RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Great Western Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Tourmaline, Quartz, Garnet) and 5 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Mica. Minerals mentioned: Tourmaline, Quartz, Garnet, Mica, Feldspar. Approx. location 35.963, -105.312. 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?
Status not recorded.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
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
8 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
2 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
1 site
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
1 site
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
1 site
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
1 site
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Malachite 2Roscoelite 1Muscovite 1Microlite 1Chalcocite 1Silver 1Commodities
Copper 8Uranium 7Geothermal 5Lithium 3Mica 2Vanadium 1Niobium (Columbium) 1Tantalum 1REE 1Beryllium 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Hays Mine | Copper | Chalcocite, Malachite, Silver | Past Producer | 36.139, -105.215 |
| Le Deoux Ranch Lease Mine | Uranium, Vanadium, Copper | Malachite, Roscoelite | Past Producer | 36.088, -105.227 |
| Pidlite | Niobium (Columbium), Tantalum, REE, Lithium | Microlite | Occurrence | 35.883, -105.534 |
| Great Western Mine | Mica | Muscovite | Past Producer | 35.963, -105.312 |
| Fulton 1 Santa Fe | Geothermal | — | Unknown | 35.884, -104.671 |
| Cities Service 1 Fort Union | Geothermal | — | Unknown | 35.926, -104.926 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Copper | — | Occurrence | 36.066, -105.231 |
| Unnamed Mine | Copper | — | Prospect | 36.088, -105.227 |
| Mobil 1 Wooten | Geothermal | — | Unknown | 35.976, -104.501 |
| Pidlite Pegmatite | Lithium | — | Unknown | 35.873, -105.496 |
| Mobil 1 Wiggins | Geothermal | — | Unknown | 35.861, -104.657 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Copper | — | Occurrence | 36.108, -105.222 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Copper | — | Prospect | 36.094, -105.226 |
| John Hays Mine | Copper | — | Past Producer | 36.139, -105.215 |
| Mora Beryl Prospect | Beryllium | — | Occurrence | 35.952, -105.345 |
| Unnamed Prospects | — | — | Occurrence | 36.100, -105.224 |
| Arkansas Fuel 1 Kruse | Geothermal | — | Unknown | 35.893, -104.671 |
| Lepidolite Shaft | Lithium | — | Past Producer | 35.871, -105.491 |
| A & M Mining | Mica | — | Prospect | 36.081, -105.321 |
| Laizy Daisy | Uranium | — | Unknown | 36.239, -105.053 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 5 fossil collection records in Mora County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
San Miguel County · Colfax County · Taos County · Harding County · Rio Arriba County
New Mexico mineral guides
- Beryl in New Mexico
- Tourmaline in New Mexico
- Quartz in New Mexico
- Garnet in New Mexico
- Gold in New Mexico
- Mica in New Mexico
Back to all New Mexico 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