Julv's hirflistone
Ruby Fever
By ASHTON CHAPMAN
Ruby is a pretty name for a girl,
especially if she was born in July, be¬
cause ruby is the birthstone for that
month. It symbolizes charity, dignity
and power.
A married couple’s 45th anniversary
is called their ’’ruby wedding."
Rubies have attracted greater at¬
tention than any of the numerous other
gemstones in Tarhcclia’s treasure
house of minerals. They were the first
gems to be mined commercially in this
state and U. S. Geological Survey
bulletin says. “North Carolina is the
only notable locality where rubies have
been mined in the United States." those
from Arizona and other western states
not being true rubies but a variety of
garnet.
It was back in 1871 that the famous
Corundum Hill Mine. 1.5 miles west
of the village of Cullasaja in Macon
County, was opened for the mining of
rubies. Although some were of excel¬
lent quality the quantity didn’t war¬
rant operations being continued for
rubies only. After a few years the min¬
ing there was for abrasive grades of
corundum, though rubies were still oc¬
casionally encountered.
Corundum mining continued inter¬
mittently. During World War I the
material was of great strategic im¬
portance. because this Macon County
mine was the principal source of abra¬
sive-grade corundum in this hemi¬
sphere. Last year the old mine dumps
were opened to rockhounds. for a fee.
with "finders keepers."
Principal other North Carolina lo¬
cations which have produced rubies
are also in Macon County, the Min-
ccy Mine on Ellijay Creek and several
mines in the Cowee Valley (Cowcc is
Cherokee for "deer").
Several decades ago "rubies of good
color, from which a number of fine
but very small stones have been cut"
were reported found in streambed
gravels on the Grimshawc property
near the Jackson-Transylvania line.
Ruby corundum has been reported
in other counties, including Clay.
Mitchell. Buncombe and Haywood but
it has hardly been of gem quality.
First official report of rubies in the
Cowee Valley was made by the late
George Frederick Kunz. associated
with Tiffany and Co. of New York.
Dr. Kunz wrote: "Some of the rubies
arc of the valued pigeon-blood color
and are said to equal in color and
brilliance the Burma rubies."
The American Prospecting and
Mining Co. started mining for rubies
in the Cowcc Valley in 1896. Rubies
have since been mined in at least
eight other localities in the valley.
During the last several years most of
these old mines have been open to
rockhounds for a fee.
I housands of rockhounds from all
over the United States and a number
of other countries, along with other
persons who’ve contracted "ruby
fever." have been attracted to these
diggings. Numerous finds, some quite
remarkable, have been reported.
One of the most valuable was made
in June. 1964. by a young and pretty
housewife from Dalton. Ga. The ruby
she turned up was said to be of pigeon-
blood color, weighing as a rough stone
86.5 carats and "conservatively" esti¬
mated to be worth $4,325.
Even when rockhounds don’t ac¬
tually find rubies they're almost cer¬
tain to encounter other interesting min¬
eral specimens, for the Cowee Valley
rubies occur in association with rho¬
dolite garnet, sillimanitc. staurolite.
iolitc. monazite, gold, pyrite. chalcopy-
ritc. pyrrhotitc, sphalerite, sperrylitc.
ilmcnitc, rutile, bronzite, hornblende,
zircon and kyanitc.
Some very beautiful star rubies
have been found in North Carolina.
Gemologists say this astcrism is some¬
times produced by rifts due to basal
parting. In other cases it's due to in¬
clusions of rutile or other minute
crystals.
Exhibits of fine rubies from North
Carolina are included in the mineral
collections at the U. S. National Mu¬
seum in Washington, the American
Museum of Natural History in New
York and other noted museums.
A ruby is a rhombohedral crystal
consisting of aluminum oxide with a
small amount of chromium. A ruby
crystal was the original source of one
of the most promising developments in
electronics — the laser, discovered
six years ago. The principle of the laser
is based on a ruby crystal being stimu¬
lated by light from a powerful flash
and. after the atoms are excited, light
is reradiated in a very narrow fre¬
quency range. Synthetic rubies, fused
by a special process, are now used
instead of real gems. It is said that
only gemologists can distinguish be¬
tween these synthetic rubies and real
ones such as those found in Tarheelia.
Many persons, especially those
born in July, consider the ruby “the
gem of gems." The Hindus long held it
in higher esteem than any other jewel,
not so much for its value and beauty
as for the miraculous powers they at¬
tributed to it. To them the ruby’s fiery
hue suggested “the inextinguishable
flame of life." They believed that a
flawless ruby could save the wearer
from danger, warning him. if an enemy
or other hazard was near, by turning
dark and losing its luster.
Ruby is from the Latin "rubcus"
(red). Because it was supposed to be
self-luminous the ancients called it
"lampstonc." There are legends of
caves and other enclosed places being
lighted exclusively by the red gleam
of large rubies.
Rubies, next to diamonds in hard¬
ness. are more valuable than diamonds
for the reason that flawless rubies of
large size are scarce.
I IF YOU'VE GOT IT
, — ^ IIatruck brought iti
NORTH CAROLINA MOTOR CARRIERS ASSN
THE STATE. JULY 1. 1966
14
