RockWoof
Check access before you go. Most sites listed here are old mines, quarries or prospects, and many are on private land or active mining claims. Get the landowner's permission, check the rules of the agency that manages any public land, and never enter mine workings. Locations are approximate.

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Woof’s favorite find

Microscopic Fluorite Occurrence No. El-001

We picked it because its USGS record mentions 4 gem or collectible minerals (Tourmaline, Quartz, Garnet, Fluorite) and 7 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as occurrence. Minerals mentioned: Tourmaline, Quartz, Garnet, Mica, Feldspar, Magnetite, Fluorite. Approx. location 41.245, -73.179. 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?

44
Past Producer

Produced ore or material at some point in the past.

10
Occurrence

The mineral was noted here, without development.

1
Prospect

Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.

1
Plant

A processing plant site.

Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.

Mineral cards

Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.

Minerals recorded here

Sphalerite 7Galena 6Feldspar 6Fluorite 6Quartz 5Bismuth 4Arsenopyrite 4Chalcopyrite 4Pyrite 4Marcasite 3Pyrrhotite 3Scheelite 2

Commodities

Granite 12Feldspar 7Bismuth 5Quartz 5Lead 4Marble 4Dimension 4Silver 3Tungsten 3Iron 3

Sites (first 40)

SiteCommodityMinerals recordedStatusApprox. location
East Village Monroe Feldspar Pegmatite QuarryFeldsparBeryl, Columbite, Feldspar, GarnetPast Producer41.365, -73.184
Old Sandy Hook Gold Mine Prospect and Sulfide OccurrenceLeadCalcite, Sphalerite, Hematite, Quartz, Pyrite, GalenaOccurrence41.432, -73.282
Burnett Fluorite Chalcopyrite Occurrence—Chalcopyrite, Fluorite, MalachiteOccurrence41.289, -73.220
Ridgefield Pegmatite QuarryFeldsparFeldsparPast Producer41.296, -73.518
Bethel Feldspar Pegmatite QuarryFeldsparFeldsparPast Producer41.358, -73.355
Captain Cook Pegmatite QuarryFeldsparFeldsparPast Producer41.354, -73.328
Microscopic Fluorite Occurrence No. Ek-031—FluoriteOccurrence41.262, -73.180
Microscopic Fluorite Occurrence No. El-001—FluoriteOccurrence41.245, -73.179
Microscopic Fluorite Occurrence No. Ek-029—FluoriteOccurrence41.261, -73.207
Microscopic Fluorite Occurrence No. Ek-030—FluoriteOccurrence41.254, -73.188
Lane's Bismuth and Sulfide Mine In MonroeBismuthGalena, Bismuth, Arsenopyrite, Sphalerite, Marcasite, PyrrhotitePast Producer41.333, -73.214
Unnamed Magnetite OccurrenceIronMagnetiteOccurrence41.263, -73.423
Booth's Lower Level Bismuth and Sulfide MineBismuthQuartz, Bismuth, Arsenopyrite, Sphalerite, Pyrite, Chalcopyrite, PyrrhotitePast Producer41.335, -73.189
Booth's Upper Level Bismuth and Sulfide ProspectBismuthQuartz, PyrrhotiteOccurrence41.342, -73.191
Monroe (Lane's Mine)Silver, Bismuth, TungstenSilver, Bismuth, Arsenopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Marcasite, Scheelite, Tungstite, WolframiteOccurrence41.367, -73.200
Wilton Silver and Galena Chalcopyrite MineSilverSphalerite, Chalcopyrite, Pyrite, GalenaPast Producer41.238, -73.430
Brookfield Lead MineSulfur, Zinc, LeadSphalerite, GalenaPast Producer41.467, -73.406
Trumbull Tungsten, Topaz, and Sulfide MineFeldspar, Quartz, TungstenSphalerite, Galena, Fluorite, Marcasite, Chalcopyrite, Pyrite, Limestone, Quartz, Feldspar, Scheelite, Wolframite, Bismuth, Barite, Arsenopyrite, TopazPast Producer41.290, -73.226
Branchville Mica MineNiobium (Columbium), Tantalum, Quartz, Feldspar, MicaTantalite, Columbite, Quartz, Feldspar, Plagioclase, MuscovitePast Producer41.267, -73.439
West Redding Garnet OccurrenceGarnet—Occurrence41.322, -73.438
Quartz Rock Quarry No. Ek-023Quartz—Past Producer41.304, -73.126
Arsenopyrite Mine No. Ek-017Arsenic—Past Producer41.354, -73.234
Pegmatite Quarry——Past Producer41.486, -73.506
Hall QuarryGranite—Past Producer41.131, -73.384
Granite QuarryGranite—Past Producer41.271, -73.454
Brookfield MineLead—Past Producer41.472, -73.407
Lane's MineTungsten—Past Producer41.355, -73.279
Quartz MineQuartz—Past Producer41.303, -73.125
West Redding MineGarnet—Past Producer41.326, -73.425
Burlison QuarryGranite—Past Producer41.219, -73.175
County Jail QuarryGranite—Past Producer41.191, -73.197
Voorhis QuarryGranite—Past Producer41.008, -73.645
Chritiano Oak Ridge QuarryGranite—Past Producer41.015, -73.635
Collins QuarryGranite—Past Producer41.382, -73.430
Booth's MineBismuth—Past Producer41.343, -73.180
Gneiss QuarryGranite—Past Producer41.256, -73.158
Captain Cook Quarry——Past Producer41.357, -73.335
Feldspar QuarryFeldspar—Past Producer41.332, -73.190
Ridgefield QuarryMarble, Dimension—Past Producer41.296, -73.513
Ritch QuarryGranite—Past Producer41.001, -73.650

Nearby counties

New Haven County · Litchfield County · Hartford County · Middlesex County · New London County

Connecticut mineral guides

Back to all Connecticut counties.

Related articles

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