266 THE CAROLINA MOUNTAINS 
we have rubies, — true, or, as we say, Oriental 
rubies, — gems next to the diamond in value, or in 
their best form equal to it. When the crystals form 
in other moods, they shine forever as purple ame- 
thyst, or Oriental sapphire, or pink or white sap- 
phire, or they glow with the deep and thrilling green 
of the emerald, rarest of gems and equal in value to 
the ruby, or they emit the yellow light of the topaz. 
Corundum crystals take all the colors of the rain- 
bow, each gem named from its color, and all of them, 
no matter of what color, are known under the general 
name of sapphire crystals, or sapphires. Sapphire 
crystals of all colors are found in the North Carolina 
mountains, some predominating in one section, some 
in another. 
Corundum, the mother rock of the most precious 
gems, is found throughout the North Carolina 
mountains excepting in the extreme northern part, 
and there are several mines in the Sapphire Country, 
which is a famous corundum region, and these mines, 
although not worked primarily for gems, yield many 
fine ones, particularly blue sapphires, to which cir- 
cumstance some attribute the name of the region. 
It is a fortunate place that has more than one reason 
for deserving such a name. 
It is interesting to know that corundum mining 
which has grown to so important an industry here, 
began its history in a gem mine. This was at Corun- 
dum Hill, near Franklin, and the mine, which was 
opened in 1871, among other treasures yielded what 
is said to be the finest specimen of emerald green 
