Montana isn't called the treasure state for nothing. Only eight places in the world are mined for sapphires - Montana being the only location in the Western Hemisphere.
Because of their relevance to Montana history that her classes read about, reading teacher Jo Shay purchased several bags of sapphire gravel for the students to sift through for gems.
"We read about the miners in Montana, and˙realized it's something we could do ourselves." said Shay. "A few years ago a student found a seven-carat sapphire worth $2,000 uncut."
Unfortunately, most of the gravel bought in Helena was found sparsely seeded with gems, though one small bag purchased in Phillipsburg proved to be rich in sapphires.
"It was an awesome experience," said junior Hans Helgeson. "I want to go to Philipsburg myself, find more jewels, and get rich."