Where to find

Rockhounding in New Hampshire: Beryl, Mica and Pegmatite Country

New Hampshire made beryl its official state mineral and smoky quartz its state gem in 1985 (RSA 3:14, RSA 3:15), and granite is the state rock.

What the USGS records show

The USGS Mineral Resources Data System lists 540 named New Hampshire mineral sites once sand, gravel, crushed stone and clay pits are left out. The counties with the most are Grafton (199), Rockingham (107), Cheshire (83), Sullivan (37), Merrimack (36).

Many of these are old mica and feldspar workings in pegmatite, the coarse-grained granite where large crystals of beryl, mica and other minerals grew. In Grafton County, mica is the most common commodity in the records.

County guides

• Grafton County
• Cheshire County
• Carroll County
• Where beryl has been recorded in NH
• All New Hampshire counties

Before you go

Most old pegmatite quarries in New Hampshire are on private land. Ask the landowner, and see our guide to collecting rules for the White Mountain National Forest and other public land.

Gear

Sources: NH RSA 3:14 and 3:15; Visit NH state symbols; USGS MRDS (systematic updates ceased around 2011).