Abstract:
There has long been a plentiful demand for native Western North Carolina gems and minerals. Alan Schabilion’s family business, Emerald Village in Little Switzerland, is a thriving tribute to the Spruce Pine Mining District, an area that has claimed more than seven-hundred mines that have yielded more than one-hundred different gems, minerals, and rocks. These minerals have been a crucial part of the region’s natural history, culture, and economy.