The Sapphire Gallery - Philipsburg, MT
Posted by: 
T0SHEA
N 46° 19.927 W 113° 17.627
12T E 323454 N 5133505
This shop is unique, "the only all sapphire and ruby store in the United States". It occupies a building constructed circa 1887 and operated for decades as a grocery store. This is a true gem lovers delight.
Waymark Code: WMN2AK
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 12/12/2014
Views: 2
The coolest feature of the shop is the indoor mining room, in which customers may mine for sapphires. If the customer should so choose, the Sapphire Gallery will then heat treat sapphires found and create a piece of jewellery around each one. Another cool feature is their own collection of sapphires and rubies from around the world, which includes a great many local specimens.
There's an interesting story behind how this unique gem shop came to be. It has to do with a man who developed the art of heat treating sapphires to bring out their color and a woman who had developed the art of creating fine jewelry from native Montana sapphires.
In January of 1992 the two became a team and opened the Sapphire Gallery and continue in its operation today. Their Grand Opening took place on December 12, 1992. They sell and collect sapphires and rubies and that's all - they handle no other gems whatever.
The Sapphire Gallery
The Sapphire Gallery is the only all sapphire and ruby store in the United States. All services are offered: indoor sapphire mining, heat treating, faceting, goldsmithing, custom jewelry design. Over 3,000 pieces of sapphire and ruby jewelry from Montana and many worldwide deposits are displayed in an antique showroom. Gift items are handcrafted minerals from Montana and international locations. Finding your own gems and creating family heirlooms are lifetime memory makers.
The whole family from youngsters to grandparents enjoy hunting sapphires in our comfortable mining room. The Sapphire Gallery has created over 12,000 pieces of fine jewelry from the diggings of our visitors. Montana sapphire jewelry is being worn and bragged about in every state of the US and many countries of the world. Come find or purchase your beautiful and enduring piece of Montana.
From Visit Montana