Over 300 minerals have been found in North Carolina. The largest emerald ever found in North Carolina was 1,438 carats. ... LITTLE PINE GARNET MINE. Call us at (800) 959-3513 or (828) 649-3464 to make your reservations today! A credit card is required for all reservations. We accept all major credit cards.

Prices for the gem mine ride are: 2-hour ride/$75, 3-hour ride/$100, 4-hour ride/$160. The stable also offers a 1-hour ride for $45, but it doesn't include a stop at the …

gems is the Corundum HiIl Mine at Cullasaja, Macon County. The opening of this mine by Mr. Chas. W. Jenks in 1871 was the first systematic attempt to mine gems within the state. While the operations were of great interest from a scientific point of view, the number of gems found were so few that permanent operations were.

Garnets have a variable chemical composition, which makes them a bit unique. This family of gemstones is always a silicate (SiO₄) with two other elements. Thus, "pure" garnet is always XₙYₙ (SiO₄). The X and Y groups are used to determine the family of garnet the stones fall into. Garnet has a long history of use.

This is a garnet mine which is located about 6 miles South of Interstate 40 on North Carolina state highway 18. This is a pay to collect operation. ... North Carolina. The Reel Mine was mined years ago for amethyst for abrasives. This world class mine located in the Western North Carolina Mountains was once mined by Tiffany and Company for gem ...

Little Pine Garnet Mine – Garnet, Quartz; Ray Mica Mine – Apatite, Beryl, Black Garnet, Fluorite, Quartz, Tourmaline; Mason Farm Staurolite Prospect – …

Gemstones Found in South Carolina. Amethyst is the official state gemstone of South Carolina, and it is found predominantly throughout the state. The highest quality of amethyst, smoky amethyst, can be found in Antreville and Lowndesville towns, at the Ellis-Jones Mines, Diamond Hill Mine, or Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Oconee, and …

SITE 16: CHEROKEE RUBY MINE SITE 17: MASON MOUNTAIN MINE SITE 18: CORUNDUM HILL MINE - Closed, Trespassers will be prosecuted. SITE 19: BUCK CREEK GARNET - Surface collecting only, per NC Forest Service. SITE 20: BUCK CREEK RUBY MINE - Surface collecting only, per NC Forest Service.

Operating since 1952, Rose Creek Mine is one of 3 state licensed gem mines in Macon County, North Carolina. Centrally located in Western North Carolina in the heart of the Smoky Mountains, we are near waterfalls, white-water rafting, AT Trail hiking, museums, antique shops, historic train rides and the Cherokee Indian Reservation.. In our Gem …

This article will dive deeper into the many great rockhounding sites across the state (along with maps), but I'd like to highlight a few standouts here. The top 10 rockhounding sites for rocks and minerals in South Carolina: Diamond Hill Mine – Amethyst, Quartz, Garnet. Anderson – Quartz, Tourmaline, Aquamarine, Garnet.

The North Carolina mining and mineral industry has over 800 active permitted mines, annual sales in excess of $800 million, and an estimated employment of over 100,000 (including service and ancillary organizations). The 2007 Minerals Yearbook for North Carolina, the latest report available from the U.S. Geological Survey, values nonfuel raw ...

The old Tweedy mine south of Morganton in Burke County, North Carolina used to be a favorite site among local collectors until it was closed some 30 years ago. It produced almandine garnets from pea size to a few about the size of baseballs. It is located about 6 miles South of Interstate 40 on North Carolina state highway 18.

North Carolina. Sheffield Mine. 385 Sheffield Farms Rd. Franklin, NC 28734. Ph. (828) 369-8383. Email: ruby@sheffieldmine. Website: Native Star Rubies. Great mine to go to. Oregon. Click above to go to there web site. Oregon Sunstone Free Dig - SPECTRUM SUNSTONE MINE FREE DIG Ph. (775) 772-7724. Location. …

Hours of operation: Collecting at the Little Pine Mine is between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., you must leave the property by 4:00 p.m. each day. There are porta johns on site as well as picnic tables for use by the …

Online mineral museum photograph archive of minerals: Mineral Gallery from North Carolina. Minerals from North Carolina. ... Almandine Garnet: from Garnet mine on Robert's Branch of Pine Creek, 6.5 km southeast of Marshall, Madison County, North Carolina Almandine Garnet: from Bear Creek District, ...

