RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Foust Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 2 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Silver) and 5 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as producer for Copper. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 35.940, -79.382. 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?
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.
A processing plant site.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
6 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
4 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
3 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
3 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
2 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. 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
Pyrophyllite 4Pyrite 1Aurichalcite 1Bornite 1Chalcopyrite 1Galena 1Malachite 1Pyrrhotite 1Silver 1Sphalerite 1Gold 1Sericite 1Commodities
Talc-Soapstone 9Copper 3Gold 3Granite 2Mica 2Phosphorus-Phosphates 2Kyanite 1Sulfur-Pyrite 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foust Mine | Copper | Aurichalcite, Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Malachite, Pyrrhotite, Silver, Sphalerite | Producer | 35.940, -79.382 |
| Robeson Prospect | Gold | Gold | Occurrence | 35.904, -79.427 |
| Copper Prospect | — | Pyrite | Occurrence | 35.879, -79.464 |
| South Snow Camp Prospect | Talc-Soapstone | Pyrophyllite | Occurrence | 35.867, -79.400 |
| Ivey Prospect | Talc-Soapstone | Pyrophyllite | Occurrence | 35.866, -79.346 |
| Major Hill Prospect | Talc-Soapstone | Pyrophyllite | Occurrence | 35.885, -79.384 |
| Snow Camp Mine | Talc-Soapstone | Pyrophyllite, Sericite | Past Producer | 35.862, -79.397 |
| Allen Prospect | Talc-Soapstone | — | Occurrence | 35.917, -79.359 |
| Braxton Prospect | Gold | — | Occurrence | 35.874, -79.327 |
| Burlington Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 36.054, -79.513 |
| Woods Mine | Talc-Soapstone | — | Past Producer | 35.911, -79.384 |
| Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.996, -79.438 |
| Sericite Pits | Mica | — | Past Producer | 35.910, -79.385 |
| Copper Prospect | Copper | — | Prospect | 35.878, -79.465 |
| Major Hill Prospect | Talc-Soapstone | — | Occurrence | 35.889, -79.393 |
| Woods Mine | Talc-Soapstone | — | Producer | 35.916, -79.379 |
| Lee Creek Phosphoric Acid Plant | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Producer | 35.550, -76.233 |
| Snow Camp Mine | Kyanite, Talc-Soapstone | — | Past Producer | 35.856, -79.384 |
| Robeson Prospect | Gold | — | Prospect | 35.904, -79.422 |
| Faust Mine | Copper | — | Past Producer | 35.935, -79.393 |
| Aurora Phosphoric Acid Plant | Phosphorus-Phosphates | — | Plant | 36.050, -79.270 |
Nearby counties
Orange County · Chatham County · Lee County · Guilford County · Randolph County
North Carolina mineral guides
- Beryl in North Carolina
- Tourmaline in North Carolina
- Quartz in North Carolina
- Garnet in North Carolina
- Gold in North Carolina
- Mica in North Carolina
Back to all North Carolina 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