270 THE CAROLINA MOUNTAINS 
mica veins. For while mica may not itself create gems, 
there is in company with it, born as it were from the 
same mother, the group of beautiful crystals belong- 
ing to the beryl type and which are among the most 
valuable of the precious stones. Large sea-blue 
aquamarines, that for beauty of color have never 
been surpassed, and beryls, both sea-green and yel- 
low, than which none richer have ever been found, 
as well as clear green and blue stones, occur in differ- 
ent parts of the mountains in sufificient quantities to 
make mining for them profitable, although none 
have been found in the Sapphire Country where the 
beryl-bearing rocks are less prominent. 
The most important of the beryl mines thus far 
opened are in the Black Mountain Country, particu- 
larly near Spruce Pine, where mining operations have 
brought to light many lovely gems, notable among 
which are blue stones of large size and equal, we are 
told, to any from Brazil, with lesser numbers of fine 
aquamarine and honey-yellow gems. And the ber>'l- 
bearing rocks of North Carolina have, like the co- 
rundum rocks, given a new gem to the world, al- 
though it has not been found in the mountains. It is 
the beautiful new emerald known as hiddenite, 
which is being profitably mined at a place called 
Stony Point, in the foothills just below the moun- 
tains, and where some very valuable stones have 
been found. 
Mica, which occurs plentifully and of very fine 
quality in the North Carolina mountains, was 
mined there even in prehistoric times, as has re- 
