From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Atlantic Coast, from the Virginia border to South Carolina’s edge, North Carolina is a treasure trove for gem enthusiasts.

However, searching for tourmaline can be frustrating and time-consuming, often leading to disappointment. Don’t worry! We’ve done the hard work for you.

We’ll show you 57 prime locations for finding tourmaline in the Tar Heel State. We’ve carefully researched and compiled this list to save you time and energy. No more aimless wandering or fruitless searches.

Discover the best spots to unearth these colorful crystals and make your rockhounding adventures in North Carolina truly rewarding.

How Tourmaline Forms Here

Tourmaline forms deep underground through intense heat and pressure. It originates from hot, mineral-rich fluids that move through fractures in rocks like granite and pegmatite. As these fluids cool, the minerals within them start to crystallize, forming tourmaline.

The color of tourmaline depends on the specific minerals involved, leading to a wide range of hues including pink, red, green, and blue.

Over millions of years, these crystals grow and become the beautiful, multifaceted stones we see today. Tourmaline is prized for its variety of colors and is often used in jewelry and decorative items.

The Types Of Tourmaline

Several incredible types of Tourmaline can be found in the US as well as in our state. Each is uniquely beautiful and interesting including:

Elbaite

Elbaite is found in pink, red, green, blue, yellow, and even colorless forms. What makes elbaite special is its ability to show multiple colors in a single crystal, like the famous “watermelon” tourmaline with pink and green hues.

This gem stands out due to its complex chemical makeup, which includes lithium, sodium, and aluminum. This composition gives Elbaite its diverse color range and dichroism, allowing it to display different colors when viewed from different angles.

Elbaite has a unique place in history as the first tourmaline variety in which lithium was discovered back in 1818. Some rare types, like the neon blue Paraiba elbaite, are highly sought after by collectors and jewelers.

Schorl

Schorl is known for its deep, rich color. It typically forms long, prismatic crystals with a shiny, glass-like surface when polished. Unlike other tourmalines, schorl gets its distinctive black color from high iron concentrations.

One of Schorl’s most fascinating features is its ability to become electrically charged through heating or rubbing. When charged, it can attract or repel small particles.

This unique electrical property makes Schorl valuable in various industries. It’s used in electronics and manufacturing to control static electricity and electromagnetic interference.

Despite being less colorful than other tourmalines, schorl’s practical applications make it an important and interesting variety.

Rubellite

Rubellite stands out with its vibrant pink to red colors. The most prized ones show a pure, saturated red without any brown or orange hints. This beautiful color comes from manganese in its makeup.

One cool thing about rubellite is its double refraction. It can look like it has two different colors when you view it from different angles.

Dravite

Dravite, or Brown Tourmaline, comes in shades from dark brown to light brown-yellow. It can look a bit like Smoky Quartz, with a semi-see-through quality.

Its crystals are often needle-like or prismatic, with points at both ends. This sets it apart from other tourmalines like the darker schorl or the colorful elbaite.

What makes dravite special is its rich sodium and magnesium content. This sets it apart from other tourmalines. It was first discovered in 1883 and named after the Drava River in Slovenia.

Indicolite

Indicolite is a rare and captivating blue to blue-green stone. It’s prized for its pure, bright blue color, which is considered the rarest within the tourmaline family. The hues can range from light blue-green to deep, rich blue, often with high clarity.

What sets Indicolite apart is its unique optical effects. It shows pleochroism, appearing to change color when viewed from different angles. Some specimens also display chatoyancy, creating a “cat’s eye” effect when cut in a certain way.

Indicolite is sometimes called “Brazilian sapphire” due to its resemblance to the precious gem. However, they’re different minerals.

The increasing demand for blue tourmalines has made indicolite highly sought-after in the gemstone market, appreciated for its beauty and rarity.

Watermelon Tourmaline

Watermelon tourmaline is truly one-of-a-kind. It looks just like a slice of watermelon, with a pink or red center and a green outer layer. This unique look happens because different elements join the crystal at different times as it grows.

