RockWoofFound alongside
Agate
Mohs 6.5–7. Banded, translucent chalcedony. Mindat
33 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
22 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
21 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
11 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
10 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
8 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
By county
Napa County (5) · Inyo County (3) · Sonoma County (3) · Del Norte County (3) · Nevada County (3) · San Bernardino County (2) · Mono County (2) · Monterey County (1) · Contra Costa County (1) · Lake County (1) · San Benito County (1) · Imperial County (1) · Los Angeles County (1) · Santa Clara County (1) · Tulare County (1) · Amador County (1) · Colusa County (1) · Lassen County (1) · Placer County (1)
Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silverado-Palisade Deposit | Gold, Silver | Argentite, Pyrargyrite, Polybasite, Proustite, Aguilarite, Gold, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Arsenopyrite, Pyrite, Cinnabar | Past Producer | 38.620, -122.581 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Gemstone | Chalcedony | Occurrence | 32.691, -116.020 |
| Collecting Site | Semiprecious Gemstone, Quartz | Chalcedony, Opal | Past Producer | 34.486, -118.253 |
| Patriquin Mine | Mercury | Cinnabar | Past Producer | 35.960, -120.422 |
| Comstock | Mercury | Cinnabar | Past Producer | 36.963, -121.246 |
| El Cajon | Mercury | Cinnabar | Past Producer | 36.567, -120.867 |
| Livermore | — | Cinnabar | Occurrence | 38.815, -122.962 |
| Bella Oak | Mercury | Cinnabar | Past Producer | 38.440, -122.430 |
| Idria Quicksilver Group | — | Cinnabar | Occurrence | 34.857, -115.053 |
| Sonoma Mine (Mount Jackson, Great Eastern, and Roaring Lion) | Mercury | Cinnabar, Chromite | Past Producer | 38.544, -122.980 |
| La Joya | Mercury | Cinnabar, Mercury | Past Producer | 38.439, -122.472 |
| Socrates | Mercury | Cinnabar, Mercury | Past Producer | 38.763, -122.759 |
| Mirabel Mine | Mercury | Cinnabar, Mercury, Metacinnabar | Past Producer | 38.700, -122.601 |
| Manhattan | Mercury | Cinnabar, Mercury, Metacinnabar | Producer | 38.842, -122.366 |
| Mount Diablo Mine | Mercury | Cinnabar, Metacinnabar | Past Producer | 37.902, -121.879 |
| Wheeler Area | Mercury | Cinnabar, Metacinnabar | Past Producer | 36.022, -117.770 |
| Coso Mine | Mercury | Cinnabar, Metacinnabar | Past Producer | 36.040, -117.795 |
| Cherry Hill Deposit | Mercury, Gold | Electrum, Cinnabar, Miargyrite, Pyrargyrite | Past Producer | 39.035, -122.429 |
| Hayden Hill Deposit | Silver, Gold | Electrum, Gold, Pyrite, Acanthite, Tetrahedrite, Tennantite, Polybasite, Pearceite | Producer | 40.998, -120.870 |
| McLaughlin Mine | Silver, Gold | Electrum, Pyrargyrite, Gold, Pyrite, Miargyrite, Freibergite, Polybasite, Cinnabar, Metacinnabar, Mercury, Chalcedony, Quartz, Adularia, Alunite, Stibnite, Arsenic, Realgar, Orpiment, Arsenopyrite, Sphalerite, Chalcopyrite, Galena | Producer | 38.837, -122.361 |
| Lead King | Lead, Silver | Galena, Silver, Smithsonite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 36.632, -117.579 |
| Serita Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 38.360, -119.127 |
| Ophir District | Gold, Silver | Gold, Electrum, Pyrite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Arsenopyrite, Tetrahedrite, Molybdenite, Silver, Stibnite, Telluride | Past Producer | 38.891, -121.123 |
| Allison Ranch Mine | Gold | Gold, Pyrite, Galena | Past Producer | 39.180, -121.061 |
| Golden Center Mine | Gold | Gold, Pyrite, Galena | Past Producer | 39.215, -121.064 |
| Pennsylvania - W.Y.O.D. Mines | Gold | Gold, Pyrite, Galena, Arsenopyrite | Past Producer | 39.208, -121.056 |
| Masonic District | Gold, Silver | Gold, Telluride, Galena, Argentite, Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Famatinite, Enargite, Malachite, Chrysocolla, Stibnite, Cinnabar, Barite | Past Producer | 38.358, -119.124 |
| Venice Hills | — | — | Prospect | 36.388, -119.172 |
| Elk Camp Laterite | Cobalt, Nickel | — | Occurrence | 41.942, -123.878 |
| Lee Yim Deposit | — | — | Past Producer | 34.761, -116.229 |
| Pine Flat Mt. Deposits | Cobalt, Nickel | — | Prospect | 41.993, -123.993 |
| Ellis Property | — | — | Prospect | 38.321, -120.839 |
| Gasquet Laterite | Chromium, Cobalt, Magnesite, Nickel | — | Prospect | 41.882, -123.985 |
Back to Rockhounding in California.
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