North Carolina Mines and Minerals
Did You Know……..
1. NC LEADS THE NATION IN PRODUCTION OF SCRAP MICA, FELDSPAR,
AND OLIVINE, MUCH OF WHICH HAS COME FROM THE SPRUCE PINE
DISTRICT AND THE FRANKLIN-SYLVA DISTRICT.
2. THE TWO ABOVE DISTRICTS HAVE SUPPLIED MORE THAN HALF THE
TOTAL MICA AND FELDSPAR PRODUCED IN THE US SINCE 1868.
3. A BOOK OF MICA WEIGHING ABOUT 2000 KILOGRAMS WAS FOUND IN
YANCEY COUNTY.
4. LITHIUM (USED IN MEDICINES, CERAMICS, GLASS, GREASES, AND
BATTERIES) IS MINED IN THE KING’S MOUNTAIN BELT. IT'S THOUGHT TO
CONTAIN 80% OF THE NATION’S LITHIUM RESERVES.
5. NC ALSO LEADS THE NATION IN THE PRODUCTION OF PYROPHYLLITE,
WHICH IS MINED FROM THE CAROLINA SLATE BELT.
6. TOURING WESTERN NC? LOOK FOR TOWNS CALLED GNEISS, GOLD MINE,
GRANITE FALLS, GRANITE QUARRY, LUCK, MARBLE, MICAVILLE,
SAPPHIRE VALLEY, AND ZIRCONIA.
7. COASTAL PLAIN IN NC IS JUST ABOUT THE ONLY PLACE TO FIND
FOSSILS.
8. NO BIRD FOSSILS HAVE EVER BEEN FOUND IN NC.
9. PIEDMONT AREA COVERS AROUND 45% OF THE STATE.
10. COASTAL PLAIN COVERS ALMOST HALF OF NC.
11. IN GEOLIGIST’S LINGO, THE ROCKS OF THE PIEDMONT AND BLUE
RIDGE REGION ARE “HARD ROCKS,” THAT IS, METAMORPHIC AND
IGNEOUS.
12. THOSE ROCKS OF THE COASTAL PLAIN ARE “SOFT ROCKS,” OR
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS.
13. NATIONWIDE, NC IS THE SECOND LEADING PRODUCER OF CLAY,
WHICH COMES FROM COASTAL PLAIN DEPOSITS AND FROM TRIASSIC
BASINS IN THE PIEDMONT. CLAY FROM THE TRIASSIC BASINS IS USED TO
MAKE BRICKS, TILE AND SEWER PIPES.
14. NC MAKES MORE BRICKS THAN ANY OTHER STATE, ABOUT 13% OF THE
NATION’S TOTAL.
15. TRIASSIC BASINS ALSO CONTAIN COAL BEDS. COAL WAS MINED FROM
THE SANFORD BASIN INTERMITTENTLY FROM 1854 TO THE EARLY 1950’S.
A MINOR AMOUNT OF COAL HAS BEEN MINED FROM THE DAN RIVER AS
WELL.
16. HALF THE VALUE OF NC’S MINED PRODUCTS COMES FROM CURSHED
STONE, SAND, AND GRAVEL.
17. NC IS THE SECOND LEADING PRODUCER OF CRUSHED GRANITE AMONG
STATES.
18. NC IS ALSO THE SECOND LEADING PRODUCER OF PHOSPHATE ROCK,
WHICH IS MINED AT AURORA, IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, PRIMARILY FOR
USE IN FERTILIZERS.
19. NC’S MOST ROMANTIC PRODUCT IS ITS GEMS AND GOLD. ROCK
HOUNDS FLOCK TO THE FRANKLIN AREA TO HUNT FOR RUBIES,
GARNETS, AND SAPPHIRES. MORE THAN 20 MINES IN THE AREA ARE
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
20. IN 1985, A RUBY WEIGHING 630 CARATS AND ANOTHER WEIGHING 361
CARATS WERE FOUND IN MACON COUNTY.
21. ALEXANDER COUNTY PRODUCED THE LARGERST EMERALD EVER
DISCOVERED IN NORTH AMERICA WEIGHING IN AT 1,438 CARATS.
22. 13 DIAMONDS HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE BLUE RIDGE REGION AND
THE PIEDMONT AREA. THE LARGEST WAS FOUND IN DYSARTSVILLE IN
1886 AND WEIGHED 4.33 CARATS. MOST WERE FOUND IN STREAM
GRAVELS. NO ONE HAS EVER FOUND A PRIMARY SOURCE.
23. GOLD WAS DISCOVERED IN CABARRUS COUNTY IN 1799. UNTIL 1828, NC
WAS THE ONLY STATE PRODUCING GOLD. TODAY, NO COLD IS MINED
COMMERCIALLY HERE.
24. REED GOLD MINE, WHERE GOLD WAS FIRST FOUND, IS NOW A
MUSEUM.
25. THERE ARE MANY PLACES IN THE PIEDMONT WHERE YOU CAN FIND A
FEW FLAKES OF GOLD IF YOU PAN THE STREAM SEDIMENTS.