Ch. 1: Gem Mining in North Carolina

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	2	HISTORY OF THE GEMS FOUND IN NORTH CAROLINA.

	which he gathered a great collection, in the hope of locating mines near the points where anything of special interest was encountered. It was thus that the emerald locality at Stony Point, which also yielded the new and remarkable hiddenite gems, was traced. Later, the beryl mine at Spruce Pine, Mitchell County (PI. II), was opened, and worked from time to time, affording beautiful beryls. Then came the discovery of true rubies near Franklin, Macon County, which has led to considerable development and to the finding of some crystals which had gem value, although never very great. Near this place occurs also the rhodolite—a garnet between pyrope and almandite. This has been developed by two companies with remarkable success, and apparently more gems in value have been sold from this mine than from all other sources in North Carolina combined. More recent still is the development of the emerald matrix mine at Crabtree Mountain, near Bakersville, in Mitchell County. Here the emerald occurs as small richly colored crystals, thickly strewn through a white matrix of feldspar and quartz; and the whole rock is cut and polished together, as a green and white ornamental stone, which is quite in favor. Amethyst of good quality, but not to any great extent, has been developed in Lincoln and Macon counties. Thus far, with the exception of rhodolite and beryl, the gem mines of North Carolina have not proved remunerative enough to warrant a continued development, either from absence of sufficiently rich material or else from the use of methods that lacked cohesiveness to assure success. A few notes may be given here as to some of the circumstances connected with mining development and the men who were active in it. General Clingman has been referred to already; another early and very active worker was Mr. C. W. Jenks, who will be mentioned further in relation to the first corundum development. One of the most energetic explorers and discoverers of North Carolina minerals was Mr. J. A. D. Stephenson, of Statesville. In 1888 he prepared for the author a summary of the results which he had attained in the years following the Civil War; and from this little unpublished work the following passages are taken, to show the spirit and the methods of his activity: The Piedmont region lying between the Catawba and Yadkin rivers, is remarkable for the number of minerals, both common and rare, that are found in unusually fine crystals. Being a native of this section, and an ardent admirer of all the phenomena and beauties of nature, these crystals attracted my attention in early life, and the collection and study of them .... convinced me that they were of more than usual interest; and my early experience in the placer gold mines of North Carolina familiarized me with the occurrence of such rare materials as monazite, xenotime, zircon, columbite, etc., in this region; and knowing that these materials are found

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