Massive quartz cluster stolen from North Carolina gem mine sparks search, police say
Police in Western North Carolina are on the hunt for a large quartz crystal cluster they say was stolen from a gem mine.
The gem is believed to have been stolen from the Elijah Mountain Gem Mine in Hendersonville sometime between Friday and Saturday, according to a Facebook post from the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office.
Now, the sheriff’s office is asking for the public’s help finding the gem. Those with information are asked to call Detective Shalin Oza at 828-694-2789 or use the “Submit A Tip” feature on the department’s mobile app.
“Have you seen this rock????” the sheriff’s office wrote.
The sheriff’s office shared photos of the missing quartz cluster on Facebook.
Sandra Cloer, owner of Elijah Mountain Gem Mine, told McClatchy News on Wednesday that the crystal weighs about 250 pounds.
“How in the world did someone steal that and no one notice,” one Facebook user commented on the post.
“What would you possibly do with that?” another wrote.
Elijah Mountain Gem Mine is an attraction that allows visitors to mine for gems and gold, and has the “largest gemstone and fossil store in North Carolina,” it says.
Cloer said the cluster is from Madagascar and believed to be worth about $5,000.
It was stolen from the store’s holding area, where it and two other large crystals were waiting to be put on display when it opens next week, Cloer said.
Hendersonville is located in the North Carolina mountains, about 105 miles west of Charlotte.
This story was originally published May 26, 2021 at 12:01 PM with the headline "Massive quartz cluster stolen from North Carolina gem mine sparks search, police say."
