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Woof’s favorite find
Leverett Lead Mines
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 1 gem or collectible mineral (Silver) and 4 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Lead. Minerals mentioned: Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 42.457, -72.522. 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.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Was producing when the record was made.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
29 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
11 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
10 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
10 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
8 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
6 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
5 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
2 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Galena 6Pyrite 6Magnetite 5Talc 5Barite 3Chalcopyrite 3Sphalerite 3Mica 3Pegmatite 2Slate 2Feldspar 2Malachite 1Commodities
Copper 20Iron 17Talc-Soapstone 15Lead 12Mica 10Sulfur 4Feldspar 4Sulfur-Pyrite 4Slate 4Dimension 4Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Deerfield Barite Vein Occurrence | Barium-Barite | Barite | Occurrence | 42.486, -72.653 |
| Leverett Lead Mines | Lead | Barite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.457, -72.522 |
| Leverett Barite Prospect | Barium-Barite | Barite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 42.435, -72.523 |
| Bernardston Magnetite Occurence | — | Chalcopyrite, Magnetite, Pyrite | Occurrence | 42.684, -72.553 |
| Davis Pyrite Mines | Sulfur, Iron | Chalcopyrite, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Producer | 42.683, -72.866 |
| Orange Mica Mine | Mica, Feldspar | Feldspar, Mica | Occurrence | 42.633, -72.316 |
| Pegmetite Quarry | Mica, Feldspar | Feldspar, Mica | Producer | 42.636, -72.309 |
| Southwest Whately Lead Vein | Lead | Galena | Producer | 42.426, -72.698 |
| Whately - Conway Lead Veins | — | Galena | Occurrence | 42.457, -72.674 |
| Unnamed Prospect | — | Galena | Occurrence | 42.455, -72.684 |
| Southeast of West Whately Galena Vein | — | Galena | Occurrence | 42.445, -72.670 |
| Unnamed Prospect | — | Galena | Occurrence | 42.449, -72.698 |
| Hawley Mine | Iron | Hematite, Magnetite | Past Producer | 42.600, -72.925 |
| Magnetite - Emery Prospect | Iron | Magnetite | Occurrence | 42.661, -72.304 |
| Magnetite - Emery Prospect | Iron | Magnetite | Occurrence | 42.658, -72.303 |
| Magnetite - Emery Prospect | Iron | Magnetite | Occurrence | 42.659, -72.302 |
| Turner Falls Copper Occurence North | — | Malachite | Occurrence | 42.609, -72.563 |
| Pegmatite Occurrence | Mica | Mica | Occurrence | 42.634, -72.306 |
| Pegmatite Quarry | Mica, Feldspar | Pegmatite | Occurrence | 42.634, -72.329 |
| Pegmatite Quarry | Mica, Feldspar | Pegmatite | Producer | 42.634, -72.330 |
| Pyrite Prospect 1 1/4 Mi. S. of Davis Mine | — | Pyrite | Occurrence | 42.665, -72.866 |
| Pyrite Prospect 1 1/2 Mi. Ne. of Davis Mine | — | Pyrite | Occurrence | 42.698, -72.846 |
| Pyrite Prospect 1/2 Mi. E. of Davis Mine | Iron, Sulfur | Pyrite | Occurrence | 42.680, -72.855 |
| Pyrite Prospect 1/2 Mi. S. of Davis Mine | — | Pyrite | Occurrence | 42.676, -72.863 |
| North Bernardston Slate Quarry | Slate, Dimension | Slate | Occurrence | 42.714, -72.572 |
| North Bernardston Slate Quarry | Slate, Dimension | Slate | Producer | 42.684, -72.574 |
| Talc Quarry | Talc-Soapstone | Talc | Producer | 42.646, -72.253 |
| Talc Quarry | Talc-Soapstone | Talc | Occurrence | 42.659, -72.997 |
| Talc Quarry | Talc-Soapstone | Talc | Producer | 42.664, -72.973 |
| Talc Quarry | Talc-Soapstone | Talc | Producer | 42.704, -72.925 |
| Talc Quarry | Talc-Soapstone | Talc | Producer | 42.719, -72.902 |
| Turner Falls Copper Occurence Southwest | — | — | Occurrence | 42.599, -72.579 |
| Gossan - Not Prospected | — | — | Occurrence | 42.636, -72.790 |
| Gossan In East Oxbow Brook | — | — | Occurrence | 42.627, -72.786 |
| West Leyden Copper Prospect | — | — | Occurrence | 42.728, -72.669 |
| Charlemont-Heath Area | Graphite | — | Occurrence | 42.680, -72.855 |
| Copper Prospect | Copper, Sulfur-Pyrite | — | Occurrence | 42.614, -72.890 |
| Copper Prospect | Copper, Sulfur-Pyrite | — | Occurrence | 42.610, -72.895 |
| Almandine - Garnet Occurance | Gemstone, Garnet | — | Occurrence | 42.553, -72.375 |
| Talc Prospect | Talc-Soapstone | — | Occurrence | 42.676, -72.959 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 13 fossil collection records in Franklin County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Hampshire County · Hampden County · Berkshire County · Worcester County · Middlesex County
Massachusetts mineral guides
- Mica in Massachusetts
- Feldspar in Massachusetts
- Pyrite in Massachusetts
- Galena in Massachusetts
- Copper in Massachusetts
- Silver in Massachusetts
Back to all Massachusetts 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