ACROSS THE COUNTRY
The Gem of a Town in North Carolina That Powers the World’s Tech
Residents have a saying in Spruce Pine, that a piece of their home is in tech across the globe. But could geopolitical tensions hurt their mining tradition, and their lucrative quartz business?
WHY WE’RE HERE
We’re exploring how America defines itself one place at a time. In Spruce Pine, N.C., a vast deposit of quartz has turned this small mountain town into an economic treasure.
The jagged ridges in the green mountains above Spruce Pine look strange at first, as if they were scratched into the surface by giant claws. From afar, visitors sometimes confuse them for snow.
In fact, they are mines that hold some of the world’s purest quartz, a smoky gray mineral that is essential for manufacturing silicon wafers that eventually become computer chips in smartphones and other high-tech products.
No other place on Earth has as much or as minable pure quartz as Spruce Pine, in western North Carolina. It’s a geological Goldilocks, as raw minerals are in high demand and China is tightening its grip on mineral exports in its trade war with the Trump administration.
Two European companies operate the mines with much secrecy, and are responsible for almost the entire global market of high-purity quartz, according to industry experts.