Beryl in Matrix
Ray (Wray) Mica Mine, Yancey County, N.C.
Ray Mica Mine, Burnsville, Yancey County, N.C.
Beryl in matrix. 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.
Item # 1NCBerylMat10198763
Beryl in Quartz Albite Muscovite Matrix with Minor Schorl Ray Mine
$74.00
This specimen is from the Ray Mica Mine, near Burnsville, Yancey County, North Carolina. It has a large crystal of blue-green gemmy beryl with flat basal pinacoid termination in albite-muscovite matrix with additional quartz and minor schorl. (Part of the Beryl edge was chipped during extraction but this is still an excellent specimen) It is a rare find from a 1950’s estate N.C. collection we acquired. This piece has nice surface area muscovite mica book and sheets. There is minor black schorl and a bit of grey quartz accenting the white albite.
specimen weighs 21.6 oz or 1.35 lbs (613g) and measures 5.5 x 3.1 x 2 inches (14 x 7.9 x 5.3 cm) the visible crystal measures 1.95 x 1 inches (4.9 x 2.6 cm)
Item # 2NCBerylMat10198691
Beryl in Albite Quartz Matrix with Minor Schorl Ray Mine
$49.00
This specimen is from the Ray Mica Mine, near Burnsville, Yancey County, North Carolina. It has an extra large crystal of green beryl broken down at an angle (as shown in photos) in albite-quartz matrix with Limonite stains and minor schorl.This is a gemmy Beryl crystal as seen on contact point on side and on the surface break. It is a rare find from a 1950’s estate N.C. collection we acquired. This piece has a smaller 2nd beryl tip visible (top right photo).
specimen weighs 11.5 oz or 0.72 lbs (328g) and measures 3.5 x 2.6 x 2.2 inches (9.1 x 6.6 x 5.7 cm) the visible crystal measures 1.7 x 1.8 x 1.8 inches (4.3 x 4.7 x 4.4 cm)
Item # 3NCBerylMat10194521
Beryl in Quartz Muscovite Matrix Ray Mine
$36.00
This specimen is from the Ray Mica Mine, near Burnsville, Yancey County, North Carolina. It has what appears to be a twinned crystal of green beryl in a muscovite-quartz matrix. This is a gemmy Beryl crystal as seen on the end of the crystal. It is a rare find from a 1950’s estate N.C. collection we acquired. This piece is a most interesting combination of minerals from this locale. There appears to be no albite in this specimen.
specimen weighs 7.3 oz or 0.46 lbs (209g) and measures 4 x 2 x 1.5 inches (10.1 x 5.2 x 3.8 cm) the visible crystal measures 1.2 x 0.9 x 0.6 inches 3 x 2.4 x 1.5 cm)
Item # 4NCBerylMat10194890
Beryl in Albite Quartz Muscovite Matrix Ray Mine
$62.00
This specimen is from the Ray Mica Mine, near Burnsville, Yancey County, North Carolina. It has a large crystal of blue-green gemmy beryl with flat basal pinacoid termination in albite-quartz-muscovite matrix. (Part of the Beryl edge was chipped during extraction but this is still an excellent specimen) It is a rare find from a 1950’s estate N.C. collection we acquired. There is a large piece of white albite in this specimen. It stands and displays most attractively..
specimen weighs 5.7 oz or 0.36 lbs (164g) and measures 3 x 1.8 x 1.4 inches (7.6 x 4.6 x 3.7 cm) the visible crystal measures 1.3 x 0.6 x 0.6 inches (3.5 x 1.6 x 1.6 cm)
Item # 5NCBerylMat10192640
Beryl in Albite Quartz Muscovite Matrix Ray Mine
$28.00
This specimen is from the Ray Mica Mine, near Burnsville, Yancey County, North Carolina. It has a large crystal of green beryl with flat basal pinacoid double terminations in albite-quartz-muscovite matrix. (Beryl has natural fractures and specimen has Limonite stains but this is still an excellent specimen) It is a rare find from a 1950’s estate N.C. collection we acquired. This is a very nice display specimen of Beryl from this locale
specimen weighs 2.68 oz or 0.16 lbs (77g) and measures 2.2 x 1.75 x 1.1 inches (5.5 x 4.4 x 2.9 cm) the visible crystal measures 1.5 x 0.9 x 0.86 inches (3.9 x 2.3 x 2.2 cm)
Item # 6NCBerylMat10192250
Beryl in Albite Quartz Muscovite Matrix Ray Mine
$22.00
This specimen is from the Ray Mica Mine, near Burnsville, Yancey County, North Carolina. It has a large crystal of bluish-green beryl in albite-quartz-muscovite matrix. (Beryl ends not terminated but this is still an excellent specimen) It is a rare find from a 1950’s estate N.C. collection we acquired. This is a very nice display specimen of Beryl from this locale
specimen weighs 1.5 oz (43g) and measures 1.8 x 1.4 x 0.9 inches (4.7 x 3.5 x 2.3 cm) the visible crystal measures 0.9 x 0.8 x 0.59 inches (2.3 x 2 x 1.5 cm)
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