THE RUBY RUSH
Nine mines now open in Macon County;
flood off rock lion nils increased to larger
proportions than ever; good gems dis¬
covered.
By J. P. BRADY
Macon County's famous Cowee Val¬
ley ruby mines arc having one of the
biggest seasons in history'.
With nine mines open in the valley
— an all-time high — Cowee Valley
has more than ever to offer the rock-
hound and the competition for his dig¬
ging dollar is reflected in improved
services.
Most of the mines have done away
with the more primitive and back¬
breaking approach to gem hunting —
a pick and shovel and lots of elbow
grease. Owners have built waist-high
flume lines to channel water to the
rockhound. instead of making him dig
and carry his dirt to the nearby stream
for washing. Rockhounds with an eye
to comfort (if digging can be con¬
sidered comfortable) bring along um¬
brellas and portable seats so they can
sit along side the flume line and wash
gem-bearing gravel with a certain de¬
gree of case that falls slightly short of
labor.
Mines, too. have help available for
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those who shy away from digging their
own gravel. A nominal fee is charged
for this extra service, but a rockhound
who has seriously tackled the rocky-
terrain recognizes the value of this
service.
Several of the ruby mines have
camping sites for visitors. Tents and
small trailers dot the landscape, prov¬
ing that some rockhounds really like
to rough it.
Cowee Valley, along Cowcc Creek
and its tributaries, constantly yields not
only rubies, but a wide variety of gem
stones, which range in size front chips
to stones of several carats. The rubies
found in Cowcc Valley arc comparable
in color and quality to those of Burma,
site of the world's premier ruby fields.
Probably the best authority, and cer¬
tainly one of the most conservative.
Dr. J. H. Pratt, in his "Corundum
and Periodotitics of Western North
Carolina,” page 185, referring specifi¬
cally to Cowee rubies, says:
"Some large gems — 3 or 4 carats
in weight — have been cut which were
free from inclusions and of fine color
and transparency. A great many small
perfect gents have been cut. In color
and brilliancy these arc equal to the
Burma, and if the percentage of the
unflawed transparent material in¬
creases but little, this new field would
be a well matched rival of the Burma
fields."
Old timers in Cowee Valley still re¬
call the enthusiasm for the future of
the ruby field from men like George F.
Kuntz, of Tiffany's, and W. E. Hid¬
den. the naturalist and practical mining
authority, of Newark, N. J., when they
were in Cowcc Valley during the late
"90’s and the turn of the century.
The United States Mining Com¬
pany sank a shaft on "In Situ Hill"
in 1907 and found a good quantity of
corundum crystals from the horn¬
blende gneiss, which was believed to
be the matrix rock. It was found, how¬
ever, that these corundum crystals were
almost uniformly translucent pink and
lilac, with no stones of the true ruby
color as found in the valley placers.
So, through the years, the real
mystery remains: Where do the rubies
of Cowcc Valley come from?
Mineralogists have spent consider¬
ably time and effort trying to unravel
this mountain mystery- and at least
two mining companies have invested
thousands trying to locate the source
by sinking expensive shafts and tun¬
nels and through core drilling.
When these efforts failed, landown¬
ers saw a new bonanza in the growing
hobby of "rockhounding."
Rubies, of course, are the most
sought after gems in the valley. But,
the collector with a good knowledge
of crystalography will find that Cowce
Valley is a treasure chest. Twenty
nine forms of crystals have been
found there, including gold, pyrite,
chalocopyritc. nichcliferious, pyrrhetite,
sphalerite (Blende), spcrrylite, ilmen-
itc or menaccanitc, rutile, bronzicte,
zircon, sillimanite. cyanitc. iolitc, stau-
rolitc, and manazict.
"Looks like we'll be doing business
just as long as there are rockhounds,"
says mine owner Carroll Gibson. “And
there seem to be more and more of
’em every year."
THE STATE, June 22. 1963
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