RockWoofFound alongside
Beryl
Mohs 7.5–8. Six-sided crystals; aquamarine and emerald are beryl. Mindat
13 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
10 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
5 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
4 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
3 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
2 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
By county
Yancey County (3) · Mitchell County (3) · Swain County (2) · Madison County (1) · Cleveland County (1) · Burke County (1) · Watauga County (1) · Gaston County (1)
Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Plantation Emerald, Aquamarine and Beryl Mine | Gemstone, Chromium, Beryllium | Aquamarine, Beryl | Past Producer | 35.234, -81.581 |
| Beryl Pegmatite Occurrence | — | Beryl | Occurrence | 35.379, -83.528 |
| Joel Walker Beryl Prospect | Gemstone, Beryllium | Beryl, Emerald | Occurrence | 35.639, -81.713 |
| Buckeye Creek Prospect | Lead, Silver, Tungsten, Beryllium, Copper | Beryl, Pyromorphite | Occurrence | 36.231, -81.903 |
| Branton Feldspar Mine | Feldspar | Feldspar | Past Producer | 35.444, -83.467 |
| Ball Feldspar Mine | Feldspar | Feldspar | Past Producer | 35.855, -82.568 |
| Ray Mica Mine | Mica, Feldspar | Feldspar, Mica, Quartz | Past Producer | 35.889, -82.274 |
| McKinney Mine | Feldspar, Mica | Feldspar, Muscovite | Past Producer | 35.847, -82.139 |
| Gaston Mcdowell Mine | Mica | Muscovite | Past Producer | 35.836, -82.173 |
| Westall Mine | Mica | Muscovite | Past Producer | 35.805, -82.213 |
| Crabtree Mountain Emerald Mine | Mica, Gemstone | Muscovite | Past Producer | 35.873, -82.131 |
| Chesnut Flats Mine | Mica | Muscovite | Past Producer | 35.885, -82.136 |
| Bessemer City Operations | Lithium | — | Producer | 35.339, -81.312 |
Back to Rockhounding in North Carolina.
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