Where can I find gems in NC?
Where can I find gems in NC?
Where Can I Mine for Gems in NC?
- Elijah Mountain Gem Mine. Directions to Elijah Mountain Gem Mine.
- Pisgah Forest Gem Mine. Directions to Pisgah Forest Gem Mine.
- Crystal Mountain Gem Mine. Directions to Crystal Mountain Gem Mine.
- Chimney Rock Gemstone Mine. Directions to Chimney Rock Gemstone Mine.
- Asheville’s Best Gem Mine.
What gemstones are mined in NC?
Gem materials found in North Carolina include aquamarine, beryl, citrine, emerald, garnet, moonstone, rose quartz, ruby, sapphire, smoky quartz, staurolite, topaz, tourmaline, and many others. Members of the North Carolina Legislature declared emerald the state’s official gemstone.
Where can you find amethyst in North Carolina?
Amethyst is found in Stokes, Burke, Lincoln, Iredell, Macon, Moore, Warren, and Franklin counties. Aquamarine: A blue to blue-green variety of Beryl (beryllium aluminum silicate: Be3Al2(Si6O18)) whose North Carolina type is well respected in the gem industry.
Can diamonds be found in NC?
Diamond. The hardest known mineral, found only rarely in western North Carolina. Thirteen diamonds have been reported from the region, beginning in 1843 with a 1.33 carat octahedral crystal from Brindletown Creek Ford in Burke County.
Where can I find rubies in NC?
The Blue Ridge Mountains, which cover most of western North Carolina, are a great place to prospect for rubies. Here, you could also potentially find aquamarines and moonstones. These areas are known gemstone producers; there are many private mines throughout North Carolina.
What is the largest gemstone found in North Carolina?
emeralds
North Carolina’s emeralds are found in pockets of quartz veins. Pockets can range from a few centimeters to three meters in length. An emerald crystal weighing 1869 carats, thought to be the largest ever found in North America, was unearthed in late 2003 at a mine in Hiddenite, near Statesville.
