North American Emerald North Carolina

[goldohio]

I would like to get some opinions on this emerald I found in NC.

Un treated and natural as I found it.

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I just joined this forum and haven't been authorized to post photos yet so the link above will bring you to the photo site.

Thanks,

 

[chrono]

Are you looking at purchasing this from the perspective of keeping it as a mineral specimen or to get it cut?

 

[Ali]

Date: 10/14/2009 1:35:58 PM
Author:goldohio

I just joined this forum and haven''t been authorized to post photos yet

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[mastercutgems]

Not to be a smart-tail or anything but how did you find it? If you dug for hours/ or was in virgin earth then you may have found one; but if you found it close to the surface or in a river bed it may have been put there for you to find.

I have mined NC for emerald for many years and know many that have found emerald in Hiddenite NC and in Little Switzerland near the old crabtree emerald mine; along with aquamarine; it is not an easy task and that is why I ask as I do not want anyone thinking they have a NC emerald when they may not.

Also NC emerald in many cases especially around Hiddenite NC the emerald has a rind of beautiful green and the center is white; so cutting it is very tricky as you can not go below the green rind.

Just wondering how you came about finding the emerald... Not to say it is not one; but there is too many ??? mines in those areas...

 

[goldohio]

Here is a photo.

 

[goldohio]

another photo

 

[goldohio]

another view,

I have been to the Crabtree Emerald Mine in Spruce Pine NC several times.

I have always found Emeralds there, but none as nice as this one.

We (MAGMA) were having a dig there last Thanksgiving and when I found it, it caused quite a stir, as the manager said that this was the nicest Emerald that has been found there in about 3 yrs.

It is jelly clear and the green is outstanding in person.

I am a hobby facetor and have been tempted to cut it.

 

[mastercutgems]

Just my personal opinion; I would leave it alone and keep it as a specimen. I made the mistake of cutting a Russian emerald that would have been far more valuable as a specimen. There are too many underlying unknowns that I can see from your photos as there seems to be white underneath the last photo that may rear it''s ugly head when you try to remove it from the host material.

Just my humble opinion though; but if you choose to cut it; please remove as much of the host rock as you can to better determine what it may look like on the back side of the crystal; you can always stop at any time and keep it as a specimen if you see that the back side has issues.

Very pretty color; I was thrown off by the host matrix as it looked like Brazilian host material; but the color is the lighter material like I have found in virgin earth; as most of that material in Little Switzerland was a feldspar host and not a black/grey mica host. But I do know I have seen it mixed before as they used to mine the stuff to make counter tops and it had the black/grey host with tiny emeralds scattered in it. Cool stuff; but too pricey for my kitchen

 

[goldohio]

Dana M. Reynolds,

Thanks for the reply. I have spent many hours digging at the Crabtree.

This was about 15ft deep and was extracted with a backhoe at one of our (MAGMA) machine digs at the site.

The machine dumped a nice pile and we all dove in and started looking and I grabbed this one up.

I have faceted a few stones from the mine.

This stone is so nice as a specimen that I really don''t want to cut it.

I was just wondering what others may think about the stone.

I know about Hiddenite and have visited the tourist mine there. I am not sure there is any other place one can dig in Hiddenite. I know what the Columbian Emeralds look like and that is all I found at Hiddenite.

They salt the place aggressively for the school kids they bus in by the hundreds.

I figure I will have to send this to someone to have it appraised properly.

I had a gentelman in NY offer me a decent amount of money for it over the weekend when we were digging for Fluoite and that is why I would like to gather some more info on what others may think about it.


thanks,

 

[goldohio]

another shot

 

[chrono]

It’s a lovely specimen but the risk is so great that I would be tempted to leave it as it is.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

It certainly is beautiful! I''ve been to some of those mines in my childhood...I guess my love for gems started very early!

 

[Stone Hunter]

I think it''s really cool and I wouldn''t cut it. I''d display it. Congrats!!!