RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Patriquin Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 2 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Agate) and 3 of our card minerals overall. That ties with 1 other site(s), so we broke the tie by mine status (past producers first), then USGS record quality, then name. USGS lists it as past producer for Mercury. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Agate, Pyrite. Approx. location 35.960, -120.422. 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.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Was producing when the record was made.
Status not recorded.
A processing plant site.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
52 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
13 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
7 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
5 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
2 sites
Scheelite
Mohs 4.5–5. Tungsten mineral that glows blue-white under shortwave UV. Mindat
2 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
1 site
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Cinnabar 11Chromite 4Molybdenite 2Chalcopyrite 2Scheelite 2Rhodochrosite 1Malachite 1Chalcocite 1Metacinnabar 1Uvarovite 1Pyrite 1Commodities
Gold 48Mercury 26Chromium 10Diatomite 9Magnesite 7Copper 6Uranium 5Geothermal 5Molybdenum 3Gemstone 3Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native Copper | — | Chalcocite | Occurrence | 35.901, -120.331 |
| Unnamed Prospect | — | Chalcopyrite | Occurrence | 35.966, -120.434 |
| Trampa Canyon | — | Chalcopyrite, Pyrite | Occurrence | 36.409, -121.629 |
| Reported Deposit | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 35.899, -120.285 |
| Lilly Group Deposit | Chromium | Chromite | Past Producer | 35.818, -121.306 |
| Evans Ranch Prospect | Chromium | Chromite | Occurrence | 35.816, -121.293 |
| South Slope Mine 1918 | Chromium | Chromite, Uvarovite | Producer | 35.899, -121.341 |
| Poppy Prospect | Mercury | Cinnabar | Past Producer | 35.957, -120.429 |
| Rattlesnake Prospect | — | Cinnabar | Occurrence | 35.904, -120.286 |
| Bryson Mine | Mercury | Cinnabar | Past Producer | 35.859, -121.145 |
| Botts | Mercury | Cinnabar | Past Producer | 35.852, -121.139 |
| Unnamed Occurence | — | Cinnabar | Occurrence | 36.318, -121.465 |
| Patriquin Mine | Mercury | Cinnabar | Past Producer | 35.960, -120.422 |
| Moore Ranch | — | Cinnabar | Occurrence | 36.318, -121.479 |
| White Property | Mercury | Cinnabar | Past Producer | 35.902, -120.274 |
| Gillette Prospect | Mercury | Cinnabar | Past Producer | 35.950, -120.430 |
| G.W.D. Mine | Mercury | Cinnabar | Past Producer | 35.958, -120.427 |
| Old Murry | Mercury | Cinnabar, Metacinnabar | Past Producer | 35.813, -121.321 |
| Riley Ranch | — | Malachite | Occurrence | 36.730, -121.346 |
| Vancouver Pinnacles | — | Molybdenite | Occurrence | 36.433, -121.201 |
| Vancouver Pinnacles Molybdenum | Molybdenum | Molybdenite | Occurrence | 36.433, -121.201 |
| Evans Manganese Prospect | — | Rhodochrosite | Occurrence | 36.829, -121.275 |
| Unnamed Prospect | — | Scheelite | Occurrence | 36.419, -121.213 |
| Unnamed Prospect | — | Scheelite | Occurrence | 36.757, -121.509 |
| Ross Ranch Prospect | — | — | Occurrence | 35.809, -121.349 |
| Wayland Ranch | — | — | Occurrence | 36.024, -120.570 |
| Bedell | — | — | Occurrence | 35.919, -120.363 |
| Chauler | — | — | Occurrence | 36.627, -121.402 |
| Monte Cristo Group | Mercury | — | Occurrence | 35.878, -121.446 |
| Gillette Mine | Mercury | — | Past Producer | 35.958, -120.418 |
| Sommer's Prospect | — | — | Occurrence | 35.962, -120.435 |
| Limekeln Creek | Gemstone | — | Producer | 36.008, -121.519 |
| Work Ranch Deposit | Diatomite | — | Producer | 36.572, -121.829 |
| Reported Location | Silver | — | Producer | 36.266, -121.716 |
| Chews Ridge Area | Uranium | — | Producer | 36.307, -121.572 |
| Sierra | Flagstone | — | Past Producer | 36.535, -121.839 |
| Mary 5 | Gold | — | Occurrence | 35.882, -121.390 |
| Fighting Bob No. 1 | Gold | — | Unknown | 35.914, -121.415 |
| Grizzly Mine | Gold | — | Past Producer | 35.885, -121.383 |
| Riley Ranch Prospect | Arsenic | — | Prospect | 36.641, -121.463 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 87 fossil collection records in Monterey County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
San Benito County · San Luis Obispo County · Kings County · Merced County · Santa Cruz County
California mineral guides
- Tourmaline in California
- Quartz in California
- Garnet in California
- Gold in California
- Mica in California
- Feldspar in California
Back to all California 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