Burgin Quartz Mine
Norwood, N.C.
February 25, 2011
9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
An Official DMC Field Trip of The Western South
Carolina Gem & Mineral Soc. (Host) and Aiken GMFS
Cost: $10.00 per person; you must sign a release.
What to find: Quartz crystals, often clear and sometimes
huge up to 4 inches across and a few inches long. The
crystals are found in vugs in a very large milky quartz
outcropping, though some crystals can be found by
digging through the spoil piles previously dug out by a
backhoe. To get the big ones, you need to do some hard
rock mining using sledge hammers, and chisels to break
apart the massive quartz to expose new vugs. I picked this
site, because it has only recently been opened up, its
potential has not been fully explored, and the DMC has
never been there.
Lodging: hotels a few miles north in Albemarle, N.C.
What to bring: Sledge hammers, chisels, rock hammers,
safety glasses, gloves, dirt sifting tools, buckets,
newspaper to wrap specimens, drink and food.(Subway
and Bojangles are only a couple of miles away if you
prefer to eat out.)
Directions: The address is 40764 Old Cottonville Rd.,
Norwood, NC. Use MapQuest or GPS for exact directions
from the area you are coming from. Norwood is due east
of Charlotte, NC. I travel on Route 52 just south of
Albemarle. Turn right ( heading south) on Route 52 and
follow it to the Subway on the right just inside the Norwood
town limits. Turn right and then turn right again on the
other side of Subway on S. Stanly School Rd.
Follow it to the Old Cottonville Road on the left and turn
left there. Drive under the railroad trestle and turn left onto
a dirt lane. Follow the lane over a low ridge and watch for
the digging area on the right. There is plenty of parking.