Spruce Pine Mining District
Encyclopedia
The Spruce Pine Mining District is a swath of the valley of the North Toe River
in northwestern North Carolina
that is home to one of the richest deposits of gems and minerals in the world. Mined for its mica
, kaolin
, quartz
and feldspar
, the district provides much of the raw materials used in plumbing fixture
s. Spruce Pine quartz is used in the manufacture of silicon chip
s.
The district is named after the town of Spruce Pine
, which is located in the middle of the region and is the hub of major mining activity there. The district is approximately 25 miles long and 5 miles wide.
North Toe River
The North Toe River is a large stream in the North Carolina High Country. The headwaters begin between Bald Mountain and Sugar Mountain, what is known as Sugar Gap, in Avery County. The river proceeds to go southwest till it ends with a confluence with the Cane River, forming the Nolichucky River...
in northwestern North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
that is home to one of the richest deposits of gems and minerals in the world. Mined for its mica
Mica
The mica group of sheet silicate minerals includes several closely related materials having highly perfect basal cleavage. All are monoclinic, with a tendency towards pseudohexagonal crystals, and are similar in chemical composition...
, kaolin
Kaolinite
Kaolinite is a clay mineral, part of the group of industrial minerals, with the chemical composition Al2Si2O54. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral sheet of alumina octahedra...
, quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
and feldspar
Feldspar
Feldspars are a group of rock-forming tectosilicate minerals which make up as much as 60% of the Earth's crust....
, the district provides much of the raw materials used in plumbing fixture
Plumbing fixture
A plumbing fixture is an exchangeable device which can be connected to an existing plumbing system to deliver and drain away water but which is also configured to enable a particular use.-Common fixtures:The most common plumbing fixtures are:*Bathtubs...
s. Spruce Pine quartz is used in the manufacture of silicon chip
Silicon Chip
Silicon Chip is an Australian electronics magazine. It was started in November, 1987 by Leo Simpson. Following the demise of Electronics Australia, it is the only hobbyist-related electronics magazine remaining in Australia.- Magazine :...
s.
The district is named after the town of Spruce Pine
Spruce Pine, North Carolina
Spruce Pine is a town in Mitchell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,175 at the 2010 census.-History:Spruce Pine was founded in 1907 when the Clinchfield Railroad made its way up the North Toe River from Erwin, Tennessee...
, which is located in the middle of the region and is the hub of major mining activity there. The district is approximately 25 miles long and 5 miles wide.