RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Milagros Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Gold, Silver) and 6 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Gold, Silver. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Gold, Magnetite, Pyrite, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 34.894, -106.431. 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?
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Was producing when the record was made.
Status not recorded.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Fluorite
Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat
5 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
5 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
4 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
2 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
1 site
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. 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
Fluorite 5Barite 2Chalcocite 1Chalcopyrite 1Gold 1Malachite 1Commodities
Fluorine-Fluorite 5Copper 5Gold 2Gemstone 1Silver 1Platinum 1Uranium 1Marble 1Dimension 1Geothermal 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonita Mine | Fluorine-Fluorite | Barite, Fluorite | Past Producer | 35.067, -108.009 |
| Mirabel Mine 1946 | Fluorine-Fluorite | Barite, Fluorite | Past Producer | 35.201, -108.142 |
| Milagros Mine | Gold, Silver | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Gold, Malachite | Past Producer | 34.894, -106.431 |
| Boneekay Mine | Fluorine-Fluorite | Fluorite | Past Producer | 35.009, -107.997 |
| Irene No. 2 Claim 1966 | Fluorine-Fluorite | Fluorite | Past Producer | 35.018, -107.986 |
| Grants Mine | Fluorine-Fluorite | Fluorite | Past Producer | 35.082, -108.025 |
| Acoma | Gemstone | — | Past Producer | 34.863, -107.573 |
| Belvidere Group | Platinum, Gold, Copper | — | Past Producer | 34.891, -106.421 |
| Scholle Claim Group | Uranium, Copper | — | Past Producer | 34.461, -106.432 |
| Jack Rabbit Claim | Copper | — | Past Producer | 34.443, -106.431 |
| Lucero Quarry | Marble, Dimension | — | Producer | 34.669, -107.106 |
| Romero | Copper | — | Past Producer | 34.750, -107.167 |
| Tome' Well | Geothermal | — | Unknown | 34.777, -106.646 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 27 fossil collection records in Valencia County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Cibola County · Bernalillo County · McKinley County · Socorro County · Torrance 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