Sapphire mining is a great family activity. There are 3 options for sapphire mining in historic downtown Philipsburg, Montana. Spend some time treasure hunting and find your Montana sapphire souvenir. Both indoor and outdoor facilities available - Come make some memories today. Philipsburg, Mt was founded on silver mining but after the silver market crashed, Granite became a ghost town. When the gold rush was gaining ground, miners in these parts were finding unknown pale pebbles in their sluice boxes. Those "pebbles" were later identified as sapphires. After the development of heat-treating, those sapphires became much more sought after. Today, there is some healthy sapphire mining activity in the area. Come join the fun and find your beautiful Montana sapphire.