These crystals often form in a rounded triangle shape. They’re see-through to somewhat clear and have a glass-like shine. When cut into slices, they really do look like little watermelons!

Cat’s Eye Tourmaline

Cat’s eye tourmaline is known for its mesmerizing chatoyancy effect. This creates a bright band across the stone’s surface, resembling a cat’s eye.

This stone comes in various colors, from green to pink to brown, and is usually semi-translucent to opaque.

What makes this stone special is the perfect alignment of tiny, needle-like inclusions inside it. These scatter light in a unique way, creating that eye-catching effect. It’s quite different from other tourmalines that don’t have this feature.

Unlike other cat’s eye stones, Tourmaline offers a wider range of colors and is often more affordable.

Achroite

Achroite is a rare, colorless variety of tourmaline that looks like a drop of clear water turned to stone. It’s completely transparent, making it unique among tourmalines which usually have color. The name comes from Greek, meaning “without color.”

What’s special about achroite is that it doesn’t change color when viewed from different angles. It means the stone can be cut in many ways without losing its clarity.

Verdelite

Verdelite is known for its beautiful green color. It can range from light green to deep emerald.

One thing that makes verdelite special is that you can find big, clear crystals of it. This isn’t always easy with other gemstones.

People love using verdelite in jewelry because its rich color and interesting light effects make it a popular choice for all kinds of accessories. Each piece of verdelite is like a little piece of nature you can wear.

Paraíba Tourmaline

Paraíba Tourmaline is a rare gemstone that catches the eye with its vibrant neon blue or green color. It’s like no other tourmaline you’ve seen before. The intense glow comes from copper in the stone, making it stand out from its cousins.

This stone is one of the rarest. For every 10,000 diamonds mined, only one Paraíba tourmaline is found.

It was only discovered in the late 1980s, making it a newcomer in the gem world. But Paraíba tourmaline’s unique color and rarity quickly made it a favorite among gem lovers.

Its discovery caused quite a stir in the gem community. Even small stones can be valuable because of how rare and beautiful they are.

What Rough Tourmaline Looks Like

When you’re out looking for rough Tourmaline on your own it’s important to know what you’re looking for.  Here are some tips to help you recognize rough tourmaline.

Look for Color Variations

Tourmaline comes in many colors, like pink, green, blue, and even black. Some pieces have multiple colors, like watermelon tourmaline, which is pink and green.

If you see these color mixes, it’s likely tourmaline. Keep an eye out for vibrant shades.

Assess the Density and Weight

Rough tourmaline is relatively heavy for its size. If you pick up a piece and it feels denser than expected, it could be tourmaline. This weight can help you confirm your find.

Examine the Crystal Structure

Tourmaline features distinctive crystal shapes, ranging from slender and elongated to chunky forms. Look for triangular cross-sections and striations on the surface, which indicate its unique growth patterns.

Check for Transparency

Some rough tourmaline can be slightly transparent. If you hold it up to the light, you might see through it a bit. This transparency can be a good sign that you have tourmaline.

A Quick Request About Collecting

Tips on where to look

Once you get to the places we have listed below there are some things you should keep in mind when you’re searching:

Look for Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary rocks are great places to find tourmaline. These rocks form from layers of sand, mud, and minerals. Over time, minerals like tourmaline can get trapped.

Look in riverbeds or areas where sediment has built up. You might find small pieces or even larger crystals. 

Explore Mines

Mines are great spots to find tourmaline. Many mines across the U.S. extract various gemstones, including tourmaline.

Some mines even allow visitors to search for gems themselves. Always check if they have guided tours or special digging days.

Search in Gravel Pits

Gravel pits are often overlooked, but they can be treasure troves. These pits dig deep into the earth, exposing layers of rock.

Tourmaline can be found in the gravel. Just sift through the material carefully.

The types of Tourmaline can you find around the state

The most common type of tourmaline found in North Carolina is black tourmaline, also known as schorl. Schorl is exclusively black and opaque, never transparent or translucent.

Green tourmaline, called verdelite, is another variety found in North Carolina. Verdelite ranges in color from light green to deep forest green and is more common than chrome tourmaline.

