|
Ray Mica
Mine
Yancey County,
North
Carolina
Last
Updated: October 14th, 2011
|
The Ray Mica Mine is
one
of the most famous mica mines in the area having produced some of the
highest
quality muscovite mica from the early to mid 1900s. As book mica
occurs in veins in the pegmatite, it was mined using shafts and tunnels
in order to follow the veins. Some of the shafts and mine works can be
observed on a tour of the mine.
The Ray Mine offers the best opportunity to find good quality
aquamarine! Bladed crystals of blue Kyanite can be found if you hike
toward the ridge above the mine.
Mica from this mine produced
"books
of mica" which were separated from the unwanted matrix pegmatite rock.
The unwanted rock was composed of mostly of feldspar and quartz and
some
mica but also contained valuable accessory minerals such as garnet,
aquamarine,
golden beryl, and tourmaline. The best collecting is from these
"tailings".
The tour of the mine begins from a trailhead followed by an easy hike
through
beautiful trees for about 1/2 mile until you reach a creek which flows
down through the "tailings" from the actual mine location toward the
top
of the hill.
Ray Mica Mine Trailhead
|
Creek runs through "tailings"
|
There two approaches to
collecting
minerals from the "tailings" at the Ray Mica Mine. The first is to
sample
the surface material and collect small rocks or use a rock hammer to
break
larger rocks into smaller ones hoping to find some nice specimens. The
second requires digging and takes more time and and patience and can
only
be done in a designated rock collecting area at the top of the hill.
The
Pisgah National Park has restricted collecting to the surface only in
the
creek area. Bo's Mine Tours recommends surface collecting for the first
experience at Ray Mica Mine but does have shovels and sieves if digging
is desired.
Minerals which have
been
found in the "tailings" at Ray Mica Mine.
Muscovite Mica
|
Black Tourmaline (Schorl)
with feldspar and quartz
|
Black Tourmaline crystals
in rum colored Muscovite Mica
|
Green colored Muscovite Mica
|
Aquamarine in feldspar
|
Blue Kyanite crystals
in quartz
|
|
Golden Beryl crystal with
Mica and Feldspar
|
|
Rates
and Tour Procedures
I
am currently not allowed to guide tours on Pisgah National Park land
until I get a permit. I can provide some services though such as
providing you the equipment you need, providing information about the
geology and mineralogy involved, providing you with a map of the
authourized collecting areas, and assisting you in identifying the
specimens you collect.
Rates:
Guide Fee: $25/hr for a minimum of 3 hours ($75) for tour group up to
six persons.
<>Owner's
fee: $25 (ammortize permit fee)
Tour
Procedure: Call (904-708-9186) or email (bo_smith@bellsouth.net)
to arrange the tour date and time.
Meet Bo's Tours' silver Isuzu Rodeo at a predetermined location to
complete
"release of liability
forms" and initial payment ($100) (Cash or Check) for the 4 hour
minimum rate.
Overtime will be paid in cash at the end of the tour.
All persons on the tour must sign a
Bo's Mine Tours liability release
form. Parents must sign for children/young adults aged 18 and
younger.
Follow Bo's Tours vehicle to Ray Mica Mine trailhead.
At least one digital picture emailed to you following the tour is
included.
Tour
length- 3 hours minimum (provides about two hours of collecting time
Dress:
Recommend sturdy shoes and long pants/jeans (shorts at the discretion
of
the
tour participant). Eye protection and work gloves are recommended but
are not provided by
Bo's
Mine Tours.
