RockWoofFound alongside
Beryl
Mohs 7.5–8. Six-sided crystals; aquamarine and emerald are beryl. Mindat
10 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
10 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
9 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
7 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
5 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
5 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
By county
Amelia County (5) · Rockbridge County (3) · Powhatan County (1) · Charlotte County (1)
Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morefield Mine | Feldspar, Mica | Albite, Beryl, Cassiterite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Ilmenite, Manganotantalite, Microlite, Muscovite, Pyrite, Pyrolusite, Rutile, Topaz | Past Producer | 37.361, -77.914 |
| Herbb No. 2 Mine | Beryllium | Albite, Beryl, Muscovite | Past Producer | 37.556, -77.782 |
| Irish Creek Mine | Tin | Beryl, Cassiterite, Scheelite, Wolframite | Past Producer | 37.850, -79.163 |
| Champion Mine | Mica | Beryl, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Marcasite, Microlite, Muscovite, Pyrite, Pyrochlore | Past Producer | 37.382, -77.966 |
| Pinchbeck No. 1 Mine | Mica | Beryl, Kaolin, Muscovite, Plagioclase | Past Producer | 37.391, -77.963 |
| Crews Prospect | Feldspar | Beryl, Muscovite, Plagioclase | Occurrence | 37.139, -78.676 |
| No.1 Workings Irish Creek | — | — | Past Producer | 37.849, -79.164 |
| No.2 Workings | — | — | Past Producer | 37.849, -79.165 |
| Rutherford No.3 | — | — | Past Producer | 37.358, -77.981 |
| Morefield Mine | — | — | Producer | 37.360, -77.914 |
Back to Rockhounding in Virginia.
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 USGS ceased systematic updates to MRDS around 2011, so status and details may be out of date.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