This is a intro video to Ray Mine with many more detailed trips to come. This spot is open to the public to gem mine. Ray mine is a great place for a novice to a expert gem miner. This video is intended to be helpful for a person on their first time trip to Ray Mine in Burnsville North Carolina. This mine will turn you on to geology. Growing up in this area I am very familiar with this mine. With so much mineralization being part of the Spruce Pine pegmatite system the " Mineral Kingdom " and so much to collect. I wanted to create a quick video giving an overview on how to collect and where to collect so that this place remains open for future generations. there is a ton of opportunity breaking the pegmatite if you know what you're looking for. I wanted this video to be out there to inform people that you do not need to dig and break rules to enjoy this place. There is so much potential on the surface. Make sure to abide by the rules so that we have it available to us in the future.
Don't Dig
The Ray Mica Mines are located on Hurricane Mountain, 4.0 km (2.5 miles) SSE of Burnsville N.C. in the Bolen's Creek area, on National Forest land.
Workings include 10 verticle shafts, which remain open. Tailings surrounded the shafts. this is one of the best locations in North Carolina to find facet grade aquamarine beryl. The pegmatite system at Ray Mine includes tourmaline muscovite mica columbite appetite quartz feldspar moonstone with the blue refraction to light.
*****Collecting at this site could be on it's toes right now with the Forest Service, and installing their new signs could be a way a restricting it in the future. *********
Let's not let this site turn into the once Walker Creek Kyanite site that is now subjected to strict, no collecting laws.
Don't Dig!!!!!
* Only Surface Collect *
Read the Rules on tailhead sign.
/ highcountryrocks
22 авг 2024