Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC

Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NCThe Garnet Mineral Group

Garnet is not a single mineral, but a group that contains closely related, isomorphous minerals that form a series with each other. The Garnet members form intermediary minerals between each member, and may even intergrow within a single crystal. The Garnets vary only slightly in physical properties, and some of the members may be so similar that they are indistinguishable from one another without x-ray analysis.

The common Garnets can be divided into two subgroups:
Garnets containing aluminum (Al) as their second element. These include;
Pyrope (Magnesium aluminum silicate)
Almandine (Iron aluminum silicate)
Spessartine (Manganese aluminum silicate)"Pyralspite"

Garnets containing calcium (Ca) as their first element. These include;
Uvarovite (Calcium chromium silicate)
Grossular (Calcium aluminum silicate)
Andradite (Calcium iron silicate )"Ugrandite"

The members of each group freely intermingle among one another. For example, the magnesium in Pyrope may be partially replaced by some iron from Almandine or by some manganese from Spessartine. However, between the two groups of Garnets, it is much rarer for them to intermingle.

Garnets are shaped as well-formed, distinct, dodecahedral and trapezohedral crystals. Garnets are found as floaters, in matrix, in compact crystal groupings, grainy, massive, as rounded crystals, and as groups of small crystals.

 

Little Pine Garnet Mine Madison County, North Carolina

Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC

There were three geologic mountain building stages that formed the Appalachian Mountains. It is theorized that the Little Pine garnet crystals and matrix were formed over 450 million years ago during the first mountain building stages. The matrix is a metamorphic material made up of chlorite mica schist with some iron and quartz occasionally mixed in. The garnet crystals in the mine are constantly being replaced by the chlorite and mica. This replacement makes the garnets unsuitable for use as abrasives or gem quality material. The garnet crystals continue to retain their excellent shapes which make them highly sought after collector specimens. Some of the garnets have become distorted during their growth resulting in some unusual shapes. Geologists believe that extreme heat and pressure changes while the crystals were forming caused the elongated shapes and distorted crystals. They are some of the most unusual garnet crystals in the world.

The Little Pine Garnet Mine was a working mine in 1904 and 1905 for abrasive garnet. The mine was closed for several years and then purchased in 1913 by Logan Ball. Logan worked the mine for years locating many gem quality specimens. Tiffany's of New York had interest in the mine but there was not enough gem quality material to sustain a large scale mining operation. There were many specimens for collectors still to be found. Logan and his son Jack continued to mine it until the early 1950s. Jackie bought the property in 1961 and allowed people to dig in the “spoil piles” from the old mine. In 1998 Jackie and his wife started to promote it as a tourist attraction with their “Sandy Bottom Trail Rides”. The mine is now a fee collection site. You can find small specimens digging in the spoil piles at the mouth of the old mine or venture into the mine. You may find a large Almandine Garnet matrix specimen inside the mine, but removing the find is a difficult task since the chlorite schist never wants to split where you want it to. At one time the mine went all the way through the mountain but a cave-in closed off a large portion. Mostly the larger garnets have not been found for many years now since the cave-in.

YouTube Videos Little Pine Garnet Mine May 21, 2013 by Prospector Al
https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-cl=84838260&x-yt-ts=1422327029&v=6QXaD25hg2Y

Little Pine Garnet Mine May 28, 2013 by Prospector Al
https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-cl=84838260&x-yt-ts=1422327029&v=ZXu7Wh_84gI

Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Item # 1GARLPM03201001

Almandine Garnet Crystal on Chlorite Mica Schist Matrix from Little Pine Mine

$48.00

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This is a natural, uncleaned specimen of several Almandine Garnets in Chlorite Mica Schist matrix from the Little Pine Garnet Mine in Madison County, North Carolina.

It weighs 14.8 oz or 0.92 lbs (420g) and measures roughly 4.4 x 4.2 x 1.5 inches (11.2 x 10.6 x 3.8 cm)

Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Item # 7GARLPM03201001

Almandine Garnet Euhedral Crystal with minor Chlorite Mica Schist Matrix from Little Pine Mine

$18.00

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This is a small specimen of Almandine Garnet Euhedral Crystal with minor Chlorite Mica Schist Matrix from Little Pine Mine in Madison County, North Carolina. Some edge damage, still a nice piece.

This crystal weighs 0.6 oz (17.5g) and measures roughly 0.98 x 0.98 x 0.6 inches (25 x 25 x 15 mm)

Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Item # 8GARLPM03201001

Almandine Garnet Euhedral Crystal with minor Chlorite Mica Schist Matrix from Little Pine Mine

$39.00

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This is a beautiful specimen of a near perfect Almandine Garnet Euhedral Crystal with minor Chlorite Mica Schist Matrix from Little Pine Mine in Madison County, North Carolina. A very nice piece!

This crystal weighs 2.56 oz or 0.16 lb (73g) and measures roughly 1.7 x 1.1 x 0.9 inches (4.3 x 2.7 x 2.2 cm)

Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Item # 14GARLPM03201001

Almandine Garnet Euhedral Crystal with minor Chlorite Mica Schist Matrix from Little Pine Mine

$39.00

Sold

This is a beautiful specimen of a near perfect Almandine Garnet Euhedral Crystal with minor Chlorite Mica Schist Matrix from Little Pine Mine in Madison County, North Carolina. A very nice piece!

This crystal weighs 1.5 oz (43g) and measures roughly 1.35 x 1 x 0.8 inches (3.4 x 2.7 x 2 cm)

Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NCGarnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NCGarnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Item # 17GARLPM03201001

Almandine Garnet Euhedral Crystal with minor Chlorite Mica Schist Matrix from Little Pine Mine

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This is a 1.5 inch specimen of Almandine Garnet Euhedral Crystal with minor Chlorite Mica Schist Matrix from Little Pine Mine in Madison County, North Carolina. Some extraction damage.

This crystal weighs 3.2 oz or 0.2 lbs (91g) and measures roughly 1.8 x 1.36 x 1 inches (4.6 x 3.4 x 2.7 cm)

Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC Garnets from Little Pine Mine, NC
Item # 23GARLPM03201003

Almandine Garnet Euhedral Crystal with minor Chlorite Mica Schist Matrix from Little Pine Mine

$89.00

Sold

This is a very large specimen of an Almandine Garnet Euhedral Crystal with minor Chlorite Mica Schist Matrix from Little Pine Mine in Madison County, North Carolina. This piece has minor extraction damage, but specimens this large are very rare. This specimen was from a 1960,s collection obtained at an estate sale in Spruce Pine, Mitchell County, North Carolina.

This crystal weighs 34 oz or 2.125 lb (964g) and measures roughly 4 x 3.7 x 2.7 inches (10.1 x 9.3 x 6.8 cm)