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Special Source
The two mountains in Virginia that contain Kyanite are special. Not only are they the source of the blue crystal, but their deposits will provide for nearly all the region's kyanite needs for most of this century, despite annual removal of roughly 150,000 tons of the mineral. According to the Kyanite Mining Corporation, who owns the mountains, the core samples taken in the mountain have yet to reach the limits of the mineral.
Production
Production takes place in the two mountains, Willis Mountain and East Ridge, which are part of a kyanite quartzite zone resulting from volcanic and sedimentary rocks. The mountains represent the two ends of the mineral deposit. Production involves cutting boulders of kyanite from the mountain and pieces of dimensional stone. Part of the production at the facility involves heating kyanite to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit in kilns to obtain mullite, a substance with even greater heat resistance than kyanite.
Kyanite Dimensional Stone
One use of the mines is the production of kyanite dimensional stone. The stone comes in many colors including blue, silver, red and copper. It presents a different appearance depending on whether it is cut with or against the grain. Its heat resistant quality, along with its beauty, makes it suitable for kitchen countertops and other residential uses involving heat. This stone is only dimensional stone in the world containing kyanite.
Sand
One byproduct of the two mines in Buckingham County is sand. It is transported from the mines via the privately owned Buckingham Branch Railroad to a foundry in Lynchburg, Virginia. Another byproduct is fine grain sand which results from the process of calcining. That process involves removal of clay from kyanite. The processing plants for calcining are owned and operated by the Kyanite Mining Corporation. The sand is sold by the Dixon Sand Company, named for the owner of the Kyanite Mining Corporation, Gene Dixon Jr.