NC Beryl Crystals
Ray (Wray) Mica Mine, Yancey County, N.C.

The Ray Mica Mines are located on Hurricane Mountain, 4.0 km (2.5 miles) SSE of Burnsville, in the Bolen's Creek area, on National Forest land.The mine is actually a series of open cuts with 10 verticle shafts (which remain open) and stopes (an excavation in the form of steps) that extend in a muscovite, albite and quartz pegmatite that runs approximately 400 yards up the mountain. Garrett Ray (the mine’s local namesake) first worked the mine digging for mica in the late 1860’s.

The Ray mine was closed and reopened many times throughout the years until the Wray Mining Company abandoned it in 1944 after the U.S.G.S. included the mine as part of the Strategic Minerals Investigation Program. There are extensive tailings and cuts that extend from the top of a divide down a steep slope to a creek full of broken and jagged pegmatite rocks in this Yancey County forest. This site is famous for its specimens of Beryl in quartz-albite-muscovite pegmatite.

Specimens listed below are crystals and pieces that may be used as display specimens or as lapidary material for making jewelry. These specimens range in color from yellow-green to bluish-green (aquamarine). Some of these pieces have brown (rusty looking) stains which are actually Limonite stains which may be removed by cleaning. We always prefer to leave the specimens in natural condition rather than trying to enhance the appearance of the specimen. The pieces listed here are from an old collection which we were very lucky to find. This is your chance to own a piece of North Carolina mining history from a long time closed classic location mine.