The
country rock is rather fine grained biotite granite gneiss, inclosing
pegmatitic seams and streaks. The granite has disintegrated to a fight
sandy soil at the surface and into a friable sandy saprolite to a depth
of a few feet below the surface. The amethysts are found in the soil
for a distance of about 150 yards in a northeast-southwest direction.
Near the prospects they are very abundant, since many that were dug out
had not been carried away. Probably 2 or 3 bushels of amethystine
quartz crystals could have been collected in half a day from the
surface of the ground. In the prospects, Mr. Fort states, the amethyst
crystals were found in streaks and seams with a northeast direction,
two or three parallel seams occurring within a space of a few feet.
The
crystals are only moderately well developed, owing to mutual
interference during growth, and nearly all have been somewhat
fractured. Some of them have been only slightly chipped and others
possess few if any crystal faces. The amethystine quartz and amethyst
occur in pieces ranging from those of small size to those 2 or 3 inches
across. Aggregates of crystals in parallel growth also occur, some of
which consist of both colorless or smoky quartz and amethystine quartz.
Many of the crystals are quite clear and transparent, but this is
often partly concealed by etched and rough faces. The best specimens
found on the surface and in the prospects had been carried off and no
dark-purple amyethysts were seen. A few stones with sufficient depth of
color to warrant cutting were seen, but the gems obtained would not be
of the best quality. The abundance of amethystine quartz and amethyst
found close to the surface at this locality invites more extended
prospecting.
Mr. Fort says he has also found amethyst loose in the soil on the land of the late Capt. F. F. Ellis, 3 miles east of Raleigh.
Amethyst
has also been reported from Warren County, N. C. Mr. Fort mentions a
deposit on the land of Mrs. G. W. Alston, of Inez. Several years ago a
prospect was opened by a clergyman at Folly Springs, near Warrenton.
Some excellent crystals are said to have been found there. The
principal rock of this part of Warren County is granite gneiss
belonging to the same belt as that around Raleigh, nearly 50 miles
southwest.
Amethyst
has been found at a number of places farther west in the Piedmont
Plateau region in Iredell and Lincoln Counties, N. C. A few of these
are here mentioned. At some of the localities a little prospecting has
been carried on and at others crystals have been found loose in the
soil. In Iredell County a prospect was opened a number of years ago on
the A. C. Cook place, 9 miles southeast of Statesville. A large
quantity of pale amethyst and amethystine quartz crystals were found in
seams and veinlets cutting coarse pegmatitic granite. Only a few
stones of fairly good color were founa, though many were suitable for
less valuable gems. Amethystine quartz was found abundantly. A few pale
amethysts have been found in the soil on the land of Mrs. M. G. Martin,
about one-half mile east of the Cook place, and on Burette Brawley's
place, 1£ miles south of Cook's. Mai. W. A. Graham, of Raleigh, reports
an occurrence of amethyst in Lincoln County on the Erhard Forney place,
1 mile from Denver and on the Rendieman place, 2 miles from Iron
Station. Good crystals of amethyst found in Lincoln County were seen in
a local mineral collection at Lincolnton.
