Mining

You can mine for various Ore Types and Gemstones.

In addition to the steps below, the character River put together a beginner's guide to mining. You can get it here: File:Rivermining.pdf.

Steps

If you have a pickaxe (available from the blacksmith), you can venture into the mine and mine. Sometimes you'll find a vein of minerals, other times you won't.
Once you find a vein, you can then mine mineral. Ex: mine copper If you're pulling a handcart, the chunks of ore from the vein will automatically fall into it, similarly for a wagon pulled by your mount.
If you're lucky enough to get any veins of gems, those can be sold directly to the market or used in lapidary to attempt to increase their value.
Chunks of metal ore can either be sold or smelted into bars. Bars sell for more than ore.
You can also survey an area of the mine to attempt to look for signs of particular gems or ore in that area. The success of this is based on the lighting and your mining skill.