Yellow tourmaline is less prevalent but has also been reported in the state. The rare and valuable rubellite variety, prized for its intense red color, has been found in a few locations in North Carolina as well.

Overall, while schorl is by far the most abundant, North Carolina is home to a diversity of tourmaline types and colors.

Some Great Places To Start

Some of the best areas to search for tourmaline in North Carolina include:

Hanging Dog Creek

Hanging Dog Creek is located in the Hanging Dog Mountains of western North Carolina. This scenic area, part of the Appalachian range near Murphy, boasts a rich geological tapestry.

The creek’s gravels are a hotspot for tourmaline seekers. Years of natural erosion have exposed these colorful gems, making them accessible to eager collectors.

The diverse mineral composition of the surrounding mountains contributes to the area’s gemstone wealth. Beyond tourmaline, lucky hunters might stumble upon other minerals in the creek beds.

Local lore suggests the area’s name comes from a Cherokee legend, adding a touch of mystery to your gemstone adventure. Remember to bring water-friendly gear to sift through the creek gravels effectively.

Shelby Quarry

Shelby Quarry is located about 40 miles west of Charlotte and sits in the heart of the mineral-rich Piedmont region. Shelby Quarry has gained fame among gem enthusiasts for its diverse geological formations and valuable mineral deposits.

Tourmaline, the star attraction, can be found in the quarry’s gravels and creeks. These areas are hotspots for mineral concentration, offering exciting opportunities for discovery.

The quarry’s unique geology stems from its location in the Piedmont, known for its ancient metamorphic and igneous rocks.

Beyond tourmaline, the quarry yields a variety of other minerals, making each visit a potential treasure hunt. The site’s history as a working quarry has exposed layers of rock, revealing millions of years of geological processes.

Toxaway Mountain

Toxaway Mountain rises to an impressive 4,777 feet and is part of the southern Appalachians, known for its mineral riches. Ancient metamorphic rocks, shaped by millions of years of tectonic activity, create an ideal environment for gemstone formation.

The mountain’s creeks and gravels are prime hunting grounds. Erosion has done much of the work, washing tourmaline from its rocky home into these more accessible areas.

Look for colorful crystals in stream beds or along eroded slopes. The area around Lake Toxaway, North Carolina’s largest private lake, is particularly promising.

Toxaway Mountain’s diverse mineral landscape also yields other treasures. Quartz and feldspar are common finds, adding to the thrill of the search.

Blue Ridge

Nestled in the northwestern corner of North Carolina, Blue Ridge Ashe County is a rockhound’s paradise. This scenic area, part of the ancient Blue Ridge Mountains, boasts a geological treasure trove.

This area, part of one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, boasts a rich geological history spanning over a billion years. The complex mix of metamorphic and igneous rocks creates an ideal environment for tourmaline formation.

Tourmaline hunters can explore creek beds, gravel deposits, and exposed rock outcrops throughout the region.

The area’s natural erosion processes continually reveal new mineral veins, making each visit a fresh adventure. Besides tourmaline, keep an eye out for garnet, quartz, and feldspar.

Snow Creek

Snow Creek is located in the northwestern part of Iredell County, about 10 miles north of Statesville. This historical area, known for its Methodist Church and Burying Ground, also boasts a rich geological tapestry perfect for gemstone enthusiasts.

Snow Creek’s ancient creek beds and gravels are prime hunting grounds for tourmaline. The area’s unique geological makeup, shaped by centuries of water flow, has created ideal conditions for mineral deposits.

Rockhounds can sift through the creek beds, where the flowing water has naturally sorted and concentrated heavier minerals.

Besides tourmaline, lucky searchers might uncover quartz and garnets. The best spots are often found where the creek bends or where it widens, as these areas tend to accumulate more minerals.

The surrounding soil also holds potential, especially after a good rain which can expose new specimens.

Places tourmaline has been found by county

After discussing our top picks, we wanted to discuss the other places on our list. Below is a list of the additional locations where we have succeeded, along with a breakdown of each place by county.