It has been said that they can cure dysentery, prevent epilepsy, assist women in childbirth, preserve chastity, and even drive away evil spirits. Old folktales attribute many properties to the emerald.
Other famous emeralds of North Carolina include the 858 carat “Empress Caroline” and the cut 64.82 carat “Carolina Emperor,” which is styled after an emerald once owned by Empress Catherine the Great of Russia.ĭue to their rarity, synthetic emeralds are also produced in the United States through a hydrothermal method, in which aquamarine crystals are placed in a water solution under high temperatures and pressure. A 71-carat stone found on the same property yielded two finished stones-the 7.85 carat Carolina Prince that sold for $500,000, and the Carolina Queen (18.88 carats). Pockets can range from a few centimeters to three meters in length.Īn emerald crystal weighing 1869 carats, thought to be the largest ever found in North America, was unearthed in late 2003 at a mine in Hiddenite, near Statesville.
North Carolina’s emeralds are found in pockets of quartz veins. Today, these are North Carolina’s three known emerald districts. North Carolina has the only significant emerald deposits in North America.Įmeralds were first found in Alexander County in 1874, and later in Mitchell County (1890) and Cleveland County (1897). Emeralds occur naturally as six sided prisms, sometimes called ‘bolts,’ and are usually elongated with smooth sides. The beryl’s natural color is clear, but gets its color from small amounts of chromium and vanadium. Emeralds are one of the ‘big four’ gemstones (Diamonds, Emeralds, Rubies, and Sapphires) that are most popular for jewelry and commercial use. About the EmeraldĪn Emerald is a green variety of beryl highly prized as a gemstone. It received little opposition and was passed in April of 1973. Margaret Keesee of Guilford county in January of 1973. The Bill to establish the Emerald as the State Precious Stone was introduced by Rep. The General Assembly of 1973 designated the emerald as the official State Precious Stone. See also: North Carolina State Symbols and Official Adoptions main page State Precious Stone of North Carolina: Emerald
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