COWEE VALLEY, NORTH CAROLINA

The Cherokee and Jacobs mines along Caler Creek, a tributary of Cowee Creek near Franklin, North Carolina, were sources of some of the finest rubies ever to be found in the United States. A few rival the best Burmese rubies in color and clarity, and this is probably why Tiffany and Company explored the mines' potential for their jewelry (more historical remarks to be added later).

Doubly terminated gem crystals are extremely rare. Those that do exist may resemble tabular Yogo sapphires except for their color (or be elongated prisms). However, unlike the Yogos, a few huge Caler Creek rubies have been found (some descriptions to be inserted later)..

I first visited the Cherokee Mine on May 30, 2007. The night before, I found a level place to park (see left photo above), figuring I could find out how to get to the mine the mine after daylight It didn't tax my reeckoning abilities that much...

Ray Montoya at Tiffany drift

h In a second visit to the Cherokee Mine on May 29 and 30, 2008, I met owners Ray, Maria, and Tony Montoya, who were extremely hospitable and interested in our observations. We spent a couple of days exploring together, and I left most impressed by their sincerity and commitment to preserve the authenticity (see comment on sign above). For them, it a passion, and if you are in the area and don't mind pickled fingers, see what you can find. Even if you don't score big, you will enjoy the experience! Here's a URL: http://www.cherokeerubymine.com.

This'll cost ya $2.50 a bucket

There is a small shed in front of you when you descend from Ruby Mine Road to the creek level, and the flume is on the edge of the "Parking Lot" below the point where the gravel access descends to the creek (see right photo above - the creek itself is just behind the flume and the pitchpiles). You pay your entry fee ($7.00 in 2007) and start screening buckets, which cost $2.50 apiece (in 2008). The suggested technique is not to jig and flip as most do in the Montana mines, but to look at every rock in the screen. This is because there are other less dense minerals (e.g., sillimanite, rutile, kyanite, pyrope and rhodolite garnets, and moonstone) that may be garnered from the gravels. I rummaged through six buckets and found one small, pale blue sapphire crystal (no rubies, but a film an full of the other stuff). However, because my eyes were not trained, I probably missed something.

The imported material (see buckets in right photo above) comes from a riparian bench up the drainage from the wash site, and I think the rubies are from at least two lode sources. Apparently, there are some local lodes, as there are old drifts and shafts in the surrounding hillsides. However, we do not know af any mineable lode sources (that's for 2009 and beyond).

The "Parking Lot" is actually worked and reclaimed ground. Alas, it was within these riparian benches where some of the very finest crystals seemed to accumulate under large boulders resting on bedrock ; and they were mined out (and just about all were turned into cabs or faceted) many years ago. It was hard to find even one of them in a private or museum collection (until now)! Before May, 2007, I had seen only one; and it was not for sale!

The Jacobs Mine site is just below the Cherokee Mine. Though it is not open to the casual passer-by, there is a possibility to operate a private flume (left photo). Contact Carl Bates, owner of the Bates' Cabins. Cabin #1 is adjacent to the flume which needs some minor repairs to operate, but I bet Carl would help you get it working if you stayed there. He has also piled up an ore reserve nearby that you could wash for stones. The cabins, incidentally, are elegantly crafted out of natural materials by Carl himself (right photo). Here's a URL: http://www.batescabins.com/cabin1combo.jpg.

However, in May, 2007, I spoke with one of the old-time rockhounds (Robert Dinnes, owner of Cowee Valley Lapidary on Ruby Mine Road near the Jacobs Mine), who had saved a large number of stones from his youthful exploits at the Jacobs Mine. After an hour of sorting through them and another hour haggling, I had to settle for only two; but these two were the finest I had seen. They are now in our collection (see right photos).

In March, 2008, I had a chance to acquire twenty-two more., and in May I got another 75 carats of doubly terminated pencil lead and bird seed gem crystals! Robert also has a matrix specimen (not purchased). He also donated several fine specimens to the collection, including a couple of brownisgh sapphires. Pictures of these appear below, along with a lot obtained from another rockhound (Michael McDuffie) which contains some bluer sapphires.


Bob Dinnes' donations	The pile	Terminations	Matrix specimen	Rubies and sapphires

Robert has graciously memoed several more rubies, so I can offer them for sale to interested collectors. It will be a chance to own and preserve some truly fine American natural wonders,; and once these are gone I do not know whether there will be any more of this quality. If you want first shot, please email me at wheierman@corunduminium.com. (please Cc to williamh@wcjc.edu). We will post a few on our EARTH TREASURES "Rubies and Sapphires" page in a few days, but there are more than 200 stones so ask if you don't see the one you want. (6/2/2008)