RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
King
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 1 gem or collectible mineral (Fluorite) and 2 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as occurrence for Fluorine-Fluorite. Minerals mentioned: Galena, Fluorite. Approx. location 37.638, -88.446. 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?
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Fluorite
Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat
6 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Fluorite 2Galena 1Sphalerite 1Commodities
Fluorine-Fluorite 3Barium-Barite 2Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gibbons Mine | Fluorine-Fluorite | Fluorite | Occurrence | 37.606, -88.451 |
| King | Fluorine-Fluorite | Fluorite, Galena, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 37.638, -88.446 |
| Barite Porspect Number 1 | Barium-Barite | — | Occurrence | 37.613, -88.418 |
| Big Four Mine | Fluorine-Fluorite | — | Past Producer | 37.608, -88.455 |
| King | — | — | Prospect | 37.638, -88.446 |
| Big Four Mine | — | — | Past Producer | 37.608, -88.455 |
| Gibbons Mine | — | — | Prospect | 37.606, -88.451 |
| Barite Porspect Number 1 | Barium-Barite | — | Occurrence | 37.613, -88.418 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 3 fossil collection records in Saline County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Gallatin County · Pope County · Hardin County · Johnson County · Pulaski County
Illinois mineral guides
Back to all Illinois 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