4.5" Dazzling Amethyst Crystal "Pineapple" - Reel Mine, North Carolina

The Reel Amethyst Mine in Iron Station, North Carolina is a staple of the mineral community and has been for quite some time. Since its inception in the 1940s by the Reel family, it has consistently produced high quality amethyst clusters that are ready to go from the ground directly into museums (well, maybe after they take a bath). Some suggest that the area has been mined for high quality specimens since the turn of the 20th century, since rumors of Tiffany & Co. mining in that era have circualted. The mine's success is attributed to diligent mining and its prime location within a 100-mile-wide amethyst vein that extends from Virginia to Georgia.

Not only is the vein extremely rich with pristine terminations and solid color, but it has produced some truly massive clusters - a few exceeding 150 pounds! The color is probably the biggest draw of Reel Mine amethyst, and it's easy to see why. Extremely dark purples are the product of iron-rich soils. It is this iron content that also produces the thick, deep red clay around the amethyst. This clay is very popular among pottery makers in the area. All in all, Iron Station is a treasure trove for those who like to get their hands dirty.

Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz (SiO2) that owes its violet color to natural gamma irradiation, iron impurities, and the presence of trace elements, which result in complex crystal lattice substitutions. It is considered a semi-precious gemstone, and just two centuries ago was considered to have a value on par with diamonds, sapphires, and rubies. The largest and best known amethyst deposits occur in southern Brazil and Uruguay, where they are found in hydrothermally-formed geodes, but many localities around the world produce an amazing variety of amethyst crystals and formations. They are almost always formed in medium- to high-temperature geological settings.