Crabtree Emerald Mine - Gem Mining In NC (2024)

FAQs

Where is the best place to find emeralds in North Carolina? ›

The Emerald Hollow Mine is the only emerald mine in the world open to the public for prospecting. Nestled snugly in the foothills of the beautiful Brushy Mountains, this North Carolina Emerald mine is located in the small town of Hiddenite, North Carolina.

Mountain biomes are fairly common, so you won't have to go very far. Locate a cave that leads downward, or dig a staircase down to level 11. Don't dig straight down, or you may fall in lava. Emeralds can be found anywhere from levels 4-32, but level 11 is best.

Rhodolite: A pink variety of garnet unique in North America to North Carolina. Pale pink, to rose-red, to purple, rhodolite was discovered in 1893 in Asheville and later discovered while for ruby in the Cowee Valley in 1895.

Franklin, North Carolina, is known as the "Gem Capital of the World." The area is rich in gems and minerals and is a favorite spot for rockhounds of all ages.

The larger emerald the “Carolina Queen” was cut as a pear-shape and weighed 18.8 carats, and is valued at over $1 million. The smaller emerald the “Carolina Prince” with a cushion-cut and weighing 7.85-carats was sold in 1999 for $100,000.

The principal Emerald deposits are currently mined in Colombia, Brazil, and Zambia. Emeralds are mined throughout the world (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Australia, United States) but these are the three major sources. Colombia arguably produces the finest Emeralds.

Emerald deposits can be found in white calcite veins flowing through soft black shale, making them simple to recognise. Soft rock is removed by hand tools or scraped by a bulldozer when mine terraces are worked with strip mining methods, according to Keller (1990).

Emerald gems are highly desirable due to their rarity and uniqueness. It's difficult to find natural emeralds, but once you get your first taste, it'll be hard to go back to anything else!

Most emeralds form in contact metamorphic rocks---that is, the narrow, baked zone where a hot magma (lava) comes into contact with sedimentary rocks such as limestone or shale. Many emeralds come from contact metamorphosed black shale beds.

There have been 13 diamonds found in the state of North Carolina since 1893, the largest of which was four carats. Most of them were found as a result of panning operations for gold or monazite.

Are rubies found in NC? ›

There are only two (2) gemstone localities in the entire world capable of producing the WORLD FAMOUS and WORLD CLASS “ investors” or “collectors” grade “Pigeon Blood” colored rubies. #1) The Country of Burma, and #2) The Cowee Valley gemstone locality of Western North Carolina, situated near the Town of Franklin, NC.

North Carolina has the beautiful rhodolite garnet named after the colorful purplish-pink rhododendron which grows wild in the mountains of western North Carolina. Ruby and sapphire of-exceptional beauty are found in Cowee Valley in the Franklin County area of western North Carolina.

The General Assembly of 1973 designated the emerald as the official State Precious Stone. (Session Laws, 1973, c. 136).

North Carolina is very rich in minerals. More than 300 varieties have been found—more than in any other state. North Carolina also has the largest emerald deposits found in the United States. Most of the mining operations for the gem are in Alexander and Mitchell Counties.