NORTH CAROLINA EMERALDS
  

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Old Plantation Emerald Mine
Cleveland County, North Carolina
Old Plantation Mine History

Formerly called
the Turner mine

Emeralds found in cotton field 1909

Mining Period 1909-1913

Production: 4,000 carats Emerald

Worth $400,000!

Most Emeralds were flawed crystals with deep emerald color

Emeralds valued up to $3,800/ct!

 

W.E. Speer photo
Colburn Earth Science Museum, Asheville, NC
W.E. Speer photo
Main pit Jan 2006

Emerald and Other Beryls 1989
Old Plantation mine 1912

W.E. Speer photo
Haul road at main workings Jan 2006

W.E. Speer photo
Quart-feldspar-Tourmaline Pegmatite
hosts Emeralds

W.E. Speer photo
Quart-Feldspar Vein

W.E. Speer photo
Weathered mafic rock hosts pegmatites

W.E. Speer photo
Emerald on Albite
From Burnham Colburn Collection
via Hanahan & Richard D. Dayvault Collections
1.78cm x 0.45cm (about 13.5 cts)

W.E. Speer photo
Emerald found 2005 in old mine workings
Donald Campbell Collection 1.5 cts

W.E. Speer photo
Tourmaline Crystal found 2005
Doubly Terminated
3.56cm x 2.03cm (123.5 cts)
Donald Campbell Collection
 

Please note that all of the emerald mine properties in North Carolina are privately owned and potential visitors should arrange permission before arriving on the property. The NAEM mine at Hiddenite is NOT open to the public. Only two mines are open to the public for mineral collecting:
1) The Crabtree Emerald Mine near Little Switzerland, NC http://www.wncrocks.com/resources/Collecting%20site%20crabtreemine1.htm
2) The Emerald Hollow Mine at Hiddenite, NC http://www.hiddenitegems.com/

For information on other mineral collecting sites in North Carolina, see: http://www.wncrocks.com/ and http://www.mcrocks.com
      This web site is constantly under construction
If you have any corrections or additions, please contact
Ed Speer at ed@speerhammocks.com