1882. 101 Trans. IN. Y. Ac. Scz. 
Mr. WM. EARL HIDDEN then read the following paper : 
THE DISCOVERY OF EMERALDS IN NORTH CAROLINA. 
Mr. Prestdent, Ladtes and Gentlemen: 
That emeralds have been found in the United States, has been 
doubted. The press has stated “the discovery of emeralds needed 
confirmation.” It is my pleasure to show you this evening convincing 
proof of the existence in our country of this rare and beautiful gem. 
Since what the impetus was that started the search for emeralds in 
North Carolina would be of interest, I will give you the story, gathered 
as it is from a year’s residence on the spot where the discovery was 
made. 
Sixteen years ago, the site of the North Carolina emerald mine was 
covered with a dense primitive forest. Less than ten years ago the 
locality was mineralogically a blank, nothing was known to exist hav- 
ing any special interest or value. Whatever we know of it to-day, is 
due indirectly to MR. J. A. STEPHENSON, a native of the country, whose 
interest in mineralogy is a purely natural one. 
Under a promise of reward, if successful, he had engaged the farm- 
ers to search the soil for crystals, Indian stone relics, etc., and for some 
years enjoyed surprising success in thus gathering specimens. 
Every specimen found in this region proves to be a revelation to 
science. In some respects they were of more interest than anything 
heretofore found of their kind. 
Certain it is that this region, and I state this from my own experi- 
ence in collecting, has produced some of the most remarkable and 
beautiful specimens of Emerald, Spodumene, Beryl, Rutile and Monazite, 
thus far discovered in the United States. 
To be brief and to the point, I will say, that in a few localities in 
Alexander county, crystals would be brought of the common opaque 
beryl; but now and then a semi-transparent prism, having a decided 
grass-green color, much resembling the famous crystals from Siberia, so 
familiar to mineralogists, would be found and offered for sale in the 
neighboring towns. Those came to have the name among the farmers 
of “green rocks”’ and “ green bolts.” From the fact of their selling 
for more than anything else they found, these green crystals became 
the ultimatum of their searching. 
Among other curious local names for minerals were “ Donicks”’ for 
quartz crystals, “ Black Bolts’”’ for prisms of tourmaline, “ Red Metal”’ 
for rutile crystals, and “‘ Needle Rock’’ for the beautiful sagenite, or Ar- 
rows-of-love stone. 
Suffice it to say that in a period of about six years, there were found 
loose in the surface soil, on three plantations in this county, a small 
