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Graves Mountain, Georgia, USA
You are here: MineralCollecting.org >> Localities >> Graves Mountain, Georgia, USA

| Locality Data | Description | Locality Pictures | Collecting | Minerals | Tools |
| Directions | Area Maps | Weather Conditions | Area Businesses | Closest Campgrounds |
| Other Points of Interest | Other Collecting | Area Rock Shops | Literature | Related Websites |

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Locality Data

Name: Graves Mountain
Location: Lincolnton, Lincoln County, Georgia, United States
GPS:
Locality Type: Abandoned Open Pit Mine
Mined by: Combustion Engineering
Prodominent Host Rock: Quartz Sericite Schist (metamorphic)
Prodominent Mineralization Host: Quartz Sericite Schist
Mineral Species Count: ~30
Accessibility: Easy
Collectibility: Moderate
Explanations

Description

Graves Mountain is referred to as a monadnock, which is a rather isolated mountain that rises above an otherwise featureless plain. The rock which composes the mountain, known as a "quartz-sericite schist", is more weather resistant than the surrounding gneisses and phyllites (all metamorphic rocks) of the Piedmont. As the less resistant rocks weathered away Graves Mountain was slowly exposed. The mountain is believed to have been formed by high grade metamorphism which altered a sedimentary kaolinite or sandy clay.

Graves Mountain is best known for the world class rutile crystals which were originally noticed over a hundred years ago. The property was later commercially mined for deposits of kyanite, one of the prolific minerals which occurs there. The kyanite was ground and roasted to synthesize mullite, a product that becomes useful in refractories and ceramics due to its latice crystalization which subsequently helps to prevent thermal expansion. The prodominant application for mullite was in spark plugs where it helped prevent the ceramics from exanding when subjected to high heat. Combustion Engineering mined Graves Mountain for kyanite from the early 1960's until the mid 1980's when cheaper sources of mullite became available. The mine consists of two large abandoned pits. The main pit and the east pit are separated by high wall which was actually the lowest area between the two peaks of the mountain. The high wall is still referred to as the "saddle" because of the original saddle shape which the mountain resembled.

Locality Pictures

Composite Aerial Photo

Collecting

Access to Graves Mountain may be obtained by attending with a pre-scheduled group or club on one of their field trips. Collectors may also make arrangements with Mr. Clarence Norman, "Junior", who is the caretaker for Graves Mountain at 1-706-359-3862 for a date to dig. Remember to take lots of water. The pits are very hot even in the winter and do not get much of a breeze. Vehicles are not allowed beyond the parking area and there is a hike into the pit which is uphill both ways. A pull cart or hand truck will be neccassary to transport tools and specimens.

Although Graves is a single location and a single body of similar material, there are several areas around the mountain to collect different minerals. Rutiles may be more concentrated where quartz veins border or cut veins of pyrophyllite. Most rutile finds are made on the high wall (east wall of the main pit) in tunnels or pits. The high wall, which was actually the lowest point between the original two mountain peaks, is a fracture plain or fault. As the material was metamorphosing, fluids escaped through this fracture resulting in mass crystallization of rutile and other mineral species along the crack. With this said, rutiles are also found on the high wall because 90% of the people who visit Graves go directly to the saddle and they dig and work the area until they find something. However, beautiful, large, reflective rutiles have been found as far as 100 yards from these tunnels and pits.

Micro minerals are found in angular cavities and vugs in the solid kyanite quartzite. These vugs are rarely in series such as seams, groups or veins but they do tend to occupy similar zones throughout the quarry. Where you find one nice cavity is not necessarily where you'll find the next. Breaking rocks and boulders that appear to be solid and have nothing can be very rewarding. Much of the lazulite laden material is full of vugs and cavities which yeild a variety of excellent micro crystals, and the majority of the mineral species found at Graves Mountain. This lazulite laden rock is highly sought after by lapidary enthusiasts and the vuggy material is frequently left behind, making easy collecting for micromounters.

For clarity, rutile is pronounced "roo-teel" with equal accent on "roo" and the "teel" as opposed to "root-uhl" or "root-Isle". And "turgite" is a discredited mineral species which refers to a mixture of hematite and goethite. The correct label for "iridescent turgite" should be "iridescent hematite". While wavellite has been recovered from Graves Mountain, it consists of colorless fibers and not green botryoides such as notable Arkansas material. And finally, there are no lava rocks at Graves Mountain. The rocks there are metamorphic, not igneous. For more information please conduct searches on Google.com for "turgite" or "metamorphic" or simply "Graves Mountain Georgia".

