RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Cinco De Mayo Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 4 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Garnet, Gold, Silver) and 7 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Iron. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Garnet, Gold, Magnetite, Pyrite, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 32.423, -106.124. 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.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Was producing when the record was made.
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
36 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
14 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
11 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
8 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
7 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
4 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
4 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
3 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Chalcopyrite 7Malachite 7Gold 6Chalcocite 3Galena 3Hematite 3Magnetite 3Smithsonite 2Sphalerite 1Cuprite 1Specularite 1Turquoise 1Commodities
Iron 74Copper 36Gold 14Silver 11Lead 8Semiprecious Gemstone 5Uranium 3Geothermal 2Zinc 1Gemstone 1Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warnock Mine | Lead | Anglesite, Chalcocite, Galena, Malachite, Smithsonite | Past Producer | 32.880, -105.858 |
| Courtney Mine | Copper | Chalcocite, Galena, Malachite | Past Producer | 32.915, -105.833 |
| Virginia Mine | Copper | Chalcocite, Malachite | Past Producer | 33.157, -105.844 |
| Three Bears Mine | Copper, Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Gold, Malachite | Past Producer | 32.395, -106.104 |
| Cinco De Mayo Mine | Iron | Chalcopyrite, Cuprite, Hematite, Magnetite, Malachite, Specularite | Past Producer | 32.423, -106.124 |
| Nannie Baird Mine | Copper, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Malachite | Past Producer | 32.406, -106.101 |
| By Chance Mine | Copper, Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Gold | Past Producer | 32.427, -106.108 |
| Garnet Mine | Gold, Silver, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Gold | Past Producer | 32.427, -106.114 |
| Lincoln Mine | Iron | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Hematite, Magnetite | Past Producer | 32.415, -106.112 |
| Lucky Mine | Copper, Gold, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Malachite | Past Producer | 32.413, -106.109 |
| Iron Mask Mine | Iron | Hematite, Magnetite | Past Producer | 32.419, -106.114 |
| Mid-Day Zinc Deposit | Zinc | Smithsonite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 32.403, -106.111 |
| Jarilla Mountains | Gemstone | Turquoise | Past Producer | 32.409, -106.109 |
| Grandview Mine | Copper | — | Occurrence | 33.167, -105.884 |
| Cornudas Mountain Prospect | Semiprecious Gemstone | — | Unknown | 32.036, -105.509 |
| De Meules | Semiprecious Gemstone | — | Unknown | 32.426, -106.128 |
| Pajarito Mountain | Zirconium, REE | — | Prospect | 33.244, -105.434 |
| Iron King & Iron Queen Claims | Iron | — | Past Producer | 32.414, -106.126 |
| Charleston | Iron | — | Producer | 32.426, -106.108 |
| Tiffany Turquoise | Semiprecious Gemstone | — | Unknown | 32.417, -106.117 |
| Apache No1 Magnetite | Iron | — | Producer | 33.367, -105.785 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Iron | — | Occurrence | 32.400, -106.109 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Iron | — | Occurrence | 32.401, -106.109 |
| Monte Carlo Claims | Barium-Barite, Gold, Manganese | — | Unknown | 32.462, -106.107 |
| May | Iron | — | Producer | 32.408, -106.128 |
| Cinnamon Bear | Iron | — | Producer | 32.390, -106.106 |
| Alice Mine | Iron, Copper | — | Unknown | 32.393, -106.107 |
| Copper King Group | Copper, Iron | — | Unknown | 32.389, -106.112 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Iron | — | Occurrence | 32.407, -106.109 |
| Iron Duke Mine | Iron | — | Unknown | 32.422, -106.122 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Iron | — | Occurrence | 32.402, -106.102 |
| Macon Group | Iron | — | Unknown | 32.403, -106.109 |
| Contact | Iron | — | Unknown | 32.397, -106.102 |
| Garnet Lode | Copper | — | Unknown | 32.407, -106.109 |
| Lucky Mines | Iron, Copper, Gold | — | Past Producer | 32.415, -106.103 |
| Philadelphia | Iron | — | Producer | 32.415, -106.113 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Iron | — | Occurrence | 32.399, -106.104 |
| Warnock Mine | Copper, Lead | — | Unknown | 32.880, -105.852 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Iron | — | Occurrence | 32.401, -106.109 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Iron | — | Occurrence | 32.405, -106.114 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 69 fossil collection records in Otero County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Doña Ana County · Lincoln County · Sierra County · Luna County · Eddy 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