WorldWide Drilling Resource

66 DECEMBER 2013 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Mining in the USA Part 17 Compiled by Amy White, Associate Editor WorldWide Drilling Resource ® The foothills and mountains of North Carolina are some of the oldest in the world and contain a vast assortment of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. Over time, these rocks have been continuously squeezed, fractured, fault- ed, and folded to produce rich deposits of minerals and gems. The Tar Heel State is the top producer of feldspar, lithium, scrap mica, olivine, and pyro- phyllite in the U.S. The shiny mineral mica was mined by early Native Americans in the state for use in rituals and trade. Around 1868, large-scale mining for mica began to take place. North Carolina was the most important producer of sheet mica until the 1960s when other materials elimi- nated its use. In the southern Appalachian region, kaolin clay was also mined by Native Americans, and eventually gained popu- larity in England. Called Cherokee Clay, it was “discovered” by early English settlers who pursued the mineral because it contained the basic ingredients for making porcelain. This clay is still used today in the manufacturing of fine porcelain, dinnerware, and bricks. Quartz is also important to North Carol ina. Due to its extreme purity, quartz from the Spruce Pine district is used to manufac- ture computer chips. Th e p r o c e s s e d pu r i t y o f qua r t z from this area can- not be matched by any other quartz in the world; and as a result, Spruce Pine quartz is used to manufacture every computer chip in the world. A wide variety o f p r ec i ous and s e m i - p r e c i o u s s t o n e s c a n b e found in the state’s P i e d m o n t a n d Mountain regions. Amateur collectors c a n v i s i t ma n y c o mm e r c i a l l y - operated mines to hunt for emeralds, rubies, sapphires, hiddenite, garnet, and other semi- precious stones. Several diamonds were also discov- North Carolina ered in North Carolina during the 1800s. The state ranks number one in the eastern part of the country when it comes to the mining and marketing of gemstones. E m e r a l d Hollow, in the small town of Hiddenite, North Carolina, is the only place in the country open to the public for the mining of emer- alds. Some of the wo r l d ’ s l a r ges t emeralds, includ- ing the mi l l ion- dol lar “Carol ina Queen”, have been found there. The first documented discovery of gold in the U.S occurred in North Carol ina. During the early- to mid- 1800s, gold mining was second only to f a rmi ng i n t he numbe r o f No r t h Carolinians it employed. The state was the leading gold producer in the nation until 1848. Mining continues to be a half-bil- lion dollar industry in North Carolina. Anyone wanting to learn more about mining in the state, or just have some fun, can get hands- on experience at many great loca- tions where visi- tors can search for gems, minerals, and gold. Early clay mining operations courtesy of wcu.edu A young boy made the first documented gold discovery in the U.S. while playing in Little Meadow Creek. Illustration courtesy of ncmarkers.com