On November 4, 1972, Lewis Sigmon, in the Reel Mine in Iron Station, North Carolina, discovered the largest amethyst cluster ever found in North America which is two feet long, two feet wide and one foot high; it weighs a massive 165 pounds.
The intense purple pigment of the gem (which has been compared a glass of grape juice held up to sunlight) is as remarkable a feature as its size and is a result of manganese dust -- a characteristic of the mine from which the amethyst came. The cluster currently resides in the Grandfather Mountain Nature Museum in Linville, North Carolina.
http://wikimapia.org/18828285/Reel-Mine

Thanks Laurie!  I didn't take the picture,  but it's the best one I've seen on the Internet.   The other ones I've seen in the past were blurry or terrible lighting.   Hope to see it in person one day.
-Collin

I visited the Grandfather Mtn. Museum in early June to see the incredible NC specimens on exhibit.  I took photos of most of the collection using my cellphone camera.  The pics are not the best quality but, I thought I would share some of them with you.

I've attached four pics below and will attach four additional ones in a second post.  All are of quartz specimens.

Photo 1:  The 165 lb. Reel Mine amethyst.  It's an incredible piece!
Photo 2:  Cabarrus Co. amethyst.
Photo 3:  Iredell Co. amethyst.
Photo 4:  An assortment of other NC quartz specimens.

Dennis

Phew! thanks for those pics, Dennis!