The
Noyes gem mine is near the summit of a hill about three-fourths of a
mile east of Hicks Pond, in the southern part of the town of Greenwood,
Oxford County. It has been worked by a small open cut, the southern
wall of which consists of schist with a strike of N. 50° W. and a
nearly vertical dip. The pegmatite, which can be traced a little way
beyond the cut, contains numerous pockets, some measuring several feet
in size. Good gem tourmaline, suitable for cutting, was obtained while
the mine was worked.
At
the Black Mountain mica mine, in the town of Rumford, Oxford County,
greenish-black and opaque pink tourmalines have been found. There are
no pockets in the pegmatite, however, and no gem material has ever been
obtained.
The
Dunton mine, in the northeast corner of the town of Newry, Oxford
County, was worked a little for gem tourmaline and beryl in 1903 and
1904. The pegmatite, which is extremely coarse grained, has been
exposed in the mine in a face about 20 feet high. In a space 5 or 6
feet across, near the center of the pegmatite as exposed in the quarry,
much lepidolite, pink and white opaque spodumenc, and tourmaline are
associated with the feldspar. Some of these minerals are very coarsely
crystallized, for spodumeno crystals 2-1/2 inches long and 3 inches wide, and tourmaline 2 feet long and 4 or 5 inches in diameter, have been found.
The
tourmalines range in color from black to dark indigo blue to grass
green, emerald green, red, and pink. They are generally found in solid
pegmatite, which makes their extraction without breaking difficult. The
blue-green varieties are usually opaque, while the green and pink
crystals are transparent. The larger crystals are generally not
sufficiently transparent for gems. Beryls are found occasionally, and
one seen was of a beautiful grass-green color.
GEM MINERALS OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
In
a "Catalogue of the Mineral Localities of South Carolina" (in press),
prepared by Earle Sloan, State geologist, the occurrence of several gem
minerals is noted. Among these are emerald, aquamarine, beryl,
sapphire, amethyst, and rutilated quartz, with some garnet, zircon,
green tourmaline, amber, and chalcedony. None of these gem minerals,
however, have been worked, nor have commercial deposits been proved as
yet.
Beryl,
in some cases of gem quality, has been found in a belt running through
Anderson and Spartanburg counties and is generally associated with
pegmatite. Some bend, however, also of gem quality, has been obtained
during the washing of monazite-bearing gravels. The best specimens have
come from Anderson County, among which were green crystals whose color
rivaled that of the oriental emerald.
Scattered
crystals of corundum, with a few of gem quality, have been found in
Cherokee County in monazite deposits. A valuable oriental emerald is
said to have been found in the Bowen River section, and a blue sapphire
from the same region sold for £75.
Amethyst has been found at several localities in Cherokee, Anderson, and Abbeville counties. Some was of superior quality.
Rutilated quartz has been found in connection with the monazite belt running through Anderson and Spartanburg counties.
