Where to Find Tourmaline in North Carolina

North Carolina tourmaline comes from the pegmatite belts of Mitchell, Yancey, and Avery counties in the Blue Ridge. The Spruce Pine pegmatites yield black schorl in feldspar and quartz matrix, with rare green and brown elbaite crystals from the Wiseman and Ray mica mines. The Crabtree emerald mine produces tourmaline crystals alongside its emerald, and several smaller pegmatites in the Burnsville area carry blue and pink tourmaline. The Foote mine on the South Carolina line yields lithium-rich tourmaline. Most North Carolina tourmaline is small (under a centimeter) and embedded in matrix rather than freestanding.

Spot list checked against source data on April 1, 2026.

Standout tourmaline spots in North Carolina

Hand-picked from the full list below, with the reason each one earns a trip.

Burnsville
Yancey County County
Ray Mine gives North Carolina a rare free public pegmatite locality, with Mindat documenting aquamarine, beryl, amazonite, muscovite, rutile, tourmaline, and other Spruce Pine district minerals. Its strength is the combination of a historically worked mica mine and Forest Service surface-collecting access, provided current closures and mine hazards are respected.

Best counties for tourmaline in North Carolina

Ranked by the number of mapped tourmaline spots. County links open the full rockhounding page for that county.

Every tourmaline spot we track in North Carolina

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Emerald Hollow MineEmerald Hollow Mine Drive	Alexander County	Emerald Aquamarine Sapphire Garnet Smoky Quartz Topaz Amethyst Citrine +3 more	35.9137, -81.0829	Public
Hall Creek and Silver CreekLor Road	Burke County	Corundum Diamond Pyrope Garnet Rutile Tourmaline	35.6357, -81.8257	Public
Hanging Dog CreekBoiling Springs Road	Cherokee County	Staurolite Tourmaline	35.2105, -83.9936	Public
ShelbySouth Lafayette Street	Cleveland County	Beryl Aquamarine Emerald Tourmaline	35.2453, -81.5652	Public
Stice Shoal Lake DamPowerhouse Road	Cleveland County	Aquamarine Beryl Emerald Mica Smoky Quartz Tourmaline	35.3987, -81.5460	Public
KernersvilleBarrister Court	Forsyth County	Chrysolite Bronzite Tourmaline	36.1459, -80.0960	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
Roberson RidgeRocky Branch Road	Haywood County	Ankerite Apatite Biotite Garnet Muscovite Pyrrhotite Quartz Tourmaline	35.4150, -82.9962	Public
Elijah Mountain Gem MineBrevard Road	Henderson County	Ruby Sapphire Emerald Quartz Citrine Amethyst Garnet Aventurine +10 more	35.3244, -82.5034	Public
South Yadkin RiverLespedeza Lane	Iredell County	Beryl Corundum Tourmaline	35.9127, -80.8071	Public
Higdon MountainForest Drive	Macon County	Actinolite Chalcedony Chromite Corundum Enstatite Magnetite Opal Quartz +5 more	35.1484, -83.2907	Public
White Plains	Surry County	Beryl Columbite Quartz Rutile Tourmaline	36.4549, -80.6003	Public
BurnsvilleRay Mine Trail	Yancey County	Albite Amazonite Apatite Aquamarine Autunite Beryl Emerald Fluorite +8 more	35.8883, -82.2747	Public

Before you go

Read the tourmaline identification guide so you know what a keeper looks like in the field: Tourmaline in the encyclopedia.

Tourmaline in North Carolina FAQ

Where can you find tourmaline in North Carolina?+

The mapped spots concentrate in Cleveland County County, Gaston County County, and Alexander County County. Known collecting areas include Spruce Pine pegmatites (Mitchell County), Crabtree emerald mine (Mitchell County), and Foote Lithium mine (Cleveland County). Every spot on this page appears on the map above with coordinates and access notes.

How many tourmaline spots are mapped in North Carolina?+

14 spots across 12 counties. The RockHoundR app keeps the same spots on an offline map with public land overlays, geology layers, and your saved finds.

Is it legal to collect tourmaline in North Carolina?+

Hand collecting of common rocks and minerals in small amounts for personal use is generally allowed on BLM and U.S. Forest Service land, with limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are closed to collecting. 14 of the 14 mapped spots here sit on land marked public. Always confirm current rules with the managing agency before you dig.

Where else to find tourmaline

More minerals to hunt in North Carolina

Hunt tourmaline in North Carolina with the map in your pocket

RockHoundR puts these spots on an offline map with BLM and Forest Service overlays, geology layers, and a log for your finds.