The Emerald Hollow Mine is located in Western North Carolina, and it is among the best rockhounding locations in the state. Here you can find emerald, tourmaline, aquamarine, sapphire, garnet, clear smoky quartz, …

With Randall Glen gem dirt you have every chance of making a spectacular find. Randall Glen customers have had stones cut that appraised at $1,000, $3,000, and even $5,000 per finished carat. And specimen size gems are commonplace in our gem dirt! Here at the mine, in one bucket a customer found a 445-carat sapphire and a 448-carat ruby.

The garnets are gem quality, and you keep what you find! By Car - $50.00 (per person) Full Day $25.00 (per person) Half day For those who do not …

Discover literal hidden gems within some of the 12 historic mines located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Tour Bon Ami Mine (home of the NC Mining Museum ), pan for gold and embark on a Black Light …

A variety of Almandine-Pyrope Series Originally a rose-red gem variety of pyrope.Current usage has extended the name to any pink garnet in the almandine-pyrope series with most of the occurrences in the almandine compositional field. True pyrope does occur at the "type" locality described by Hidden and Pratt (1898a) from mixed-environment detrital …

Crabtree Emerald Mine: ("Rock, Gem and Mineral Collecting Sites in Western North Carolina", site:8) 5-1-06, This mine is now under the management of the M.A.G.M.A. club, (Mountain Area Gem And Mineral Association) The MAGMA club has done an excellent job of revitalizing the mine area by bringing in heavy machine digging equipment to dig deep ...

By Horseback. Upon arrival at the Little Pine Gem Mine, on our three-hour tour, you will have a chance to dig for garnets in the tailings and enjoy a picnic lunch if you decide to bring one. Your guide will show you what garnets look like in the rough and will assist you in digging for them. We provide tools for horseback customers only.

This is a 4pc split specimen set of Almandine Garnet Crystal from Little Pine Mine in Madison County, North Carolina. In demand by lapidary artists, gemmy surfaces look interesting. The set weighs 3.1 oz or 0.2 lbs (88g) The largest piece measures roughly 1.6 x 1 x 0.43 inches (40 x 25 x 10 mm) Item # 20GARLPM03201001.

We are located on a secluded ranch minutes north of Asheville, North Carolina that has been in the family for four generations. Our picturesque trails pass through the high country, scenic mountain meadows and wooded areas of Madison County. ... We unfortunately could not go into the gem mine but there are still plenty of garnet in the tailings ...

Hiddenite from the Place Where It Got Its Name The gemstone hiddenite was discovered in North Carolina. Anne Helmenstine. Hiddenite ranges from a yellow-green to emerald-green. This crystal was …

The first gem-mining company in the United States was the Emeraldand Hiddenite Mining Company which operated in North Carolina between 1880-1888. Prior discoveries, suchas tourmaline in Maine (1820) and sapphire in Montana (1865), were operated in only a desultory manner. In the 1890's ratherextensive

U.S. Gemstones: A diversity of gemstones are produced from mines throughout the United States. Top row: malachite and azurite cabochon (Arizona), a rough ruby (North Carolina), a faceted orange sunstone (Oregon), a teardrop variscite cabochon (Utah). Second row: a Vesuvianite cabochon (California), a freshwater cultured pearl (Tennessee), a ...

Operating since 1952, Rose Creek Mine is one of 3 state licensed gem mines in Macon County, North Carolina. Centrally located in Western North Carolina in the heart of the Smoky Mountains, we are near waterfalls, …

At one time the mine went all the way through the mountain but a cave-in closed off a large portion. Madison County Visitor Center. (828) – 680-9031. info@visitmadisoncounty. 56 South Main Street, Mars Hill, NC 28754.

The Top Public Gem Mining Locations in North Carolina. Here are also our other great recommendations for families who are looking to expose their children to the hobby of gem mining. Elijah Mountain …