RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Helvetia East
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 4 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Garnet, Gold, Silver) and 10 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Copper, Silver. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Garnet, Gold, Mica, Feldspar, Magnetite, Pyrite, Copper, Silver, Scheelite. Approx. location 31.833, -110.759. USGS record.
Ask first: a USGS record doesn’t mean you can visit. Find out who owns the land and get permission before collecting.
Field cards: what kind of sites?
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Was producing when the record was made.
Status not recorded.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
A processing plant site.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
1,172 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
951 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
724 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
214 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
146 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
104 sites
Scheelite
Mohs 4.5–5. Tungsten mineral that glows blue-white under shortwave UV. Mindat
49 sites
Fluorite
Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat
39 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Chalcopyrite 182Malachite 149Galena 103Pyrite 102Sphalerite 71Chalcocite 62Chrysocolla 49Scheelite 48Gold 44Copper 43Molybdenite 41Bornite 38Commodities
Silver 824Copper 797Gold 613Lead 433Zinc 212Tungsten 111Molybdenum 66Manganese 43Uranium 36Silica 28Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Tucson Mountains | Semiprecious Gemstone, Quartz | Agate, Chalcedony | Past Producer | 32.301, -111.123 |
| Banner Mine | Lead, Silver | Anglesite, Argentite, Barite, Cerargyrite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 31.888, -111.286 |
| Cerro Colorado Mine | Silver | Anglesite, Argentite, Cerargyrite, Chalcopyrite, Cinnabar, Freibergite, Galena, Mercury, Polybasite, Pyrite, Silver, Sphalerite, Stephanite, Stromeyerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 31.660, -111.274 |
| Sunshine - Sunrise Group | Silver, Lead, Copper | Anglesite, Argentite, Cerargyrite, Covellite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 31.875, -111.268 |
| Prince Mine | Lead, Silver | Anglesite, Aurichalcite, Covellite, Galena, Malachite, Smithsonite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 31.870, -110.645 |
| Chief Mine | Lead, Silver, Copper | Anglesite, Aurichalcite, Galena, Malachite, Plumbojarosite, Smithsonite | Producer | 31.872, -110.641 |
| Black Dike Mine | Uranium | Anglesite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Fluorite, Galena, Gold, Magnetite, Malachite, Pitchblende, Psilomelane, Pyrolusite, Sphalerite, Uraninite, Wulfenite | Past Producer | 31.928, -111.282 |
| Indiana-Arizona Mine Group | Lead, Zinc | Anglesite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Malachite, Mimetite, Pyrite, Silver, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 32.356, -111.479 |
| Mary G Mine Group | Silver | Anglesite, Cinnabar, Galena, Malachite, Silver, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 31.674, -111.316 |
| Black Princess Mine | Silver | Anglesite, Copper | Producer | 31.683, -111.283 |
| Gopher Mine | Silver, Lead | Anglesite, Copper, Galena, Pyrite, Wulfenite | Past Producer | 31.871, -110.644 |
| Victoria Mine | Lead, Silver | Argentite | Producer | 31.940, -112.838 |
| Blue Jay Mine | Silver | Argentite, Cerargyrite, Galena, Gold, Pyrite, Scheelite | Past Producer | 31.876, -110.794 |
| Curtis Claim | Silver | Argentite, Chalcopyrite, Cuprite, Galena | Past Producer | 31.845, -110.774 |
| Homestak Indiana | Copper, Silver, Gold, Lead | Argentite, Chalcopyrite, Galena | Producer | 32.500, -111.501 |
| Silver Bullion Mine | Lead, Copper, Silver | Argentite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Malachite, Pyrite, Silver, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 32.195, -112.119 |
| Ballas Mine Area | Silver, Lead | Argentite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Producer | 32.136, -112.149 |
| Allison Mine | Gold, Silica | Argentite, Gold | Past Producer | 31.815, -111.634 |
| Old Mission Mine | Silver, Copper, Lead | Argentite, Hematite | Producer | 32.168, -111.023 |
| St. Jude Mine | Silver | Argentite, Silver | Past Producer | 32.121, -111.454 |
| White Prince Claim | Barium-Barite | Barite | Occurrence | 32.119, -112.190 |
| Digmore 2 Claims | Barium-Barite | Barite | Occurrence | 32.063, -111.887 |
| Crescent Et Al Claims | Barium-Barite | Barite | Occurrence | 32.468, -112.687 |
| Unnamed Prospect Vhne-138n | Barium-Barite | Barite | Occurrence | 32.448, -111.512 |
| Cocoraque Butte No. 1 | Barium-Barite | Barite | Occurrence | 32.168, -111.312 |
| Kerlin Et Al Group | Barium-Barite | Barite | Occurrence | 32.456, -112.684 |
| North Molly Vein Area | Barium-Barite | Barite | Occurrence | 32.050, -112.701 |
| Silver Bell Barite | Barium-Barite | Barite | Occurrence | 32.427, -111.532 |
| Barite Occurence | — | Barite | Occurrence | 32.156, -111.106 |
| Heavy Boy Prospect | Barium-Barite | Barite | Occurrence | 32.060, -110.628 |
| Ramero Ranch | Copper, Gold | Barite, Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Gold, Malachite | Producer | 32.328, -111.506 |
| Neptune Mine | Fluorine-Fluorite, Barium-Barite | Barite, Fluorite | Past Producer | 31.972, -111.249 |
| Unnamed Prospect Vhne-135n | Barium-Barite, Lead | Barite, Galena | Occurrence | 32.431, -111.516 |
| Quijotoa Mine | Silver, Gold | Barite, Gold, Silver | Past Producer | 32.071, -112.150 |
| Silver Dollar Claims | Tungsten, Barium-Barite | Barite, Scheelite, Wolframite | Occurrence | 32.078, -111.953 |
| Contreras Canyon Area Claims | Beryllium | Beryl, Bismuthinite, Bismutite | Occurrence | 31.844, -111.541 |
| Leatherwood Group | Copper, Silver | Bornite | Producer | 32.465, -110.737 |
| Twin Buttes | Copper Sulfide, Copper Oxide | Bornite, Brochantite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Cuprite, Galena, Malachite, Melaconite, Molybdenite, Powellite, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Tenorite, Wollastonite, Wulfenite | Past Producer | 31.908, -111.051 |
| Little Mary Et Al Claims | — | Bornite, Chalcocite | Occurrence | 32.217, -111.967 |
| Mineral Hill Mine | Copper, Silver | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Covellite, Galena, Magnetite, Malachite, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Scheelite, Smithsonite, Sphalerite, Tenorite, Tetrahedrite, Wollastonite, Wulfenite | Past Producer | 31.987, -111.088 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 8 fossil collection records in Pima County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Santa Cruz County · Pinal County · Cochise County · Graham County · Gila County
Arizona mineral guides
- Beryl in Arizona
- Tourmaline in Arizona
- Quartz in Arizona
- Garnet in Arizona
- Gold in Arizona
- Mica in Arizona
Back to all Arizona counties.
How we built this page: we counted named sites in the USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) for this area, left out sand, gravel, crushed stone, clay pits and unnamed sites, grouped them by Census county, and linked every site to its USGS record. We did not visit these sites, and MRDS does not tell you who owns the land or whether collecting is allowed.
Source: USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS). USGS ceased systematic updates to MRDS around 2011, so status and details may be out of date. Each site links to its USGS record.
Updated