The cabochons displayed emerald and tourmaline prisms in a white matrix of quartz and feldspar. Many fine clear emeralds were produced, but most of the emerald-bearing rock was sold as "emerald matrix" for slabbing and cabochon cutting.
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It was mined for emeralds by Tiffany and Company and a series of property owners between 1894 and the 1990s. This granitic pegmatite filled a two-meter-wide fracture which contained emerald along the walls of the fracture and yellow beryl in the center. So, plan your gem-hunting vacation to North Carolina!Ĭrabtree Emerald Mine pegmatite: A specimen of the Crabtree Pegmatite of western North Carolina. Imagine what it would be like to own a great ring or other piece of jewelry and be able to say that you found the beautiful stone?īeing totally honest, the odds are against you finding something like that on your first visit, but many people have made spectacular finds. Some local businesses have skilled gem cutters and bench jewelers who can turn a nice piece of rough that you find into a beautiful piece of jewelry. Members of the North Carolina Legislature declared emerald the state's official gemstone. Moonstone, rose quartz, ruby, sapphire, smoky quartz, staurolite, topaz, tourmaline, and many others. Gem materials found in North Carolina include aquamarine, There are more pay-to-dig mines in North Carolina than in any other state in the nation. The mines are very popular and attract thousands of visitors during the summer months. If you want to look for gems yourself, here is a directory of pay-to-dig mines in North Carolina and other states. Some of the mines and other gem-producing localities are still open, but instead of being mined by a company, they are now mined by people like you. That article was written when some mines were in their peak of production. If you want to read a great summary of North Carolina gemstones, see Joseph Hyde Pratt's classic article titled: Gems and Gem Minerals of North Carolina in the 1933 edition of American Mineralogist.
Recent reports on the Huffington Post and ABC News websites describe how some visitors have found emeralds worth over $10,000 in-the-rough. They are even more surprised when they learn that there are about a dozen locations in North Carolina where anyone can look for gemstones and keep anything that they find. Most people are surprised to hear that rubies, sapphires, and emeralds have been found in North Carolina.