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

Howe No. 1 Feldspar Quarry

We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Beryl, Tourmaline, Quartz) and 5 of our card minerals overall. That ties with 2 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 Feldspar. Minerals mentioned: Beryl, Tourmaline, Quartz, Mica, Feldspar. Approx. location 41.639, -72.601. 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?

58
Past Producer

Produced ore or material at some point in the past.

4
Occurrence

The mineral was noted here, without development.

4
Prospect

Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.

2
Plant

A processing plant site.

1
Producer

Was producing when the record was made.

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

Quartz 10Feldspar 6Chalcocite 4Calcite 4Barite 4Bornite 3Malachite 3Chalcopyrite 3Muscovite 3Plagioclase 3Sphalerite 3Beryl 2

Commodities

Granite 11Flagstone 11Feldspar 10Copper 10Sulfur 7Mica 5Iron 4Beryllium 3Barium-Barite 3Lead 3

Sites (first 40)

SiteCommodityMinerals recordedStatusApprox. location
Amethyst, Bitumen Vein Quartz Occurrence No. Dj-036Gemstone, Rock AsphaltAmethyst, Calcite, QuartzOccurrence41.626, -72.785
Mattabesset River Lead MineLeadBarite, Galena, Pyrite, SphaleritePast Producer41.621, -72.791
Higley Copper MineCopperBornite, Cuprite, Malachite, Azurite, ChalcocitePast Producer41.938, -72.749
Berlin Moore's Mill Barite MineBarium-BariteCalcite, BaritePast Producer41.619, -72.794
Sphalerite Vein Quartz Occurrence No. Dj-023Zinc, SulfurCalcite, Prehnite, Quartz, SphaleriteOccurrence41.707, -72.830
Simsbury Copper MineCopperChalcocitePast Producer41.970, -72.744
Copper Mine No. Di-008Sulfur, CopperChalcopyritePast Producer41.835, -72.916
Simsbury Newgate Prison Copper MineCopperChalcopyrite, Coffinite, Uraninite, Malachite, Azurite, Bornite, Chalcocite, BrochantitePast Producer41.962, -72.746
Pegmatite Prospect No. Di-002Feldspar, QuartzFeldsparPast Producer41.983, -72.868
Feldspar Pegmatite Quarries No. Cj-013FeldsparFeldspar, QuartzPast Producer41.678, -72.562
Feldspar Pegmatite Quarries No. Cj-015FeldsparFeldspar, QuartzPast Producer41.655, -72.599
Feldspar Pegmatite Quarries No. Cj-016FeldsparFeldspar, QuartzPast Producer41.649, -72.599
Hollister Mica Beryl ProspectFeldspar, Mica, Beryllium, Tantalum, Niobium (Columbium)Feldspar, Quartz, Beryl, Mica, Tantalite, ColumbiteProducer41.648, -72.593
Spinelli Feldspar-Samarskite Pegmatite Prospect QuarryTantalum, REE, Niobium (Columbium), Beryllium, Mica, FeldsparFeldspar, Quartz, Samarskite, Muscovite, PlagioclasePast Producer41.684, -72.554
Tower Hill QuarryGraniteGranitePast Producer41.684, -72.559
Unnamed Magnetite OccurrenceIronMagnetiteOccurrence41.703, -72.984
Bristol Copper MineMolybdenum, Silver, Copper, SulfurMolybdenite, Barite, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Galena, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Bornite, MalachitePast Producer41.719, -72.924
Knapp Mica ProspectMicaMuscovite, Plagioclase, QuartzPast Producer41.870, -72.938
Barite Occurrences No. Cj-070Barium-BariteQuartz, Calcite, BariteOccurrence41.615, -72.726
Howe No. 1 Feldspar QuarryFeldsparQuartz, Tourmaline, Beryl, Muscovite, Perthite, PlagioclasePast Producer41.639, -72.601
South WindsorBloating Material—Past Producer41.818, -72.604
Brownstone QuarryFlagstone—Past Producer41.727, -72.866
Abbott Ball Co/ Hartford, Ct.Corundum—Plant41.768, -72.687
Brownstone QuarryFlagstone—Past Producer41.889, -72.606
Tusband Quarry——Past Producer41.643, -72.600
Mica MinesMica—Past Producer42.017, -72.971
Spinelli Samarskite ProspectMica—Prospect41.685, -72.557
Tower Hill QuarryGranite—Past Producer41.684, -72.559
Hollister Mica Beryl Prospect——Prospect41.647, -72.583
Newgate Prison MineCopper—Past Producer41.962, -72.745
Pegmatite Quarries——Past Producer41.647, -72.597
American Steel & Aluminum/HartfordIron—Plant41.767, -72.713
Bristol Mine——Past Producer41.722, -72.911
Knapp Mica Prospect——Prospect41.862, -72.923
Brack Beryl ProspectBeryllium—Prospect41.655, -72.512
Corbin QuarryGranite—Past Producer41.719, -72.511
Higley MineCopper—Past Producer41.938, -72.749
Sandstone QuarryFlagstone—Past Producer42.009, -72.700
Pegmatie Quarry——Past Producer41.651, -72.585
Wiarda QuarriesFeldspar—Past Producer41.664, -72.601

Fossil collections

The Paleobiology Database lists 6 fossil collection records in Hartford County. These are research records, not public dig sites.

Nearby counties

Middlesex County · New Haven County · Tolland County · Litchfield 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