Minerals

Local minerals may include, but are not restricted to, rutile, quartz, hematite, lazulite, pyrite, variscite, pyrophyllite, kyanite, crandallite, wavellite, woodhouseite, phosphosiderite, strengite, topaz, jarosite, barite, cacoxenite, dickite, ilmenite, tourmaline, gorceixite, goethite. View the available specimens in the pictures listed below:

phosphosiderite (purple) in pyrite
. Photographer: Jason Smith (This specimen was sold on ebay by Jason. Visit ebay id Mandjasite for fine and rare micromounts)

rutile (black)
Barwood Collection. Photographer: Adam Barwood

variscite (green)
Barwood Collection. Photographer: Adam Barwood

variscite (green)
Barwood Collection. Photographer: Adam Barwood

woodhouseite (tan)
. Photographer: Jason Smith (This specimen was sold on ebay by Jason. Visit ebay id Mandjasite for fine and rare micromounts)

Tools

Always remember safety glasses, steel toe shoes, and hard hat. Recommended tools include the following in order of importance: rock hammer, crack hammer, sledge hammer, chisel, buckets or bags, dolly or cart or hand truck, crow bar or pry bar, pick.

Recommended supplies include the following: water, lunch, snacks, wrapping paper.

Driving Directions

I-20 east from Atlanta, GA to exit 59 Thomson, GA. North on SR 78 about 2.8 miles then right on County Road 43 split to Lincolnton, GA. In Lincolnton, left (west) on SR 378. Those who are meeting at the Hardees in Lincolnton, Hardees is on your left. About 7 miles on SR 378 you will see a sign for "Norman Auto Repair". Make a right then go about 1 mile. Norman Auto Repair is on the right. Mr. Norman, "Junior", is the caretaker for Graves Mountain.

Area Maps

Click on the image below to zoom in:

Weather Conditions

Enter a City or US Zip:

Area Businesses

Many businesses, restaurants and motels at the Thomson exit on I-20, Thomson, Georgia.

Closest Campgrounds

Elijah Clark State Park
7 miles NE of Lincolnton on U.S. Hwy. 378
2959 McCormick Highway
Lincolnton, GA 30817
Reservations: 1-800-864-7275
Park Office: 1-706-359-3458

Other Points of Interest

Elijah Clark State Park
2959 McCormick Highway
Lincolnton, GA 30817

Weinman Mineral Museum
51 Mineral Museum Dr
White, GA 30184-3102
1-770-386-0576
http://www.weinmanmuseum.org/

Stone Mountain Park
16 miles E of Atlanta
Highway 78 East
Stone Mountain, GA 30087
http://www.stonemountainpark.com
1-800-317-2006

Six Flags Over Georgia
275 Riverside Parkway
Austell, GA 30168
1-770-948-9290
http://www.sixflags.com/parks/overgeorgia/

Other Collecting in the Area

Girard

Area Rock Shops

Jendon Minerals
P.O. Box 6214
Rome, GA 30162
1-706-291-4618
http://www.jendonminerals.com/

William Weinman Mineral Museum
51 Mineral Museum Dr
White, GA 30184
1-770-386-0576
http://www.weinmanmuseum.org/

Literature

Georgia Literature Listings

Rocks & Min.:64:198; Hurst(1959); Reusing(1979); Bell, et al(1980); Barwood & Hajek(1979); Cook(1985). A quartz-sericite-kyanite deposit. Mined for kyanite. Located South of US highway 378 between Lincolnton and Washington.

Cook, R. B. 1985. Famous mineral localities: The mineralogy of Graves Mountain, Lincoln County, Georgia. Mineralogical Record 16:443-58.

Cook, R. B. 2003. Connoisseur's choice: rutile: Graves Mountain, Lincoln County, Georgia. Rocks & Minerals March-April, 2003

Related Websites

Rockhounding Graves Mountain
Phosphate Minerals at Graves Mountain
Mindat.org Locality Reference
Information about Graves Mountain
Information about Graves Mountain
Treasures of Graves Mountain

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