Where to Find Corundum in North Carolina

18 mapped corundum rockhounding spots in North Carolina, across 9 counties. Corundum is reported at multiple rockhounding spots across the United States. North Carolina has the deepest gem-mining tradition on the East Coast.

Corundum by county in North Carolina

Counties ranked by number of corundum spots in our database.

Every corundum spot in North Carolina

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps. Click a row for details.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
RidgecrestTucker Road	Buncombe County	Corundum	35.6138, -82.2813	Public
Hall Creek and Silver CreekLor Road	Burke County	Corundum Diamond Pyrope Garnet Rutile Tourmaline	35.6357, -81.8257	Public
ElfCottage Court	Clay County	Corundum	35.0269, -83.7381	Public
ElfElf Shore Cove	Clay County	Corundum Amphibolite Opal Quartz Smaragdite	35.0235, -83.7480	Public
Meyer’s Chapel & General AreaMyers Chapel Road	Clay County	Corundum	35.0016, -83.8066	Public
Clubb MountainAlexis Lucia Road	Gaston County	Corundum Lazulite Kyanite Damourite Gold Garnet Hematite Magnetite +2 more	35.4014, -81.0817	Public
Crowder's MountainBackside Trail	Gaston County	Barite Chalcopyrite Corundum Gold Bearing Galena Gold Garnet Hematite Limonite +5 more	35.2326, -81.2749	Public
Pressley MinePressley Mine Road	Haywood County	Corundum Sapphire	35.5722, -82.8126	Public
Pressley MinePressley Mine Road	Haywood County	Albite Amphibolite Corundum Damourite Sapphire Epidote Garnet Quartz	35.5729, -82.8127	Public
South Yadkin RiverLespedeza Lane	Iredell County	Beryl Corundum Tourmaline	35.9127, -80.8071	Public
Balsam Gap MineDark Ridge Road	Jackson County	Magnesite Albite Allanite Green Beryl Columbite Corundum Garnet Biotite +2 more	35.4240, -83.0985	Public
Corundum HillMount Laurel Road	Macon County	Corundum Ruby Blue Sapphire Green Sapphire Pink Sapphire Chromite Olivine	35.1500, -83.2883	Public
Cowee CreekSheffield Farms Road	Macon County	Garnet Ruby Sapphire Corundum Beryl Hornblende Kyanite Pyrite +3 more	35.2721, -83.3936	Public
Higdon MountainForest Drive	Macon County	Actinolite Chalcedony Chromite Corundum Enstatite Magnetite Opal Quartz +5 more	35.1484, -83.2907	Public
HighlandsMunger Road	Macon County	Corundum Almandine Garnet Quartz	35.0482, -83.2108	Public
Little Scaly MountainLittle Scaly Mountain Road	Macon County	Asbestos Corundum Rutile Serpentine Vermiculite	35.0320, -83.2548	Public
Mason MountainBuck Mountain Road	Macon County	Corundum Garnet Hornblende Quartz	35.2470, -83.3617	Public
North Toe RiverLower Doe Bag Road	Yancey County	Kyanite Corundum Sapphire	35.9533, -82.1974	Public

Corundum in North Carolina FAQ

Where can I find corundum in North Carolina?+

RockHoundR tracks 18 corundum spots in North Carolina, spread across 9 counties. The strongest concentration is in Macon County.

Is collecting corundum legal in North Carolina?+

Casual hand collection of common rocks and minerals like corundum is allowed on most BLM and U.S. Forest Service land in North Carolina, with daily and annual limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are off-limits. Always confirm rules before a trip.

What is the best corundum location in North Carolina?+

Macon County has the most corundum spots in our database for North Carolina. The full county breakdown is below — different counties produce different qualities and varieties.

Other states for corundum

Other minerals to find in North Carolina

Hunt corundum in North Carolina on the map

Open RockHoundR for live land overlays, weather, geology, and saved spots.