Grape-a-licious
- GEMSTONE: Amethyst, __ carat faceted gem
- ARTIST: Aivan Pham, Arizona
- MINE: Reel Mine, North Carolina
- MUSEUM: Unassigned
The color of this amethyst gemstone is reminiscent of grape jelly…and how sweet Grape-a-licious is! Our friend Aivan Pham faceted this gem from a piece of Reel Mine rough.
Reel Mine was once operated by Tiffany’s and is famous for bouquet-like specimens of amethyst. While the specimens are the primary focus of the mining operation, great gemstone cutting rough is also found.
Reel Mine is now owned and operated by James Hall, who spends nearly the whole year living and working at the mine (taking only a couple of weeks to go to the Tucson Gem & Mineral show). Until recently James mined exclusively by hand. Now he has supplemented his hard work with a couple of pieces of equipment. Reel Mine is strictly a one man show but, before James added the new machinery, we were lucky enough to be invited to mine with him for a couple of days. We admire his hard work and attention to care in collecting such important crystal specimens. The story of James personal and family life are fascinating, with a family history of sea fairing captains and “founding fathers”. Good company and the excitement of the “treasure hunt” is always a formula for a unique experience. With help from James, American Gemstones can share remarkable beauty with everyone.
We asked James if he was interested in mining other gemstones or locations:
“Xxxxx”
American Gemstones always admires and appreciates exceptional specimens. With the addition of the new equipment, we know that many more world-class specimens will be unearthed at Reel Mine, along with significant amounts of gemstone rough.
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