Record #:

8501

Author(s):

Kerr, Tom

Abstract:

North Carolina has a rich history in minerals and gems. Spruce Pine in Mitchell County is one of the leading sources of gemstones in the country. The mines produce mica, which is used in paints and plastics; quartz, which is used in automotive lamps and streetlights; and feldspar, which is used in ceramics and glass. One hundred percent of the world's computer-grade, ultra-pure quartz comes from these mines. Without this source, the high-speed conductivity of the twenty-first century would “be stuck as a slug in the mud, and the world would plunge into technological catastrophe.”

Source:

Our State (NoCar F 251 S77), Vol. 74 Issue 9, Feb 2007, p88-90, 92, il

Subject(s):

Mines and mineral resources--Spruce Pine