Brand New Tours~
The 2010 NC Mineral and Gem Festival brings a brand new mine tour to the event!
Tours to the Crabtree Emerald Mine in Little Switzerland will be held on Friday and Saturday of the Show. Spaces for the tours are available for $30 pp and reservations are highly recommended! Call 828-765-9033 or email pjensen@mitchell-county.com to reserve your spots.
One of the unique experiences available to the Festival goers is the opportunity to prospect and dig for emeralds in the dumps at the Crabtree Emerald Mine. This mine produced emeralds from 1895 (including for the Tiffany Company of New York) until the mine closed in the 1990s. The actual mine shaft went underground several hundred feet and lies flooded under a small pond.
There are some extensive dumps around the mine, and it is clear the miners did not see or find everything! Recent digging through the dumps has produced a number of nice specimens. Of the minerals that have been found the most sought after is the Emerald, generally tightly locked into a matrix of quartz, mica, and feldspar. Also found in these dumps are black tourmaline, garnet, fluorite, aquamarine, and golden beryl.
In the whole United States there have been only 2 significant sources of emeralds. One of these is the Crabtree Emerald Mine! The other is near Hiddenite, NC.
Don't miss this great opportunity to visit and mine the Crabtree Emerald Mine!
Tours will leave from the Festival site...The Bridge Coliseum at 3:30 p.m. each day.
Black Light Tour
Looking for an experience that’s “out of this world”? Emerald Village offers nighttime underground mine tours that unlock vibrant hidden colors available only under ultraviolet light, commonly called black light. The brilliant coatings in the Bon Ami Mine are largely deposits of Hyalite Opal, a true form of opal found in this area. Under shortwave ultraviolet light, these coatings fluoresce or glow a vivid lime green. The effect, underground at night, is stunning!There are other fluorescent minerals here, too, including feldspar that glows pink to red, mangan-apatite that glows cream to orange, and a rare phosphorescent blue mineral which, so far, has not been identified. Here are some of the world’s largest deposits of Hyalite Opal, and the only known underground Hyalite Opal deposits open to the public.
The tour is a guided tour, led by one of Emerald Village's professional staff. They provide the special lights, flashlights, and safety glasses. You provide comfortable walking shoes and a curiosity for unique experiences.
We hope to see you underground at one of the most unique experiences available, the Black Light tour at Emerald Village, the best Gem Mine Tours in North Carolina!
Regular Admission is $15 for Adults, $10 for kids and seniors. Save $5 off admission with your NC Mineral and Gem Festival coupon/reservation.
Reservations Required
Call 828-765-9033 for reservations
Include Tour Name, Date of Tour, Number in Party, Address, Phone, Email
Checks for total due should be mailed to:
Mitchell County Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 858
Spruce Pine, NC 28777
