up in the British crown jewels, though that is disputed. The mine closed in 1909 for unclear reasons.
Since 1992 it has been a tourist attraction with up to six thousand visitors yearly. You can search for emeralds in the waste rock along the shore. The entry fee gives you mining rights for the day, and you can keep all stones you find. The site is open from mid-April to October.
